Review: Remembering Now by Van Morrison.

I am very grateful that we still have a local record shop in our area because they are becoming a thing of the past. So, on Friday I rushed over to Raves From The Grave in Frome to pick up my copy of Remembering Now. My first thought on holding the CD in my hand was, “What a boring cover”, no expense had been entered into with the sleeve design. Whoever designed the cover must have thought, “Hmm, Van Morrison, Autumn leaves, that will do”. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had been designed by AI. Anyway, as they say you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover, and that applies to music albums as well, because I hope I’m not being carried away here with enthusiasm after four listens, but I think this is possibly the most satisfying Van Morrison album since Hymns To The Silence 35 years ago. In a song on that album On Hyndford Street Van said,” It’s always being now, it’s always now”, and in Take Me Back Van sang of being in the eternal now, In the eternal moment. In subsequent years although Van made some excellent albums, I think he gradually lost his spiritual muse as time went by, especially during lockdown, a period that is best forgotten. He is spiritually reborn on this new album and remembering that NOW is the only time that exists. This new album is the work of someone who appears finally to be at peace with himself.

Crawford Bell.

The opening track Down To Joy will be quite familiar to most Van fans by now as it featured in the 2021 Kenneth Branagh film Belfast. As on most tracks it features Van’s regular musicians Richard Dunn, Stuart McIlroy, Dave Keary, Pete Hurley and Colin Griffin. I especially like the backing vocals of the late Crawford Bell with Dana Masters, and Kelly Smiley. The album is dedicated to the memory of Crawford Bell who sings on all but one of the songs. I loved the Crawford Bell singers when they performed on stage with Van, especially on such songs as I Can’t Stop Loving You by Ray Charles who just happens to be the subject of the next song If It Wasn’t For Ray. I think it is one of the lesser songs here. We all know what a huge influence Ray was on Van, but I don’t like the chugga chugga rhythm and find the lyrics a bit simplistic and cliched. A medley of verses from Ray’s songs might have been a better tribute. 

Haven’t Lost My Sense Of Wonder is much more uplifting. After being though the mill Van is now singing peace be still. The languid Hammond organ and piano playing of John McCullough are perfect on this pastoral song which would have fitted nicely on any 1980s Van album. For Love, Lover & Beloved Van put music to words he found in a book by Michael Beckwith founder of the Agape Church. I bet Rev Beckwith will be playing this every Sunday to his congregation. The string arrangements on this track and six others are by Fiachra Trench. Van has worked with Fiachra in the past on such great albums as Avalon Sunset and Poetic Champions Compose. 

Strings Maestro Fiachra Trench.

I think their welcome reunion adds a rich flavour to the album, and congratulations to the Fews Ensemble led by Joanne Quigley who play the strings. The radio friendly catchy Cutting Corners is one of three songs co-written with lyricist Don Black. I think that Van is a much greater lyricist than Don Black could ever hope to be, but I like this song with Van’s sax playing and Dave keary’s guitars. The violin playing of Seth Lakeman is also a welcome addition. A very cheerful sounding Van is Back To Writing Love Songs on the next track which is enlivened by Dave’s 60’s style guitar playing. The Only Love I Ever Need Is Yours is another Don Black collaboration. Fiachra’s strings and Van’s heartfelt vocals come into their own on this short but soulful ballad. I don’t like Once In A Lifetime Feelings all that much, mainly because of Don Black’s insipid lyrics which just don’t fit happily with Van in my opinion. Even Seth’s violin playing can’t improve this lesser track. Stomping Ground by contrast sounds just like the authentic, genuine, real, Van that we know and love. Van takes a walk down the mystic avenues of his old Belfast haunts accompanied by the lush strings, Hammond organ and piano. Van’s saxophone never sounded better. 

The Fews Ensemble.

The mystical mood is continued with Memories And Visions. Memories, Dreams & Reflections by Carl Jung came into my head while listening to this wonderful song. Van finds equilibrium while being in communion with the spirit of nature. Van’s voice combined with the organ, piano, acoustic guitar and sublime backing singers make this an outstanding song which you want to hear again and again (Listen to song below). When The Rains Came doesn’t quite reach the same heights for me but is still an excellent song. ‘I saw you standing’ is a phrase Van has used many times before, such as in When The Leaves Come Falling Down (which brings us back to the sleeve design), In The Garden, Ancient Of Days, and The Healing Has Begun. All songs from a golden era in Van’s career when he was in the presence of the Now, which he is remembering now. I can imagine that this song stretched out in live performance would be a spellbinding showstopper. 

Sadly, I feel that Colourblind breaks the spell cast by the previous three songs. It is ok, but misplaced here. Van is trying to inject some humour with clever word play. On a very optimistic album it is the only song with negative lyrics such as Van saying he is ‘browned off’. It is partially saved by some nice sax playing. If Colourblind hadn’t been placed here we would have had a clear run of five songs of Van at his soulful transcendental best because the title track Remembering Now is another song where Van finds he has gone full circle, back at square one and rediscovers the eternal now which is where he was at the start. To my ears the eerie Hammond organ playing is quite reminiscent of St James Infirmary. Stretching Out brings this sublime album to a magnificent close. This is a song that Van has been developing live in concert for many years when he has stretched out performances of In The Afternoon/Ancient Highway. It has always been a highlight of his shows and will continue to be, I am sure. 

When many critics have doubted him, just a few weeks short of his 80^th birthday Van is sitting pretty having pulled a magnificent spiritually uplifting life-enhancing album out of the hat. My opinion is that if three or four of the lesser songs had been left out, this work would be hailed as one of the best albums of Van’s whole distinguished career. Bravo!

Memories And Visions

Surf's Up

Love and Mercy - Brian Wilson

Van & The Science of Mind.

Today I thought I would tell you about a book which arrived here recently. It is called The Science Of Mind by Ernest Holmes. As is often the case with me it was Van Morrison who led me to discovering this book. Van mentioned it in his fascinating recent interview with Dylan Jones. Dylan asked Van how he came to write a song on his forthcoming album with Michael Beckwith founder of the Agape church. Van explained that in his library he came across a book The Science Of Mind which he was into many years ago and wanted to reconnect with. He looked to see if there were any Study Centres for Spiritual Living founded by Ernest Holmes near him and found that there wasn’t, the nearest one was in Bournemouth. However, whilst searching Van stumbled across the work of Michael Beckwith which he read about and something resonated. Sometime later Van discovered that his friend actress Roma Downey knew Michael Beckwith and introduced him to Van, and now Van has been attending services at Agape ever since, whenever he is on the US west coast. Van took words from a book by Beckwith and put music to them. 

Ernest Holmes

The connection to Ernest Holmes is that Michael Beckwith graduated from the Ernest Holmes College School of Ministry in 1985. Dylan said to Van that there is a very spiritual feel to the new album which there often is in his music and asked how his personal beliefs have changed over the years. Van retorted that it isn’t a belief, it’s an energy, a frequency. Van is quite a private introverted person, but he has always acknowledged an influence when he is checking it out and taking it further. I have learned so much by following up the pointers in his lyrics, not only discovering the music of other artists that influenced Van, but also important figures in such fields as literature, philosophy, psychology, and especially spirituality. 

Van at Agape.

Van’s whole career in many ways can be seen as a spiritual quest. I have always thought that Van’s best work is when he is channelling the creative energy of his spiritual muse. He seemed to lose it completely during the dark days of lockdown but happily seems to be back on the righteous path now. That is why I am looking forward to hearing this new album more than any new Van work for 20 years or more. When I ordered the book I expected to receive a slim paperback which I could read in a couple of days, so I was quite shocked when a massive weighty tome of 669 pages arrived. I have only read a few pages so far. It will take me a year to read it all. Happily for me it is advised to use it as a textbook and only read a few pages every day as a meditation. The book has a list of tables advising which pages to read on each day of the year. Therefore I can’t tell you much about the book yet, but I can tell you a little of what I know about Ernest Holmes so far in case you want to check it out for yourself.

Van, Roma Downey

Ernest Holmes was born in Lincoln Maine in 1887. At an early age he learned about Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science. His later influences included Thomas Troward, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Christian Larson, Evelyn Underhill, and Emma Curtis Hopkins. Eventually he became the founder of a movement known as Religious Science. That name comes from his assertion that his views can be scientifically proven. His great work The Science of Mind was first published in 1926. (My well used copy is from 1998) Holmes founded a Center for Spiritual Living in Los Angeles and there are now over 400 affiliated churches in the USA alone. He also began publishing Science of Mind magazine which is still produced today after 80 years. 

In his statement of beliefs Holmes said such things as that the manifest universe we can see is the body of God and the universal spirit and mind of which we are all part. He also said that heaven is within us all and we experience it to the degree that we are conscious of it. It is revealed through our intuitive and spiritual nature. I think Holmes would have been quite at home with modern science such as quantum physics because science and religion do seem to be merging these days. He also believed in a "core concept" – what he saw as a "Golden thread of truth" that ran through all of the world's religions as well as in science and philosophy. He died in 1960 aged 73. I better not say any more about him until I have actually read the book or I might make big mistakes, but thank you very much Van Morrison for leading me to The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes and I'm eagerly looking forward to June 13 and hearing the new album called Remembering Now.

Review: Will Varley, Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes Like Me.

Wednesday was a good day for me because a signed copy of Will Varley’s brand-new album popped through my letterbox. It is the fourth album by Will I have purchased in recent years and is called Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes like Me. It is a most welcome addition to Will’s oeuvre. I thought that Postcards From Ursa Minor was my favourite album by Will, but this new one could be a contender for that title because it contains so many great songs which are immediately accessible to the listener. Also, compared to earlier albums such Kingsdown Sundown this is a lavish production. A lot of time and trouble has obviously been spent on it. Recorded in Will’s coastal stamping ground in Kent Machines is co-produced by Will and his collaborator Tom Farrar who also plays on the recording and co-wrote two of the songs. James Hatton plays drums throughout the ten tracks.  

Long Way Back To Now opens the album displaying Will’s distinctive world-weary plaintive vocals and acoustic guitar. Different Man is more upbeat and given the full band treatment. I have enjoyed watching the youtube video of this tale of hard life on the road for several weeks now because it became the album’s first single release. I loved Home Before The World Ends from the very first time I saw Will perform it onboard the Thekla in Bristol a few weeks ago. It features the backing vocals of Dan Smith from the band Bastille, so hopefully might introduce a new audience to Will’s music. Never Get Tired Of Loving You is probably Will’s wife’s favourite song I would imagine. I bet BBC radio won’t play End Times which is one of the stand-out tracks here. It features the unmistakeable vocals of his friend Billy Bragg. The song shows how Will’s song writing has matured, reflecting how any parent with young children must feel when they look at the news and wonder what sort of world they are bringing their children into. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Gaza with lyrics of famine, stealing of the land, and are we on the wrong side?. Musically I loved the Neil Young style harmonica sound. (See video below)

Will & Billy Bragg.

The title track Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes Like Me has Will musing about Artificial Intelligence and the future having already arrived. I agree with him because it is often the mistakes in art that make it more human and real and AI can’t replicate that. Only Louise is another splendid song about being on the road and feeling homesick. The choice of the name Louise immediately reminded me of Visions Of Johanna by Dylan, but that might have been deliberate. It’s not the first time I have thought of Dylan when listening to Will. Venus Returns is possibly my favourite track although that might change tomorrow. Some of the lyrics such as ‘All I want is peace’ echoes the same sentiments as End Times. The rhythmical faster paced Everything Has A Heartbeat features Elini Drake on vocals and Simon Bloor on slide guitar. I think audiences would love this song at the festivals this summer. It leads effortlessly into Whatever’s Left which brings this most enjoyable album to a close. I’m looking forward to seeing Will next month on the Greenpeace stage at Glastonbury, so I hope he features some of these great songs. Highly recommended.

End Times by Will Varley