Van Morrison|Keep Me Singing
- Released on 30/09/2016 by Exile Productions Ltd.
- Main artists: Van Morrison
- Genre: Rock
Available in
24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo
Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this album
Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Subscribe
Enjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Van Morrison does exactly what he wants, when he wants, and continually mines the past no matter the cost. It's been four years since the Celtic soulman issued a collection of original studio material (Born to Sing: No Plan B), but given the music, it could have been yesterday. Morrison has no interest in innovation, he's already done that. The pace here is (mostly) laid-back, the music drenched in jazz, R&B, blues, and classy pop. He revels throughout in an elegant slow burn; his lyric themes are bittersweet, melancholic, filled with emotional and symbolic memory; his longing for the previous prevalent. The first line on album-opener "Let It Rhyme" is: "Throw another coin in the wishing well/Tell everybody to go to hell…" atop skeins of country and R&B as he reveals his recalcitrance. Celtic folk burrows underneath soul in the title track, as a trio of female backing singers, swelling B-3, and a snare undulate beneath his lyrics: "Keep me singing, a new beginning/waiting for my change to come...." A breezy harmonica solo adds a twist, but this tune reflects (musically as well as poetically) the protagonist in "Tore Down à la Rimbaud" from 1985's A Sense of Wonder, who is far down the road, holding stubbornly to a hope he knows (like his countryman Samuel Beckett) will elude him. "Out in the Cold Again" is one of Morrison's finest torch songs in a decade. His delivery hovers just above a small string section and Fiachra Trench's Errol Garner-esque piano. "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword" weaves blues-drenched electric guitar and organ exchanges in a midtempo steamy groove appended to excellent backing vocals from Dana Masters and Lance Ellington. The lone cover is a gospelized-blues version of Don Robey's and Alfred Braggs' ballad "Share Your Love with Me." (It was originally recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland in 1963, and made immortal by Aretha Franklin in 1970. Morrison's version lies closer to the original in spirit.) The singer revisits his time in the San Francisco Bay area for "In Tiburon," where a circular Celtic jazz melody flows under his poetic lines as they name check various signposts in memory, invoking Beat poets, musicians, and locales offeringa tale of a woman gazing out a window listening to music. He invokes this mysterious person over and again with the lines "Now we need each other to lean on…." A muted trumpet solo is misty, bittersweet, and tender. "Look Beyond the Hill" is a fingerpopping jazz tune with ghost traces of a "Moondance" musical feel, but without the magic hook. The outlier is "Going Down to Bangor," a raw blues, that directly references the early Chicago sound. Morrison offers his best blues shout and wails on harmonica. Keep Me Singing closes with "Caledonia Swing," an instrumental where skiffle, punchy R&B, and bluebeat ska rhythm (yes, really) come together in trademark style. Morrison delivers each of these songs with attentiveness; the material is consistently presented with finesse. Nothing further is required.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
Keep Me Singing
Van Morrison
I already downloaded Qobuz for Windows / MacOS Open
I have not downloaded Qobuz for Windows / MacOS yet Download the Qobuz app
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
1
Let It Rhyme
00:03:53
VAN MORRISON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
2
Every Time I See A River
00:04:43
VAN MORRISON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Don Black, ComposerLyricist - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
3
Keep Me Singing
00:03:40
VAN MORRISON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
4
Out In The Cold Again
00:07:07
VAN MORRISON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
5
Memory Lane
00:04:09
VAN MORRISON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
6
The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword
00:03:51
VAN MORRISON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
7
Holy Guardian Angel
00:06:19
VAN MORRISON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
8
Share Your Love With Me
00:04:11
Chris White, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Moran, Hammond Organ, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - VAN MORRISON, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Moore, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - DON ROBEY, ComposerLyricist - Alfred Braggs, ComposerLyricist - Alistair White, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Keary, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jeff Lardner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
9
In Tiburon
00:05:18
Paul Moran, Piano, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - VAN MORRISON, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Keary, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jez Brown, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Robbie Ruggiero, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
10
Look Beyond The Hill
00:02:28
Paul Moran, Hammond Organ, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Fiachra Trench, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - VAN MORRISON, Producer, Alto Saxophone, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Moore, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Anthony Kerr, Vibraphone, AssociatedPerformer - Laurence Cottle, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Liam Bradley, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Keary, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dana Masters, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ange Grant, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
11
Going Down To Bangor
00:05:18
Fiachra Trench, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - VAN MORRISON, Producer, Electric Guitar, Harp, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Johnny Scott, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Liam Bradley, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nicky Scott, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
12
Too Late
00:02:49
Paul Moran, Hammond Organ, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Lance Ellington, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Fiachra Trench, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - VAN MORRISON, Producer, Drums, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Laurence Cottle, Bass Guitar, Trombone, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Robinson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Enda Walsh, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nigel Price, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Dana Masters, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ange Grant, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
13
Caledonia Swing
00:02:54
Paul Moran, Hammond Organ, AssociatedPerformer - VAN MORRISON, Producer, Piano, Alto Saxophone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Platania, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Young, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Paul Moore, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Alistair McMillan, Mixer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Neal Wilkinson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Fitzgibbon, Fiddle, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
Album review
Van Morrison does exactly what he wants, when he wants, and continually mines the past no matter the cost. It's been four years since the Celtic soulman issued a collection of original studio material (Born to Sing: No Plan B), but given the music, it could have been yesterday. Morrison has no interest in innovation, he's already done that. The pace here is (mostly) laid-back, the music drenched in jazz, R&B, blues, and classy pop. He revels throughout in an elegant slow burn; his lyric themes are bittersweet, melancholic, filled with emotional and symbolic memory; his longing for the previous prevalent. The first line on album-opener "Let It Rhyme" is: "Throw another coin in the wishing well/Tell everybody to go to hell…" atop skeins of country and R&B as he reveals his recalcitrance. Celtic folk burrows underneath soul in the title track, as a trio of female backing singers, swelling B-3, and a snare undulate beneath his lyrics: "Keep me singing, a new beginning/waiting for my change to come...." A breezy harmonica solo adds a twist, but this tune reflects (musically as well as poetically) the protagonist in "Tore Down à la Rimbaud" from 1985's A Sense of Wonder, who is far down the road, holding stubbornly to a hope he knows (like his countryman Samuel Beckett) will elude him. "Out in the Cold Again" is one of Morrison's finest torch songs in a decade. His delivery hovers just above a small string section and Fiachra Trench's Errol Garner-esque piano. "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword" weaves blues-drenched electric guitar and organ exchanges in a midtempo steamy groove appended to excellent backing vocals from Dana Masters and Lance Ellington. The lone cover is a gospelized-blues version of Don Robey's and Alfred Braggs' ballad "Share Your Love with Me." (It was originally recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland in 1963, and made immortal by Aretha Franklin in 1970. Morrison's version lies closer to the original in spirit.) The singer revisits his time in the San Francisco Bay area for "In Tiburon," where a circular Celtic jazz melody flows under his poetic lines as they name check various signposts in memory, invoking Beat poets, musicians, and locales offeringa tale of a woman gazing out a window listening to music. He invokes this mysterious person over and again with the lines "Now we need each other to lean on…." A muted trumpet solo is misty, bittersweet, and tender. "Look Beyond the Hill" is a fingerpopping jazz tune with ghost traces of a "Moondance" musical feel, but without the magic hook. The outlier is "Going Down to Bangor," a raw blues, that directly references the early Chicago sound. Morrison offers his best blues shout and wails on harmonica. Keep Me Singing closes with "Caledonia Swing," an instrumental where skiffle, punchy R&B, and bluebeat ska rhythm (yes, really) come together in trademark style. Morrison delivers each of these songs with attentiveness; the material is consistently presented with finesse. Nothing further is required.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:56:40
- Main artists: Van Morrison
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Exile Productions Ltd.
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
Available in
24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo
© 2016 Exile Productions Ltd. ℗ 2016 Exile Productions Ltd.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.
On sale now...
Ravel : Complete Works for Solo Piano
Bertrand Chamayou
Ravel : Complete Works for Solo Piano Bertrand Chamayou
Money For Nothing
Dire Straits
Money For Nothing Dire Straits
The Studio Albums 2009 – 2018
Mark Knopfler
The Studio Albums 2009 – 2018 Mark Knopfler
Live 1978 - 1992
Dire Straits
Live 1978 - 1992 Dire Straits
By Van Morrison
The Essential Van Morrison
Van Morrison
The Essential Van Morrison Van Morrison
Accentuate The Positive
Van Morrison
Accentuate The Positive Van Morrison
Moving On Skiffle
Van Morrison
Moving On Skiffle Van Morrison
The Legendary Bang Sessions
Van Morrison
The Legendary Bang Sessions Van Morrison
Moondance (Hi-Res Version)
Van Morrison
Moondance (Hi-Res Version) Van Morrison
Playlists
You may also like...
Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)
Mark Knopfler
Going Home (Theme From Local Hero) Mark Knopfler
One Deep River
Mark Knopfler
One Deep River Mark Knopfler
i/o
Peter Gabriel
i/o Peter Gabriel
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Rumours Fleetwood Mac
Now And Then
The Beatles
Now And Then The Beatles