Van Morrison – Remembering Now

I heard that the new Van Morrison album was good, and so I gave it a listen, and it is good! I lost interest in Van’s new releases a couple of decades ago. Even in the streaming era, I rarely could muster enough interest to check out his new stuff, and when I did, I was disappointed. Then he turned up the volume on his cranky personality during COVID, and that was an additional turnoff for me.

There was a time when I was a huge Van Morrison fan. His 1982 release, Beautiful Vision, is one of my favorite albums, and an outdoor concert from that era (where Van’s band included horns, backup singers, and a string quartet) was the best concert I have ever experienced. Remembering Now harkens back to that ’80s Van vibe that I love.

Many of Van’s recent albums have been cover albums, but Remembering Now is a return to original music. It seamlessly blends soul, jazz, blues, folk, and country. All the songs are good, no clunkers in the bunch.

Many of the songs are focused on memories of an older gentleman, which is not surprising, given that Van is 79 years old. The memories are mostly sentimental vs. bitter. A pleasant surprise is how great Van’s vocals are – he sounds downright youthful. It is wonderful to have a warm and cuddly Van back with Remembering Now.