Van Morrison scores big with 'Accentuate the Positive'
By Ivor Levene
As the year 2023 draws to an end, it should be obvious to any music fan that this year has been quite different than preceding years, from a musical standpoint. The typical arc of any band is to start off big, to explode out of the gate, then go through their “experimental” period, then the classic period, and then begin the long, slow decline into mediocrity.
I won’t name names, but that’s just the way music (and life) go. But there were definite exceptions to this, and they were quite impressive. There was Midnight Rose by Paul Rodgers, which sounded like it was written and recorded in the mid 1970s. There was Hackney Diamonds by The Rolling Stones, which had journalists all over the world searching for ways to tell us that this was their greatest album since Some Girls. Nobody expected an album of this caliber after 2016’s album of Blues standards, Blue and Lonesome.
What exactly is a “standard”? Is a standard the same as a cover? I’m glad you asked, because any established artist doing their version of a well-known song is doing a standard. A lesser-known band doing their interpretation of a collection of well-known songs is doing covers. Bands do covers when they haven’t written a catalog of their own music, and then do standards when they’re more established. Covers tend to stick much closer to the sound of the original than a standard.
Standards can be a great way to measure an artist against a song, because of our familiarity with the songs. Which brings me to another venerable artist that has exceeded our expectations this year, Van Morrison. Perhaps this is something to do with the rebound from COVID, but whatever it is that is wringing these great bursts of almost retro quality from our most beloved artists, I’m behind it.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting an album with this energy from Van in 2023, it completely took me by surprise when I heard it. The last great thing I remember hearing from Van is Back On Top. There is no doubt that Van Morrison is one of the most unique artists in popular music, and it’s almost impossible to categorize him or his music, although his vocals are unmistakable. It’s something akin to a fine wine that has aged well over time. But it’s clear with the album Accentuate the Positive he’s not in any period of decline, that fact comes roaring out of your speakers the moment you drop the needle on this record.
Released on November 3, Accentuate the Positive is a collection of early rock and roll standards. There is no new material on the album, and that’s great. Why not do an album of rock and roll standards? Perhaps it can bring a vitality to a song you love, and give you another version of a song you love, so you can hit that repeat button a few hundred times.
Vitality is exactly what Morrison has brought to this album. This isn’t an album by a legacy act crooning out a bunch of old songs. Some of the songs on Accentuate sound like they were just penned. The album is a winner in my catalog, it’s got some high energy rock and roll combined with Van Morrison’s trademark vocals.
“Shakin' All Over” on the album is a great example. This song was originally composed by Johnny Kidd and The Pirates in 1960, later covered by Chad Allan and The Expressions (who later rose to fame as The Guess Who) around 1964. It was this particular version that became the de-facto version for most of us. The Who also did the song at Woodstock, and it was included on Live at Leeds. Funnily enough, according to Pete Townshend, people were confusing The Who with The Guess Who and demanding that they play “Shakin' All Over.” How anyone could confuse these two groups is beyond me.
Van's rendition of "Bye Bye Johnny" (Chuck Berry) is up there with The Rolling Stones' version. And a few notables also show up on the record: Jeff Beck, Taj Mahal and Chris Farlowe
What you get with Accentuate the Positive is a high-energy collection of standards that nobody expected, but will surely welcome. Consisting of 19 tracks, they are:
- You Are My Sunshine
- When Will I Be Loved
- Two Hound Dogs
- Flip, Flop, and Fly
- I Want A Roof Over My Head
- Problems
- Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes
- The Shape I'm In
- Accentuate The Positive
- Lonesome Train (Featuring Jeff Beck and Chris Farlowe)
- A Shot Of Rhythm and Blues
- Shakin' All Over
- Bye Bye Johnny
- Red Sails In The Sunset
- Sea Of Heartbreak
- Blueberry Hill
- Bonaparte's Retreat
- Lucille (Featuring Taj Mahal)
- Shake Rattle and Roll (Featuring Taj Mahal)
Right when the album dropped, Morrison took the show on the road over in the UK and it apparently sold out rather quickly. Here's hoping that Mr. Morrison makes a trip stateside pretty soon, I would love to hear this setlist, and frankly, anything else Van the Man wants to sing!
Get Van Morrison on vinyl in the Goldmine shop, click HERE
