Morrison once said, “When I go into the studio, I’m a magician,” and working through this list, it’d be hard to argue against that. With only a few repeated words, Morrison leaves the listener completely in awe. Similar to “Listen to the Lion,” album closer “Almost Independence Day” is a winding stream-of-consciousness epic. The latter culminates with the lines “Won’t you keep us all from harm/ Wonderful redwood tree” delivered joyously like a gospel Thoreau. The title track and “Redwood Tree” owe much to Morrison’s new life in California but with more spirituality than anything on Tupelo Honey. He manages to draw out the song’s minimal lyrics, repeating lines like “I shall search my soul” and “Lookin’ for a brand new start.” He changes each line slightly as he repeats, not in a trance, but magnetically drawn to each one. The 11-minute “Listen to the Lion” is surprisingly sparse. The last four tracks contain some of Morrison’s deepest moments. But these three are really just an aperitif for what comes next. But he wastes no time switching to the flute-heavy “Gypsy” and the Ray Charles jazz of “I Will Be There.” Morrison plays each style so convincingly, it’s barely noticeable how wide he’s reaching. He comes out swinging on the opener, “Jackie Wilson Said,” awash with saxophones and one of the catchiest hooks Morrison has ever written. Morrison genre hops more blatantly than ever on Saint Dominic’s Preview.
0 kommentar(er)
