Matt LuceyVan the Man
Van Morrison needs no introduction. A true titan of the music industry, Van has been releasing music steadily since the 60s. He has the rare honour of being in the top 10 albums for 4 consecutive decades. To me, this signifies that, like many, his career has been long lived, but more than that, it’s been consistent. Listing his many awards would take too long so, suffice it to say, he is and has been recognised for his incredible work. A capable musician in a variety of instruments, he is perhaps most recognisable with a saxophone in hand. He earned the nickname “Van the Man” from his Irish fans, an endearing title that denotes his larger than life presence.
I was introduced to Van by my father years ago, who is a enduring fan. We would listen to Astral Weeks regularly, which would become one of my first record purchases when I began to collect music. Recently, we had the opportunity to see Van live in Dublin, alongside Neill Young. This was an absolute treat and Van played incredibly well throughout the show.
What He’s Been Up To
Recent years have seen Van continue his track of regular releases. At the age of 78, you would expect him to be slowing down but in 2024, Van was still releasing new work. Now, at the age of 80, Van has done it again, releasing this new album Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge.
The album, which was released in January, came out under the label Orangefield Records. As usual, Van himself Mixed the 20 track album. The sound is, as you’d expect, polished and professionally produced. Van, who famously has dabbled in almost every genre, returns to his routes here with a true blues album, featuring numerous other musicians alongside himself.
Features on the Album
Taj Mahal is one of these features, a classic American blues musician who knows the genre like the back of his hand. He lends credence to this album by his very presence. This addition, along with one other, is what had me so excited to sink my teeth into this album. That other musician is one who I have written about a lot recently, Buddy Guy. Buddy Guy, a blues legend himself, has been incredibly active in the last year, being involved in multiple projects, in addition to releasing a full length album which I reviewed here recently.
“Can’t help myself”
At first, this song didn’t have me convinced. The vocals from Van weren’t what I was hoping for, though the backing, guitar and everything else, was promising. I was immediately satisfied though, when Taj came in with his vocal section. It immediately felt more robust, more recognisable. The harmonica adds to this feeling, the blues voice was really shining through, like a classic song, but fresh. The happy little guitar is having a lot of fun with clean licks. The piano in the background also adds a lot to this song, as you’d expect. While I don’t think that Van and Tajs voices mesh very well here, the overall song makes this small shortcoming easy to overlook.
“Betty and Dupree”
This track is an instant favourite. Despite running at a slightly slower shuffle, it somehow feels more upbeat, with a groove that makes it impossible not to nod along. The vocals suit this track far better, and both Van and Taj get their moment to shine. The piano here, again doing its reliable work of bridging the vocal breaks while the guitar keep a steady rhythm underneath. It stands brilliantly on its own as a track, and Taj’s closing harmonica solo is the perfect send-off. Its punchy and ends the track on a great note.
“I’m Ready”
“I’m Ready” brings in Buddy Guy, always a welcome presence and clearly still very much active. His guitar work is a touch unpolished in places, but the soul behind his plating remains, and when he launches into a solo it fits the song perfectly. He and Van clearly had a great time recording this together, playing off one another with a natural ease. Two musicians that know their craft well. The result is a sound that builds and fills out into something full and satisfying.
Conclusion
It’s no surprise that this album is an instant favourite. Van Morrison knows what he’s doing when it comes to releasing albums and this one in particular is a treat. All in all, this would be a strong contender for blues album of the year if you ask me.
