Keep It Simple
- Rock
- 2008
- Buy the CD
Reviewed by Jeff Giles
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So is Van in a rut, or just grooving? Nobody knows for sure – perhaps not even Van, and even if he does know, he probably doesn’t care. Which is not to say he doesn’t care about the music, of course – only that he’s never given the appearance of someone who sees much purpose in intellectualizing or analyzing his songs. It’s easy to understand, really – why expend the effort when you’ve got armies of fans and critics eager to do it for you? It’s much easier to be inscrutable.
“Easy” is a pretty good one-word description of Keep It Simple, actually; Van runs down these 11 tracks with the air of someone who has one eyebrow arched and one eye on the door, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has listened to any of his recent albums. Morrison’s perpetual offhandedness would be annoying a lot more often than it is if it hadn’t always been a core element of his repertoire; even during his heyday, he frequently sounded bored with himself. The only difference is that back then, he was covering new ground – at this point, there’s nothing Morrison hasn’t done at least twice.
This doesn’t make Simple a bad album – just one that lives up to its title. These are simple songs that revisit themes Morrison has expounded on, repeatedly and at great length, throughout his career: Irritation at being misunderstood, annoyance at the non-believers, contempt for consumer culture, and a desire to, yes, keep it simple. There isn’t a single moment that could justifiably be considered essential for anyone – not even the most ardent Van Morrison fan – which makes perfect sense, when you think about it, because Morrison has never seemed to make his albums for anyone but himself. That might sound like a bad thing, but if you value integrity in your rock & roll, Morrison’s dogged pursuit of the muse should be a source of comfort. It may not make for particularly exciting songwriting – especially during moments like the closing stretch of this album’s last track, “Behind the Ritual,” when Morrison repeats the word “blah” 30 times in lieu of actual lyrics – but it’s certainly simple.
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