Keep It Simple
Encyclopedia
Keep It Simple is the thirty-third solo studio album
recorded by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison
. It was released on March 17, 2008 (see 2008 in music
) by Exile Productions Ltd./Polydor
in the U.K.
. and on the Lost Highway Records label on April 1, 2008, in the U.S.
. His previous studio album Pay the Devil
was also released on the Lost Highway label, in March 2006.
This is the first studio album of all new original material since his 1999 album Back on Top. Other albums released since then have contained some cover songs. The May 2005 album, Magic Time, was composed of ten originals and three cover songs.
The album features most of the various genres that Morrison has been influenced by such as jazz
, folk
, blues, celtic
, country
, soul
and gospel
.
"Its got elements of blues, folk, gospel all my influences - Curtis Mayfield
. Its got a lot of inspiration from various things I was inspired by out there but it comes out like a new album."
Morrison wrote all eleven songs featured on the album and has been quoted as saying: "I felt I had something to say with these songs."
In one of the songs, "That's Entrainment
", Morrison says he has explained his approach to the music on the album. In his words:
"That's Entrainment" was played for the first time, at the beginning of the second hour, on Chris Evans BBC 2 Drivetime show on Wednesday, January 30, 2008, with Evans commenting: "The new Van Morrison album came with a shoot to kill warning if played before a certain date, but that's now been lifted so we can play it."
, Nashville, Tennessee
at the Ryman Auditorium
, Boston, Massachusetts and in New York City
starting on March 11, 2008. During this tour, he also performed at La Zona Rosa in Austin, Texas
at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference and festival on March 12, 2008 .
In the U.K.
on March 15, BBC Radio 2
presented an exclusive concert performance of Morrison performing all of the songs from the album.
Morrison gave an interview on BBC Radio Four's Today show in the morning on March 10, 2008 and an hour long interview on the Paul Jones
show at BBC Two Radio the same evening.
charts, which is Morrison's highest placement ever in the U.S.. His sixth solo album, Saint Dominic's Preview
charted at #15 in 1972.
Most of the reviews were favourable with four star ratings by The Star
, The Sun
, The Times
and Uncut
.
"There's a certain grace to Van's stripped-back band and as always he evokes images of sorrow and anguish but with such beauty and warmth that you can't help but smile when you hear them." Mat Strowbridge/inthenews.co.uk
"Typically the band settles into a groove while Morrison lifts off into the trancelike realm he calls 'entrainment'." Anthony Decurtis/Rolling Stone Magazine
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
recorded by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
. It was released on March 17, 2008 (see 2008 in music
2008 in music
2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
) by Exile Productions Ltd./Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
in the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. and on the Lost Highway Records label on April 1, 2008, in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His previous studio album Pay the Devil
Pay the Devil
Pay the Devil is the thirty-second album by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, featuring twelve cover versions of American country and western tunes and three original compositions...
was also released on the Lost Highway label, in March 2006.
This is the first studio album of all new original material since his 1999 album Back on Top. Other albums released since then have contained some cover songs. The May 2005 album, Magic Time, was composed of ten originals and three cover songs.
The album features most of the various genres that Morrison has been influenced by such as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, blues, celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
.
Composition
In an interview on BBC Radio Four on March 10, 2008, Morrison spoke of his inspiration for the songs on the album:"Its got elements of blues, folk, gospel all my influences - Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
. Its got a lot of inspiration from various things I was inspired by out there but it comes out like a new album."
Morrison wrote all eleven songs featured on the album and has been quoted as saying: "I felt I had something to say with these songs."
In one of the songs, "That's Entrainment
That's Entrainment
"That's Entrainment" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 2008 album, Keep It Simple.Morrison described the meaning of the word "entrainment" and the music on the album thus:...
", Morrison says he has explained his approach to the music on the album. In his words:
- EntrainmentEntrainment (biomusicology)Entrainment in the biomusicological sense refers to the synchronization of organisms to an external rhythm, usually produced by other organisms with whom they interact socially...
is when you connect with the music...Entrainment is really what I'm getting at in the music...It's kind of when you're in the present moment - you're here - with no past or future.
"That's Entrainment" was played for the first time, at the beginning of the second hour, on Chris Evans BBC 2 Drivetime show on Wednesday, January 30, 2008, with Evans commenting: "The new Van Morrison album came with a shoot to kill warning if played before a certain date, but that's now been lifted so we can play it."
Promotion
Morrison announced a short United States tour to promote the album with appearances in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
at the Ryman Auditorium
Ryman Auditorium
The Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live performance venue, located at 115 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee and is best known as the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry....
, Boston, Massachusetts and in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
starting on March 11, 2008. During this tour, he also performed at La Zona Rosa in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference and festival on March 12, 2008 .
In the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on March 15, BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
presented an exclusive concert performance of Morrison performing all of the songs from the album.
Morrison gave an interview on BBC Radio Four's Today show in the morning on March 10, 2008 and an hour long interview on the Paul Jones
Paul Jones (singer)
Paul Jones is an English singer, actor, harmonica player, and radio personality and television presenter.-Career:As P. P...
show at BBC Two Radio the same evening.
Reception
On its first week of release the album reached number ten on the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
charts, which is Morrison's highest placement ever in the U.S.. His sixth solo album, Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview is the sixth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in July 1972 by Warner Bros. Records...
charted at #15 in 1972.
Most of the reviews were favourable with four star ratings by The Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
.
"There's a certain grace to Van's stripped-back band and as always he evokes images of sorrow and anguish but with such beauty and warmth that you can't help but smile when you hear them." Mat Strowbridge/inthenews.co.uk
"Typically the band settles into a groove while Morrison lifts off into the trancelike realm he calls 'entrainment'." Anthony Decurtis/Rolling Stone Magazine
Track listing
All songs by Van MorrisonVan Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
- "How Can a Poor Boy?" - 5:43
- "School of Hard Knocks" - 3:44
- "That's EntrainmentThat's Entrainment"That's Entrainment" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 2008 album, Keep It Simple.Morrison described the meaning of the word "entrainment" and the music on the album thus:...
" - 4:32 - "Don't Go to Nightclubs Anymore" - 4:31
- "Lover Come Back" - 5:15
- "Keep It Simple" - 3:34
- "End of the Land" - 3:16
- "Song of Home" - 4:13
- "No Thing" - 4:31
- "Soul" - 3:37
- "Behind the RitualBehind the Ritual"Behind the Ritual" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included as the ending track on his 2008 album, Keep It Simple...
" - 6:59
ITunes Bonus Track
(available U.K. week of March 17, 2008 and U.S. on April 1, 2008)- "Little Village" - 6:11 (Live) (Album Only)
Personnel
- Van Morrison - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, ukelele - John PlataniaJohn PlataniaJohn Platania is a well-known session musician, guitar player, and record producer.Platania was born in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley, in Ulster County, near Woodstock....
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Mick GreenMick GreenMichael Robert "Mick" Green was an English rock and roll guitarist who played with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.-Biography:He was born Michael Robert Green, in Matlock, Derbyshire...
- guitar - Ned Edwards - guitar, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Sarah JorySarah JorySarah Jory is an English musician and vocalist.-Early life:Sarah Jory began to learn to play musical instruments at the age of five, when she obtained her first steel guitar....
- steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
("Song of Home", "Don't go to Nightcubs Anymore") - Cindy CashdollarCindy CashdollarCindy Cashdollar is a steel guitar and Dobro artist. She grew up in Woodstock, New York where she perfected her skills by playing with bluegrass musician John Herald, blues musician Paul Butterfield, and Levon Helm and Rick Danko of The Band.Cashdollar received five Grammy awards while playing...
- steel guitar ("No Thing", "Lover Come Back") - Paul Moore - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- David HayesDavid Hayes (musician)David Hayes is an American bass guitar player.Hayes has worked with Van Morrison, The Rowans, Terry & The Pirates, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Country Joe McDonald and others....
- bass ("No Thing", "Lover Come Back", "End of the Land") - Geraint WatkinsGeraint WatkinsGeraint Watkins is a rock and roll pianist and accordionist backing artistes such as; Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler, Paul McCartney, Roy St. John and Shakin' Stevens...
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
("Soul", "Keep It Simple", "School of Hard Knocks") - John Allair - organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
- Liam Bradley- percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Tony Fitzgibbon - fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
("How Can a Poor Boy?") - Neal Wilkinson - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Crawford Bell - acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Katie Kissoon - backing vocals ("Lover Come Back", "End of the Land", "No Thing")
- Karen Hamill - backing vocals
- Margo Buchanan - backing vocals ("How Can a Poor Boy?", "Don't go to Nightcubs Anymore", "Song of Home")
- Stevie Lange - backing vocals ("How Can a Poor Boy?", "Don't go to Nightcubs Anymore", "Song of Home")
- Jerome Rimson - backing vocals ("School of Hard Knocks", "Soul", "Behind the Ritual")
Sleeve notes
- Mastered by Tim Young at Metropolis Mastering
- Design by Jon Gilbert@AngelfireAngelfireAngelfire is an Internet service offering free space for web sites. It was founded in 1996 and was originally a combination web site building and medical transcription service. Eventually the site dropped the transcription service and focused solely on web site hosting, offering both free and...
- Photograph of Van Morrison by Patrick Baird
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
10 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
10 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Internet Albums | 2 |
| Canada Top 100 | 10 |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
8 |
| Norway Albums Top 40 | 7 |
| Swedish Albums Top 60 | 11 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
12 |
| German Albums Top 50 | 12 |
| Dutch Albums Top 100 | 12 |
| New Zealand Top 40 Albums | 15 |
| Italy Top Album Chart | 32 |
External links
- Van Morrison at Lost Highway Records
- Review: Keep It Simple:Simple Pleasure by Ben Greenman@ The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
- Review:Keep it Simple culturenorthernireland.org
- Review:Keep It Simple by Stephen Macaulay @Glorious Noise