Diligent ants are rarity in the history of rock. Neil Young, maybe Bob Dylan and Van Morrison were one of the few who marked each decade after 60s with at least one masterpiece. Further on, their works in the 21st century show that they are still capable of recording incredible albums, often with a strong commercial potential.
To say that Van Morrison is not giving up is the same as saying: The sun is shining. Need to create and desire to release inner world are inexorable in the cowboy from Belfast, and his fire is not flaming out even 50 years from the beginning of his solo career. This time, this year, Morisson offered something less original and centered his work around covers. Altogether, we got 63 minutes of music program that features Jeff Beck, Paul Jones and Chris Farlowe, and there is also Morrison's old collaborator Georgie Fame. Roll With The Punches sounds just like Van Morrison record - leaning on soul, blues and all the other genres that made Van Morrison a top name in music world.
Bring It On Home To me is not a novelty in Morrison's discography, as it was included on his cult live album titled It's Too Late To Stop Now. We had a chance to hear Lonely Avenue back in 1993 when album Too Long In Exile dropped, while Stormy Monday was featured on A Night In San Francisco in 1994. Do you know where Fame comes from? What's Wrong With This Picture, 2003.
In other words, Van was mostly playing with the old tunes rather than creating something new. And the new sounds like the old. Transformation resembles an ear when Van was playing in Tupelo Honey band. In one moment, he totally nailed the variation on main theme. Once, such approach brought him success (a song Saint Dominic's Preview), but here that's not the case. On the other hand, he can not make a single mistake with covers of old masters such as Sam Cokke, Count Basie, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mose Allison, Ellas McDaniel). These songs are part of his DNA. Roll With The Punches is characterized by a gorgeous sound, so it will be a pleasure listening to this album in the car. When the dust goes down, this will be one of those Van's albums that do not stand out from his discographic bunch. Still, that is also an accomplishment. It is nice to hear Van Morrison. Who cares If it's not a masterpiece, he already has a solid collection of masterpieces. Enjoy your ride!
