Lisa Gerrard & Jules Maxwell "Burn" (2021)

Burn

release date: May 7, 2021

format: digital (7 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,04]

producer: James Chapman

label: Atlantic Curve - nationality: Australia / Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Heleali (The Sea Will Rise)" - 2. "Noyalain (Burn)" - 3. "Deshta (Forever)" - 5. "Orion (The Weary Huntsman)" - 6. "Keson (Until My Strength Returns)"

Collaborative project between Australian Lisa Gerrard and Northern Irishman Jules Maxwell, with the latter acting as live keyboardist on several occasions in Gerrard and Brendan Perry's duo project Dead Can Dance after their reformation in 2012. The album has a duration of only 35 minutes and consists of seven compositions with running lengths from four to six minutes. Gerrard alone is credited five tracks, while two tracks (#2 and #3) are composed by Gerrard and Maxwell in collaboration.

Musically, it's neo-classical with influence from darkwave, world music, and with hints from electronica, just as it has been the case with other works by Gerrard, e.g. The Silver Tree (2006) and which has charachterised releases by Dead Can Dance. Burn is, however, something else. The rhythm sections are shaped solely by programming or by bass and synth-bass with Gerrard singing on all tracks in an unknown or indistinct language - her very own metaphysical language, where her voice only functions on an instrumental level. That said, it's quite a sonorous, distinctive, and powerful instrument Gerrard possesses. She blends her alto voice beautifully in and out of progressive rhythmic loops and occasionally swings her vocal up into higher spheres clothed in mysticism of the East and sometimes with a well-developed technique taken from the scene of opera. Multi-instrumentalist Jules Maxwell adds rhythm, electronics, synth-bass, and grandiosity in appropriate measure and otherwise lets the music unfold in beautiful harmony with Gerrard as guiding instrumentalist.

It's original, beautiful, unpretentious, and yet wide-ranging. Since the early eighties, Gerrard has been responsible for strong original releases with Dead Can Dance - together with Hans Zimmer, she created the musical counterpart to the cinematic side of "Gladiator" (2000), and she has generally become an acclaimed soundtrack composer for a long series of films starting with soundtracks under the name Dead Can Dance back in '89 for the film "El niño de la luna" (aka "Moon Child" - not released as a soundtrack until 2019). They gained more recognition with their music for Ron Fricke's remarkable "Baraka" (1992), after which they released several soundtracks. As soloist, Gerrard first collaborated with Pieter Bourke on the music for "The Insider" by Michael Mann in 1999, and most recently in 2017 she and Peter Orr stood behind the soundtrack to "2:22" by Paul Currie. Gerrard has been nominated for dozens of international awards and she has received around 10 major awards for her work as a composer.

Burn is a certified gem of an album that should find wider recognition. Highly recommended!

[ Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars ]

2021 Favourite releases: 1. Mogwai As the Love Continues - 2. Thåström Dom som skiner - 3. Lisa Gerrard &
Jules Maxwell Burn

The Divine Comedy "Live at Somerset House" (2010) (live)

Live at Somerset House (live)

release date: Dec. 2010
format: digital (24 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Nel Hannon
label: Concert Live - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

12th album release by The Divine Comedy is a double live album from a concert at Somerset House, London, Jul. 17, 2010 released on the label Concert Live.
The album consists of 24 tracks (some issues: 22) and it contains many great songs, and it truly serves to document Neil Hannon as the great amusing entertainer, he also is.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Bang Goes the Knighthood" (2010)

Bang Goes the Knighthood
release date: May 31, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Nel Hannon
label: Divine Comedy Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Down in the Street Below" - 3. "Neapolitan Girl" (acoustic session) - 5. "At the Indie Disco" (live) - 6. "Have You Ever Been in Love" - 7. "Assume the Perpendicular" - 8. "The Lost Art of Conversation" - 11. "Can You Stand Upon One Leg" - 12. "I Like" (4 / 5)

10th studio album by The Divine Comedy released on Hannon's newly-founded label, Divine Comedy records, UK.
This is another fine but somewhat superficial album. The melodies are fine, the lyrics also with the usual amount of irony and themes in place, but... he's just been there before. It's by no means a mediocre release, though.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Record Collector 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Victory for the Comic Muse" (2006)

Victory for the Comic Muse
release date: Jun. 19, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Nel Hannon
label: Parlophone Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "To Die a Virgin" - 2. "Mother Dear" (live on Later) - 3. "Diva Lady" - 4. "A Lady of a Certain Age" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "The Light of Day" - 7. "Party Fears Two" (4 / 5)

9th studio album by The Divine Comedy is very much like a part two to Absent Friends from 2004, and also much on par with that, making it a very fine release.
"Party Fears Two" is a great cover version of a (likewise great) new romantic track by The Associates from their debut album Sulk (1982), which Hannon nicely succeeds in transposing to his own chamber pop version [Associates original version].
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars, The Guardian 4 / 5 ]

The Divine Comedy "Absent Friends" (2004)

Absent Friends

release date: Mar. 29, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Nel Hannon
label: Parlophone Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Absent Friends" (studio session) - 2. "Sticks and Stones" (4 / 5) - 3. "Leaving Today" (4 / 5) - 4. "Come Home Billy Bird" - 5. "My Imaginary Friend" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "The Wreck of the Beautiful" - 7. "Our Mutual Friend" (4 / 5) - 8. "The Happy Goth" (live) - 9. "Freedom Road" - 10. "Laika's Theme" - 11. "Charmed Life" (live)

8th studio album by The Divine Comedy is Hannon's second on Parlophone, and now he has put himself in the producer seat.
After a short detour into art pop this marks a return to his heydays of A Short Album About Love (1997). Vanished is the experimental and darker style as heard on Regeneration (2001), and instead full focus on chamber pop orchestrated with horns and violins, and a bunch of great songs.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Regeneration" (2001)

Regeneration
release date: Mar. 12, 2001
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Nigel Godrich
label: Parlophone Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Timestretched" - 2. "Bad Ambassador" - 3. "Perfect Lovesong" - 5. "Lost Property" - 7. "Love What You Do" - 8. "Dumb It Down" - 11. "The Beauty Regime"

7th studio album by The Divine Comedy with producer Nigel Godrich. All the previous albums have all been released on the smaller Setanta label but Hannon has now signed with a major label, EMI Records and releases through its sub-label, Parlophone Records. This is often referred to as Hannon's darkest album and his OK Computer Radiohead album. Well, it doesn't contain the normal amount of pure croon of baroque pop revival, or Scott Walker influenced ballads and does have a more art pop / rock style, which may be his closest release to Radiohead BUT it's still very much an original Neil Hannon fabricated album with great songs. It may just take more time to appreciate the single tracks.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "A Secret History: The Best of The Divine Comedy" (1999)

A Secret History: The Best of The Divine Comedy (compilation)

release date: Aug. 30, 1999
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: various
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

7th album release by The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon's first best of album. The album contains 17 tracks and it's a fine collection of songs for anyone not familiar with The Divine Comedy. For someone who knows some of his albums, I suggest that you buy the original albums, as these songs come from albums with either conceptual tracks or various styles and subject matter.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Fin de siècle" (1998)

Fin de siècle
release date: Aug. 31, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Jon Jacobs and Neil Hannon
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Generation Sex" - 3. "Commuter Love" (4 / 5) - 6. "National Express" (4 / 5) - 8. "The Certainty of Chance" (4 / 5) - 6. "Sunrise"

6th studio album by The Divine Comedy. After the great but short A Short Album About Love (1997), Hannon has returned to his tongue-in-cheek stories about modern life. The album isn't really great but still contains a number of fine compositions worthwhile, however, it's seen better from Mr. Hannon. Somehow, and apart from the fine track highlights, this appears as one of his "middle of the road" albums.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "A Short Album About Love" (1997)

A Short Album About Love
release date: Feb. 10, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5]
producer: *[Neil Hannon]?
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Tracklist: 1. "In Pursuit of Happiness" (4 / 5) - 2. "Everybody Knows (Except You)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Someone" (4,5 / 5) (live in France) - 4. "If..." (5 / 5) (live) (live) - 5. "If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me)" (5 / 5) - 6. "Timewatching" (4 / 5) - 7. "I'm All You Need"
*producer credits are absent

5th studio album by The Divine Comedy. This is the first album I ever heard with Neil Hannon and The Divine Comedy. I had read some reviews praising the album, so I searched the music, and was really blown away by it's classy beauty. It's still my favourite album by Hannon, and the only real downside to it is the short running time.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

1997 Favourite releases: 1. Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club - 2. The Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole - 3. The Divine Comedy A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy "Casanova" (1996)

Casanova

release date: Apr. 29, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Darren Allison and Neil Hannon
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Something for the Weekend" - 2. "Becoming More Like Alfie" (4 / 5) - 4. "In & Out of Paris & London" - 6. "Songs of Love" - 7. "The Frog Princess" - 8. "A Woman of the World" - 10. "Theme From Casanova"

4th studio album by The Divine Comedy. In my mind, this is his best album so far. This is where he finds the crooning sound and the subtle balance of strings and orchestra, and where he simply sings so very fine. The album was Hannon's first commercial success selling Gold in the UK. Again, all songs are written and composed by Hannon himself except for tracks #10 and #11.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Promenade" (1994)

Promenade

release date: Mar. 28, 1994
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Neil Hannon, Darren Allison
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Going Downhill Fast" - 3. "The Booklovers" - 6. "Don't Look Down" - 7. "When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe" (4 / 5) (live) - 8. "The Summerhouse" - 11. "Tonight We Fly" (4 / 5) (live)

3rd studio album by The Divine Comedy. This was the first really critically acclaimed album by Neil Hannon. Commercially, he still didn't reach any major sales but the critics and a growing crowd of fans hailed Hannon after this his first conceptual album. The entire album is about two lovers meeting one day at the seaside. The style is as its predecessor chamber pop but this time with much more use of strings and orchestrated symphonic arrangements.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Liberation" (1993)

Liberation
release date: Aug. 16, 1993
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]
producer: Neil Hannon, Darren Allison
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Festive Road" - 3. "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" - 5. "Your Daddy's Car" - 8. "The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" - 10. "Victoria Falls"

2nd studio album by The Divine Comedy. Although, the band had not officially disbanded, it was by the end of '91 already reduced to a one-man band, led by Neil Hannon, who apparently consider this the debut album neglecting the first release with a very different output. In fact, the music on this is much closer to his most recent album release than to that of its immediate predecessor from 1990. The style is chamber pop (inspired by Scott Walker of the late 1960's and early '70s) with focus on Hannon's narrating portraits of characters inspired by various famous novelists, or his ironic or sarcastic comments on everyday-life in Britain. All songs (except one) are written and composed by Hannon.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Fanfare for the Comic Muse" (1990)

Fanfare for the Comic Muse [debut]

release date: 1990
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,62]
producer: Sean O Neill
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Ignorance Is Bliss" - 5. "The Rise and Fall" - 6. "Logic vs Emotion"

Studio debut album by The Divine Comedy. The music is indie pop jangle pop, pop / rock not far from the style of The Smiths (listen to tracks #5 & #6) and that of R.E.M. (listen to tracks #1 & #6).
In retrospect, the album has more of historical interest. The music seems unoriginal and is far from the style normally associated with the band and Neil Hannon. At this early stage The Divine Comedy is a band consisting of Neil Hannon on guitar & vocals, Lawrence Hoy on guitar, John McCullagh on bass, and with Kevin Traynor on drums.
Within a few years after this, the band was to be synonymous with solo releases by Neil Hannon, and over the years Hannon has himself disowned the album.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Feargal Sharkey "Feargal Sharkey" (1985)

Feargal Sharkey [debut]

release date: Nov. 11, 1985

format: vinyl

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: David A. Stewart

label: Virgin Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "A Good Heart" (5 / 5) (video) - 2. "You Little Thief" - 4. "Ashes and Diamonds" - 5. "Made to Measure" - - B) 1. "Someone to Somebody" - 2. "Don't Leave It to Nature" - 5. "It's All Over Now"

Solo studio album debut by Feargal Sharkey after the disbandment of The Undertones, Jul. 1983. The band's last two albums Positive Touch (May 1981) and The Sin of Pride (Mar. 1983) already showed the band's move from melodic punk rock via power pop and into a bolder mainstream pop / rock scene, and Sharkey's solo effort basically just takes another step into sophisti-pop arrangements with strong contributions from Dave Stewart, Patrick Seymour, Michael Kamen, Nathan East, Olle Romo (Eurythmics backing band), Martin Chambers (of Pretenders), and Debra Byrd. Unquestionably, Stewart's presence ensures a sound that doesn't fall far from that of Eurythmics, and that's both the album's strength and a bit of a pitfall, as many artists sought to replicate the sound and the success of Eurythmics. "A Good Heart" written by Maria McKee deservedly became a massive hit, and much sayingly, the best tracks here are written by others, counting: "A Good Heart", "You Little Thief", "Made to Measure", "Someone to Somebody", and "It's All Over Now". Sharkey has that fabulous vocal that just makes it more than generic pop. It's Northern pop soul, which puts him alongside someone like Paul Young; alas Sharkey soon tired of the music business and withdrew from the limelight shortly after his follow-up Wish (Mar. 1988).

Van Morrison "Days Like This" (1995)

Days Like This
release date: Jun. 20, 1995
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
produced: Van Morrison
label: Exile / Polydor - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Perfect Fit" - 2. "Russian Roulette" (4 / 5) - 3. "Raincheck" (4 / 5) (live) - 4. "You Don't Know Me" - 5. "No Religion" - 6. "Underlying Depression" - 8. "Days Like This" - 10. "Melancholia" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 12. "In the Afternoon" (4 / 5) (live)

23rd studio album by Van Morrison released on Exile / Polydor produced by Van himself. His daughter Shana Morrison features as duet singer and on backing vocals on tracks #3, 4, 9, and 10 (the latter being the album's best track). Van may dwell on his back catalogue, and he may tend to be repetitious, but gosh doesn't he just know how to write good songs. The album was a bland experience at the time of the release. It is one of his most mainstream pop / rock crafted albums and it has a bit of the same polished sound as you'll find on Enlightenment (1990) and Avalon Sunset (1989), however, it also contains great songs that I wouldn't be without. "Russian Roulette", "Raincheck", "Underlying Depression", "Days Like This", "Melancholia", and "In the Afternoon" are all songs way above average. And that's really just Van in a nutshell: even when he just seems to cruise on auto-pilot, he always has an extra gear and something more to offer.

Van Morrison "A Night In San Francisco" (1994) (live)

A Night In San Francisco (live)
release date: May 17, 1994
format: 2 cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Van Morrison
label: Exile / Polydor - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Double disc live album by Van Morrison - which could've been called "Two Nights in California", are the recordings from two live concerts in Dec. 1993 in California - one night at the Mystic Theater, Petaluma, Dec. 12, and another night at the Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, Dec. 18 - the 2008 Remaster contains the bonus track "Cleaning Windows" recorded at the Masonic Auditorium, Dec. 17, 1993.
A handful of special guests appear on some of the 23 songs, which represent many covers as well as familiar Morrison compositions. The guest artists are John Lee Hooker, Candy Dulfer, Junior Wells, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Morrison's daughter, Shana Morrison. Aside from these, a strong group of handpicked supporting musicians appear throughout all compositions: Ronnie Johnson on guitar, James Hunter on guitar & vocals, Brian Kennedy on vocals, Nicky Scott on bass, Georgie Fame on keyboards & vocals, John Savannah on piano & vocals, Geoff Dunn on drums, Teena Lyle on percussion & vibraphone, Kate St. John on soprano & tenor saxophone, and Haji Ahkba on flugelhorn. And this bunch really back Morrison in the best possible way.
The album is full of individual performances as well as tight, spontaneous and delightful playing, and on top of it all, Van Morrison swims in, with, against the streams of sound in the most natural manner. The album contains more than 2½ hours of music, which may seem like a long time, but frankly, it doesn't feel one minute too long. Also, the recordings and the production sound is just like being there.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

The Undertones "All Wrapped Up" (1983)

abridged issue

All Wrapped Up (compilation)
release date: Nov. 1983
format: vinyl (abridged issue) / 2 lp vinyl (ARD 1654283) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Ardeck - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

1st compilation album by The Undertones originally released on EMI sub-label Ardeck is issued after the disbandment that followed the release of the band's fourth album The Sin of Pride (Mar. 1983). The original UK album is a double vinyl album containing 30 tracks. The abridged version of the album is the most common, which was issued in North America, Japan, and for the European market. The abridged version contains many great songs as it's a compilation of the band's A-side singles, but it's really the C- and D-sides of the double album, which also happens to be the B-side singles that makes the issue a must-have. Songs like "True Confessions", "Smarter Than You", "Emergency Cases", "Mars Bars" all have that extra wit and bit that defined this great band of the North, and which ultimately reveals what a great band they were to produce such great material as their B-sides.

org. double album

The Undertones "The Sin of Pride" (1983)

The Sin of Pride

release date: Mar. 7, 1983

format: vinyl / cd (1994 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]

producer: Mike Hedges and The Undertones

label: Ardeck, EMI / Dojo Limited - nationality:

Track highlights: A) 1. "Got to Have You Back" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Valentine's Treatment" - 5. "Untouchable" - "Bye Bye Baby Blue" - - B) 1. "Conscious" - 2. "Chain of Love" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "The Love Parade" - 5. "Save Me" - 6. "The Sin of Pride" - *14. "You Stand so Close (But You're Never There)" - *15. "Turning Blue" - *16. "Like That" - *18. "Window Shopping for New Clothes"

*Bonus track on 1994 cd reissue

4th and final studio album by The Undertones in its original line-up, not counting subsequent releases after the band's reformation in 1999. The Sin of Pride follows two years after Positive Touch (May 1981) and with this the band continue its turn towards a more mainstream sound and style initited with the predecessor with stronger focus on a Northern soul element. The standard vinyl album comes with 12 tracks with a total running time just under 40 mins. As is the case with the '81 album, the 1994 expanded cd issue comes with several fine bonus tracks and it extends the running time with another 22 minutes.

The album was regarded as a bit of a failure peaking at number #46 on the UK albums chart list as the weakest studio album by the band, and the three chosen singles from the album, tracks #B4, #A1, and #B2 came in as #97, #82, and #104 on the singles chart - needles say, not to much success. Tensions within the band hadn't made things easier over the course of the last two albums, so the end result was near evident. Alledgedly, Feargal Sharkey stood much alone in requesting a bolder soul-fueled style, and with the O'Neill brothers as the main songwriters seing more potential in a power pop-style, a split was inevitable. The band already broke up few months after the album release and Sharkey initiated a short but quite succesful solo career, while the remainders continued in the succesful quintet That Petrol Emotion with a new lead vocalist.

The Sin of Pride is like a second chapter to Positive Touch but it appears more coherent with an overall common sound and style, and then it contains two abosolute great pop soul classics that the general public simply wasn't up for when it came out, but they are songs that rightfully gained much more recognition in the aftermath, and perhaps especially after Sharkey's solo debut Feargal Sharkey (Nov. 1985), which reeks more of the Northern soul.

[ allmusic.com, Record Mirror 4 / 5 stars ]

The Undertones "Positive Touch" (1981)

cover vinyl

Positive Touch

release date: May 5, 1981

format: vinyl / cd (1994 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Roger Bechirian

label: Ardeck - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: A) 1."Fascination" - 2. "Julie Ocean" (4 / 5) - 3. "Life's Too Easy" - 4. "Crisis of Mine" - 6. "His Good Looking Girlfriend" - - B) 1. "When Saturday Comes" - 2. "It's Going To Happen!" (5 / 5) - 3. "Sigh & Explode" - 6. "Boy Wonder" - *15. "Kiss in the Dark" - *16. "Beautiful Friend" - 17. "Life's Too Easy (Alternate Version)" - *18. "Fairly in the Money Now"

*Bonus track on 1994 cd reissue

3rd studio album by The Undertones and the follow-up to Hypnotised (1980), which quite naturally was perceived as the difficult second album after a most stunning debut, and Hypnotised actually succeeded better than critics had imagined it would. With that, the band succesfully bonded with the sheer energy of the punk rock debut and at the same time proved to be able to take their style to a new territory mixing it with pop / rock and more subtle new wave, although, you could argue that the strongest moments still bore the energy of the debut, but nevertheless, the band showed more diversity with an album that went as high as to number #6 on the UK albums chart list - a peak performance of any studio album by The Undertones.

Positive Touch is a big leap in terms of style changes - and perhaps it distances itself too much, both by being their most incoherent album, and also for introducing a bold use of brass and strings. Looking at the highlights, though, it's remarkable that it both contains near soul pop-tunes like "Sigh & Explode" and "Julie Ocean" AND "It's Going to Happen!" - a song which is up there amongst their absolute best but which also appears very much on its own. The band had tried really hard not to be political and they were at times critizised for not addressing the ongoing Northern Irish conflict and here they actually make produce their possibly most political statement with "It's Going to Happen!"

The 1994 expanded cd is the better release with at least three fine bonus tracks - "Beautiful Friend" is a non-album single, which came out in between Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride but it fits nicely on the album alongside "Fascination" and "Julie Ocean". In retrospect, Positive Touch still is a mighty fine album showing how you could make the difficult transition from punk rock to pop / rock with bits of power pop and Northern soul bonding quite nicely with how beat artists of the 60s made the transition by employing blues and r&b to form new musical styles.

[ 😲allmusic.com, Smash Hits 4,5 / 5, Select 4 / 5, 👎Blender 3 / 5 stars ]

1994 cd-reissue

Van Morrison "Too Long in Exile" (1993)

Too Long in Exile
release date: Jun. 8, 1993
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Van Morrison
label: Exile / Polydor - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Too Long in Exile" - 3. "Lonely Avenue" - 4. "Ball & Chain" - 6. "Till We Get the Healing Done" (4 / 5) - 7. "Gloria" - 9. "Wasted Years" - 11. "Moody's Mood for Love" - 14. "I'll Take Care of You"

22nd studio album by Van Morrison who has teamed up with several familiar names including Georgie Fame, Jonn Savannah, Nicky Scott, Kate St. John and Candy Dulfer, but there's also room for one Mr. John Hooker on two of the songs (#7 & #9).
The album doesn't reveal big changes since the great Hymns to the Silence (1991), which on the other hand appears as more introspective and stylistically varied with this being a more simple-construct of pure rhythm & blues, urban blues and soul jazz compositions without strong influences from celtic folk or traditional singer / songwriter. The album contains 15 tracks with several songs running more than 6 minutes and it's rather lengthy for a single cd release with a total running time exceeding 77 minutes, which also explains why the album was issued as a double vinyl album like the predecessor.
Too Long in Exile was generally met by positive reviews praising it's pure bluesy style and Morrison's free vocal performance.
For some years I found it one of his lesser releases, but you have to hand it to The Man - there's hardly anything as a non-quality album from his hands, so you just have to let it grow on you, and it will reveal itself as another fine collection of songs. And that's how it often is with Van Morrison: an album may sound much like a former release, but if you really pay attention, there's nearly always something new, and something quite extraordinary about a new album as he always puts his soul to his work - and that pays off.
It peaked at number#4 on the UK albums chart list, thus making it his best charting studio album to date. Recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 2/ 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, Chicago Tribune 3,5 / 4 stars ]