Van Morrison: Down the Road

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * * )

These past few years there have been too many indifferent Van albums and the titles here suggest he may still be treading water. Don't these sound like generic Van: Choppin' Wood, What Makes an Irish Heart Beat, Evening Shadows, Meet Me in the Indian Summer? But this is a surprisingly good collection: the bands which often include Hammond organ and a horn section really cook, the material (all originals except Georgia on My Mind) is uniformly strong, and the man sounds like he's making an effort.

It's very like Morrison of the early-70s so old fans can happily return and steep themselves in lovely ballads like Steal My Heart Away, the classic Van r'n'b of Hey Mr DJ and Talk is Cheap, the jazzy swing of Choppin' Wood and the reflective The Beauty of Days Gone By.

Of course, being a notoriously grumpy bugger, he has to spoil Whatever Happened to PJ Proby? by saying "there's nothing to relate to any more, unless you want to be mediocre, ain't nothing new under the sun ..."

Maybe not, and nothing "new" here from Van, but a real sense he's recaptured his spirit. Good'un.

Label: Exile