Track Listing

1. How Can A Poor Boy
2. School Of Hard Knocks
3. That's Entrainment
4. Don't Go To Nightclubs Anymore
5. Lover Come Back
6. Keep It Simple
7. End Of The Land
8. Song Of Home
9. No Thing
10. Soul
11. Behind The Ritual

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #327 in Music
• Released on: 2008-04-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
On April 1st, Lost Highway will proudly release Keep It Simple, the new album from Van Morrison. Keep It Simple is Morrison's first album of new material since 2005, and the first in several years in which he composed all 11 songs specifically for one album.

In the interim the legendary artist had a year that may be unprecedented for any living artist, having released three separate collections of his hits, with the latest, Still On Top entering the UK charts at #2 and selling platinum, proving the ongoing appetite for his unrivalled work.

His music has always incorporated the widely varied influences he heard and absorbed since his childhood days on the streets of Belfast- long before the bands of his youth and his initial breakthrough with the band he started early on- called "Them."

On Keep It Simple, Morrison honors all those varied influences - Ulster-Scots Celtic, Jazz, Folk, Blues, Country, Soul and Gospel - and an added surprise of a mighty Ukelele -most times melding them all together at once creating his unmistakable signature sound.

In some of these songs Morrison addresses the propaganda of the myth perpetrating rock music world. There is a definite theme that recurs throughout the album, especially in the title track.

In keeping with that idea, Keep It Simple does not boast the big horns or expected string arrangements of some of Morrison's previous work. What it does feature are gorgeous songs rich with emotion, depth and beauty.

Amazon.com
Those familiar with Van Morrison’s ever mercurial muse could hardly have been surprised when he turned up on the artistically centered, avant-country label Lost Highway to pay tribute to a era-spanning slate of country icons on the Nashville imprint's ‘06 collection, Pay the Devil. But while the ensuing years were dominated by several rich anthologies of Morrison’s work, he’s returned here to masterfully show his love of country was no passing fancy. As the title suggests, Morrison’s self-produced approach to the genre is both musically and emotionally elemental, a no frills approach that fits him like a well-worn pair of Tony Llamas. Indeed, even as he’s addressing matters of musical style and substance in an unusually introspective way on "That’s Entertainment" and "Soul," the veteran’s singing here is so natural and deceptively effortless as to disguise how forcefully Morrison has immersed himself in the country mold – or, more to the point, remade it lovingly in his own image, also marking the first time in several years he’s penned all the songs on one of his albums. Whether offering a little tutelage about the vagaries of fate on "School of Hard Knocks," taking W.C. Handy’s "St. Louis Blues" as the starting point for the slow-burning, Hammond B3-seeped country blues lament "Don’t Go to Nightclubs Anymore," or preaching the backroads Zen gospel of the title track and Banjo-seasoned elegy "Song of Home," Morrison’s warm, world-weary voice connects with themes that are as familiar as sunshine – and every bit as fundamentally complicated. --Jerry McCulley

Amazon.com
Born in Belfast, Van Morrison's father was an avid collector of American blues and jazz records. Morrison grew up listening to AMERICAN music like Leadbelly, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGee, John Lee Hooker, Mahalia Jackson, and Lightnin' Hopkins. He grew up surrounded by every kind of American musical influence. From the age of 13, he was adept at playing guitar, sax and harmonica and played with a series of local showbands along with Skiffle and Rock 'n' Roll groups, and Brian Rossi at the Plaza Ballroom. His early love of music, for the music, has certainly paid off.

Morrison's music continues to have that authentic American Blues, Jazz and melodic Folk sound that he loved and listened to in his childhood, long before those early showbands and well before his initial 1964 (HIT RECORDS) with his band called THEM. It’s a little recognized yet open secret that VAN MORRISON was, in fact, the band THEM.

In recognition of his unique position as one of the most important songwriters of the past century, Van Morrison was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, by the late great RAY CHARLES, in New York City in June 2003. Additionally, he was honored, in 2007, for his musical contribution to films. Presented by Al Pacino, this award highlights the depth and breadth of his compositions, as used by some of the most notable directors in the Motion Picture Industry today.

The 2008 release of KEEP IT SIMPLE is Van Morrison's 35th album. It is his first album of new material since 2005, and the first in several years in which he COMPOSED all 11 songs specifically for one album.

On KEEP IT SIMPLE , MORRISON wears all the "hats" as COMPOSER, ARRANGER, LYRICIST and proves himself once again an astute and accomplished PRODUCER, artfully choosing in this recording to keep all the vocals and instruments on this album in their organic form/ first takes.

KEEP IT SIMPLE features Morrison on the Sax, Harmonica and a special highlight throughout is his integration of uniquely composed arrangements on the Ukelele.

Accordingly, KEEP IT SIMPLE honors ALL of Morrison's varied influences as it is packed full of "Ulster-Scots Celtic" melodies mixed with SOUL, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Country, and Gospel - most times melding them all together once again establishing his unmistakable signature sound.

This record does not boast the big horns of some of Morrison's previous work. But, don't let the title fool you. Keep it SIMPLE is EVERYTHING but SIMPLE - it is a Multi-faceted record filled with mystical layers of sound -start to finish -with Songs from the Soul and gorgeous melodies, rich with emotion, depth and beauty. -truly a record that has something for everyone.

VAN MORRISON has journeyed far and wide since his early days in Belfast, but has invariably come back to the philosophy summed up in the title of this extraordinary new record.

As Keep It Simple is released, keeping true to the music, and arguably the new Hardest Working man in Showbusiness, Morrison consistently continues a busy schedule of concerts playing to packed theatres across Europe, Canada and the United States.

Customer Reviews

Van Morrison-not so simple
Listening to this new CD takes me back to the "rocker" days of my youth. I loved it and often put it in a 6 CD rotation with Delbert, Willie and Ray Charles!!!

Van Morrison - Keep It Simple
Excellent CD. I don't think he will ever put out something as great as "Into the Mystic", etc., but this is really a good CD.

any van morrison album is good
As a long time Van Morrison fan, I have nearly everything he has ever recorded. The songwriting is not up to that of his best work but that is a very high standard to achieve. This is a spare sound that he apparently intentionally achieves. It gives plenty of room to appreciate his voice and the way he and only very few others can interpret a song. I enjoy the album but would rank it in the middle to maybe lower third of his work. That still ranks it as better than just about anything else out there. Probably the album is one that will grow on you but, if you are not expecting songs that keep it REAL simple, you will be disappointed.