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  • Van Morrison does duets

    Van Morrison does duets

    Van Morrison does duets on his latest album Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue.

    It doesn’t take much to get me to purchase an album by Van Morrison. When my friend Barbara let me know on Facebook that Van Morrison had a new album for sale, I was quick to purchase it. I didn’t need to hear it first, either. Morrison’s latest effort, Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue was released on March 23, 2015. He joins a long list of popular singers who have released duets albums. Van Morrison and his guests have redone sixteen of Morrison’s songs, deliberately staying away from his best known hits and retooling some of his deeper cuts. They have come up with new arrangements, breathing new life into old classics.

    I really like Van Morrison’s music, though I’m not as passionate about it as some people are. I own a number of his albums and go through phases where I’m in the mood to overdose, but I don’t listen to him all the time like I do, say, James Taylor. Now, as I listen to these duets, I feel like listening to the old versions and comparing them.

    I was glad to see that Van Morrison also includes a broad range of guests, too… everyone from George Benson to Steve Winwood have a turn on this latest release. One thing I like about Re-Working the Catalogue is the fact that it offers a taste of some artists who have aroused my curiosity, yet haven’t yet made it into my music collection. Case in point, as I write this, I’m listening to Van Morrison sing with Joss Stone. I have heard Joss Stone sing on a number of collaborations and I enjoy her music. I just haven’t had the chance to buy an album yet… but I’m going to get there soon! There are other duet partners on here that I hadn’t heard of until I listened to this album. I’m grateful to be exposed to them, just as I’m happy to hear Van Morrison sing with well known people with long, established careers in music.

    I think most of these duets are well-crafted and considered. I particularly enjoyed what Van Morrison did with George Benson on the song, “Higher Than The World”. I think his turn with Joss Stone on “Wild Honey” is also very ethereal and elegant, while his work with P.J. Proby on “Whatever Happened to P.J. Proby” is playful and bluesy. It’s definitely fun! Kind of reminds me of “Moondance”, minus the sexy mood. Clare Teal sings with Van Morrison on “Carrying a Torch” and reminds me a little of classic Linda Ronstadt, while Van Morrison and Gregory Porter make a jazzy and fun rework of “The Eternal Kansas City”. I think my favorite song is “Irish Heartbeat”, which Morrison performed with Mark Knopfler, who sings a little higher here. Daughter Shana Morrison also impresses as she sings “Rough God Goes Riding”; that’s another strong effort.


    Van Morrison and Mark Knopfler team up…

    In my humble opinion, Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue is absolutely worth the price of admission. These are sixteen well-made re-works. Of course, whether or not they are better than the originals depends on your taste. I like these new duets and I think most of them sound refreshingly authentic, not over-produced or slickly made over. If you like Van Morrison’s music, I recommend picking up this latest effort.

  • New music from Mark Knopfler!

    New music from Mark Knopfler!

    I always love it when there’s new music from Mark Knopfler! Here’s a look at his new album, Tracker.

    I remember in the good old days, when I had to walk to the local discount store to buy records and tapes. I’d carefully save up my money and treasure that new album for weeks before I started wanting another one. Thanks to today’s super fast and efficient downloads, I no longer have to go anywhere to buy music. I can buy it on a whim, not even knowing if it’s any good or not. That’s what I did the other day when I noticed a new album by Dire Straits front man, Mark Knopfler.

    I have loved Knopfler’s music for thirty years, so it was a no brainer that I would purchase his latest album, Tracker. No, I didn’t listen to any of the songs beforehand. No, I didn’t read any reviews. I just bought it. And folks, I’m happy to say that I love it. Tracker is Knopfler’s eighth studio album, not counting film scores. It was released on March 17th of this year.

    From the very first beats of the opening number, “Laughs and Jokes and Drinks and Smokes”, I can tell it’s a winner. The opening song has a very appealing Celtic sound that has appeared on most of Knopfler’s albums over the past fifteen years or so. He seems to have affection for lilting, waltzing, Celtic sounding melodies and lyrics that tell vivid stories. The song is about Knopfler’s pre Dire Straits’ career.

    The songs “Beryl” and “Basil” are about writers. “Basil” is a contemplative song about the poet, Basil Bunting. “Beryl” is a musical tale about the British author, Dame Beryl Bainbridge, a writer whose greatness was overlooked while she was still living. She wasn’t recognized until after her death. As I listen to the songs, I hear remnants of earlier songs, and yet they work beautifully within a new creation. “Beryl” sounds very much like something Knopfler would have recorded with Dire Straits. It has an almost 60s vibe, with an understated organ and Knopfler’s own very recognizable guitar licks.

    The third track, “River Towns”, is one of those songs that pulls you in, with its intricate instrumentation and Knopfler’s distinctive storyteller’s voice. A sensual sax solo adds a worldly texture to a melody that otherwise might make one think of a simple place. The opening bars remind me a little of something Bruce Springsteen might have written, but then the song turns into something wholly Knopfler.

    The uptempo “Skydiver” has sort of a jaunty beat that reminds me of The Beatles in their early days… Singer Ruth Moody adds her luminous soprano to a number of tracks, including “Skydiver” “Basil”, “Long Cool Girl”, and “My Heart Has Never Changed”. She also sings a duet with Knopfler on the sublime love song, “Wherever I Go”. I’m going to have to check out more of Ruth Moody’s music. She has a lovely voice.

    Tracker comes in standard, box, or deluxe editions. The deluxe edition, which is what I purchased, comes with six bonus tracks. Mark Knopfler’s albums are usually thematic and Tracker is no exception. This album is about Knopfler’s life. At 65 years old, he’s looking back at his career, places, people, and times, tracking his way through this life. Some of the songs on Tracker seem clearly fathered by other songs from an earlier time in Knopfler’s career. But Knopfler has exquisite taste and manages to create new magic with established tunes. These songs are going to age well. I expect that if I’m around to hear this album 20 years from now, I will still think the songs are of great quality. The overall mood on this album is mellow and contemplative. It’s acoustic and natural. I like it and definitely recommend it to those who enjoy Mark Knopfler’s music.

  • Boy Bands of the 1980s…

    Boy Bands of the 1980s…

    My recent obsession with Menudo has me thinking about boy bands from the 80s this week…

    When I was a teenager, I wasn’t into boy bands. I liked what was then called classic rock, music that is way older than I am. Back in my day, we had our share of boy bands. The New Kids On The Block were a big hit, as were New Edition. I preferred New Edition to New Kids, but I know a lot of my friends were fans of the slick dancing moves and silky harmonies both boy bands offered.


    New Kids On The Block’s big hit, “Please Don’t Go Girl”.

    Watching that video makes me suddenly feel ancient. It doesn’t seem like high school was that long ago, but it really was. The woman in the video looks a little too mature for the boys in New Kids On The Block, anyway. After “Please Don’t Go Girl” became a hit, New Kids On The Block became very popular. For awhile, they could do nothing wrong. But then they started to grow up and so did their audience. By the 1990s, they had become decidedly uncool. They changed their name to NKOTB, probably because New Men On The Block didn’t seem very catchy.


    New Kids gets edgy with “Hangin’ Tough.


    “Candy Girl” came out in 1983. I think I might have liked New Edition more because I was a lot younger when they made it big.


    A live performance of “Mr. Telephone Man”.

    Menudo was another boy band that was big in the 80s. I was first introduced to their very Latin sound when I was taking Spanish in school. My teacher was from Cuba and loved their music, so she shared it with the class.


    Here’s a video that features a very young Ricky Martin. I watch him wagging his ass and want to say, “Get it, boy!”


    Ricky Martin when he was brand new to Menudo… He was about 13 here.

    I didn’t like Menudo’s music that much back then, but I must admit I’ve been watching their old videos over the past few days. I can see why they were such a popular boy band back in the day. And Menudo avoided the problems associated aging bands. In most cases, members of Menudo were forced into retirement when they turned 16 or, in Ray Reyes’ case, when they grew too tall for the band.


    Menudo sings at a pool party in 1987. Check out the biker shorts!

    I suppose I could add other bands to this post. The Jacksons and The Osmonds could probably be considered boy bands, except they came from large singing families. And by the 80s, they were men, not boys. Watching these videos, I can’t help but wonder how these guys feel when they see themselves decked out in matching outfits, dancing and singing in front of a bunch of screaming girls. I think about the hours of rehearsals they must have endured to perfect those dance steps. And now, thirty years later, I wonder if the experience of being in a boy band was worth it to them. Money, fame, boyish good looks, and slick dance moves… who wouldn’t want to have those things going for them?

    I can’t help but remember South Park’s hit song…


    Watching boy bands makes me feel like a good finger bang…