The Sunday afternoon after Thanksgiving was cold, dreary, wet. Perhaps subconsciously, I put on Van Morrison’s latest album “Accentuate the Positive.” It’s Van’s second album in a row of covers. After his “Moving on Skiffle,” Van decided to knock out this record of mostly rock and roll classics.
The result? It’s one of the most joyous albums I’ve heard. You may be suspicious. Do we really need new versions of “Lucille,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On” and “Blueberry Hill”?
Van Morrison recorded some of the greatest songs ever
I was feeling uncharacteristically cloudy and within moments I felt a little pep. These songs are so great. Great enough that a wonderful songwriter like Van Morrison was inspired to want to record his take on them. With the exception of one songwriter, all of the composers and lyricists who wrote these songs have passed on, but yet they feel so relevant and alive in Van Morrison’s hands.
And they aren’t only rock tunes. “Sea of Heartbreak” is mostly associated with country and the title track, “Accentuate the Positive” is an American standard. All the tracks are done in an early American rock ’n roll style. The song “Red Sails in the Sunset,” with a Northern Ireland connection undoubtedly had special meaning for Van Morrison. It seeped into my mood.
Remember to accentuate the positive
Van along with the other musicians and vocalists created something extraordinary with this record. By the time I got to “I Want a Roof Over My Head,” I began to wonder if I minded the cold rain. It did give me some time to listen to Van’s new record. Or maybe I was just accentuating the positive.
You can also watch the Van Morrison album audio/visual review on Facebook Watch.
