‘Highlighting the positive’
Van Morrison
Exile Productions
rhythm and blues
★★★★
Across a fifty year career, Van Morrison maintains a steady editorial pace, and lately he seems more active than ever. Highlighting the Positive marks his second album of new material this year, and the third if one counts the collection of unreleased tracks from Beyond Words: Instrumental. If Moving on Skiffle, issued in March, explored the mixed‑race American style that gained popularity in the UK during the 1950s, the new work broadens that framework while keeping the cross‑Atlantic thread that ties Morrison to his early inspirations and youth.
Highlighting the Positive, another album of covers, is alert and fiery, presenting the most dynamic version of Morrison yet, in its craftsmanship and energy. The title signals a return to an earlier era, toward 1944 when Arlen and Mercer penned a track later recorded by Bing Crosby with the Andrews Sisters, a nod of gratitude and a message of hopeful resilience. Morrison softens the image of the perpetual grump, a persona intensified by pandemic era productions where he publicly challenged followers or politics. The emphasis here feels like a celebration of entertainment and the enduring value of classic interpretive tools.
party and romance
The program moves through swing, rhythm and blues, and early rock and roll with a sense of celebration and good food. Morrison is cheerful, playful, and romantic on the opening track, Jimmie Davis’s “You Are My Sunshine,” driven by brisk tempo and infectious charm. Louis Jordan’s brass‑driven rescue in “Flip, Flop and Fly” invites ballroom dancing in “I Want a Roof Over My Head.” He even shifts accents, giving Johnny Kidd & The Pirates’ “Shakin’ All Over” a noir, sinuous edge that revises the 1994 San Francisco performance.
George Ivan Morrison’s voice traverses familiar rock and roll terrain with its lean, distinctive timbre. The stylish “Two Hounds,” a Bill Haley cover from 1955, tightens the grip, while “Bye Bye Johnny” (a Chuck Berry classic) and “Lucille” (Little Richard) land with sharp, energizing impact. The set also features a guest appearance by a legendary vocalist, Chris Farlowe, sharing the microphone on “Lonesome Train,” alongside a guitar solo from the late Jeff Beck, whose contribution remains a highlight of the record.
Highlighting the Positive doesn’t aim to be a foundational masterwork for Morrison. It sits beside the idea of a potential reissue of a milestone like Moondance, which could find renewed attention in the near term. Yet this album refreshes the artist’s perceived range and offers a path through the songbook that has shaped Morrison’s career and audience expectations.
Other albums of the week
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The Scotsman’s Kenny Anderson returns after seven years with a record that revisits the paths explored on his acclaimed collaboration with Jon Hopkins. Blending electronic textures with organic instrumentation, the collection yields songs of misty beauty where the everyday and the magical intersect. A standout is the bold 36‑minute exploration of Drone in B#, a track that lingers in memory. Rafael Tapounet
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Mallorca draws attention as a new generation of sounds emerges from Felanitx after the folk pop of Continent i contingut (2021). A lean, minimal electronic tune sits over a palette of Mediterranean warmth, autotune hovering above piano silhouettes, sturdy basslines, and thoughtful samples. The luminous confession book was produced by Ferran Palau and Mr. Chen, with collaborators like Mushkaa and Rita Payés guiding the project. J.B.