Keep It Simple

Untitled

. . . ** Coming Soon To WWW.KEEPITSIMPLE.COM ~Keep It Simple Blogs, Forums, and More! November 25, 2010 ► I am excited to be working on such a great project. "Keeping It Simple" has become a lifestyle for so many people in this sometimes crazy and hectic world. Serenity is achieved when we do not complicate life. This simplicity makes everything more relaxed and enjoyable. We will provide the tools necessary to help you apply the "KIS Philosophy" in your daily living! - Mark Bloomfield . . . . Keep It Simple is the thirty-third solo studio album recorded by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on March 17, 2008 (see 2008 in music) by Exile Productions Ltd./Polydor in the U.K.. and on the Lost Highway Records label on April 1, 2008 in the U.S.. His last studio album Pay the Devil was also released on the Lost Highway label in March 2006.

This is the first studio album of all new original material since his 1999 album Back on Top. Other albums released since then have contained some cover songs. The May 2005 album, Magic Time was composed of ten originals and three cover songs.

The album features most of the various genres that Morrison has been influenced by such as jazz, folk, blues, celtic, country, soul and gospel.

Composition

In an interview on BBC Radio Four on March 10, 2008, Morrison spoke of his inspiration for the songs on the album: "Its got elements of blues, folk, gospel all my influences - Curtis Mayfield. Its got a lot of inspiration from various things I was inspired by out there but it comes out like a new album."

Morrison wrote all eleven songs featured on the album and has been quoted as saying: "I felt I had something to say with these songs."

In one of the songs, "That's Entrainment", Morrison says he has explained his approach to the music on the album. In his words:

Entrainment is when you connect with the music...Entrainment is really what I'm getting at in the music...It's kind of when you're in the present moment - you're here - with no past or future.

"That's Entrainment" was played for the first time, at the beginning of the second hour, on Chris Evans BBC 2 Drivetime show on Wednesday, January 30, 2008, with Evans commenting: "The new Van Morrison album came with a shoot to kill warning if played before a certain date, but that's now been lifted so we can play it."

Promotion

Morrison announced a short United States tour to promote the album with appearances in Austin, Texas, Nashville, Tennessee at the Ryman Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts and in New York City starting on March 11, 2008. During this tour, he also performed at La Zona Rosa in Austin, Texas at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference and festival on March 12, 2008 .

In the U.K. on March 15, BBC Radio 2 presented an exclusive concert performance of Morrison performing all of the songs from the album.

Morrison gave an interview on BBC Radio Four's Today show in the morning on March 10, 2008 and an hour long interview on the Paul Jones show at BBC Two Radio the same evening.

Reception

On its first week of release the album reached number ten on the U.S. charts, which is Morrison's highest placement ever in the U.S.. His sixth solo album, Saint Dominic's Preview charted at #15 in 1972.

Most of the reviews were favourable with four star ratings by The Star, The Sun, The Times and Uncut.

"There's a certain grace to Van's stripped-back band and as always he evokes images of sorrow and anguish but with such beauty and warmth that you can't help but smile when you hear them." Mat Strowbridge/inthenews.co.uk

"Typically the band settles into a groove while Morrison lifts off into the trancelike realm he calls 'entrainment'." Anthony Decurtis/Rolling Stone Magazine

Track listing

All songs by Van Morrison

1. "How Can a Poor Boy" - 5:43
2. "School of Hard Knocks" - 3:44
3. "That's Entrainment" - 4:32
4. "Don't Go to Nightclubs Anymore" - 4:31
5. "Lover Come Back" - 5:15
6. "Keep It Simple" - 3:34
7. "End of the Land" - 3:16
8. "Song of Home" - 4:13
9. "No Thing" - 4:31
10. "Soul" - 3:37
11. "Behind the Ritual" - 6:59

ITunes Bonus Track

(available U.K. week of March 17, 2008 and U.S. on April 1, 2008)

1. "Little Village" - 6:11 (Live) (Album Only)

Personnel

• Van Morrison - vocals, piano, alto saxophone, acoustic guitar, ukelele
• John Platania - guitar
• Mick Green - guitar
• Ned Edwards - guitar, harmonica, backing vocals
• Sarah Jory - steel guitar, banjo ("Song of Home", "Don't go to Nightcubs Anymore")
• Cindy Cashdollar - steel guitar ("No Thing", "Lover Come Back")
• Paul Moore - bass
• David Hayes - bass ("No Thing", "Lover Come Back", "End of the Land")
• Geraint Watkins - piano, accordion ("Soul", "Keep It Simple", "School of Hard Knocks")
• John Allair - organ
• Liam Bradley- percussion
• Tony Fitzgibbon - fiddle ("How Can a Poor Boy?")
• Neal Wilkinson - drums
• Crawford Bell - acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Katie Kissoon - backing vocals ("Lover Come Back", "End of the Land", "No Thing")
• Karen Hamill - backing vocals
• Margo Buchanan - backing vocals ("How Can a Poor Boy?", "Don't go to Nightcubs Anymore", "Song of Home")
• Stevie Lange - backing vocals ("How Can a Poor Boy?", "Don't go to Nightcubs Anymore", "Song of Home")
• Jerome Rimson - backing vocals ("School of Hard Knocks", "Soul", "Behind the Ritual")

Sleeve notes

• Mastered by Tim Young at Metropolis Mastering
• Design by Jon Gilbert@Angelfire
• Photograph of Van Morrison by Patrick Baird

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
UK Albums Chart	10
U.S. Billboard 200	10
U.S. Billboard Top Internet Albums	2
Canada Top 100	10
European Top 100 Albums	8
Norway Albums Top 40	7
Swedish Albums Top 60	11
Irish Albums Chart	12
German Albums Top 50	12
Dutch Albums Top 100	12
New Zealand Top 40 Albums	15
Italy Top Album Chart	32

External links

• Van Morrison at Lost Highway Records
• Template:MySpace
• Review: Keep It Simple:Simple Pleasure by Ben Greenman@ The New Yorker
• Review:Keep it Simple culturenorthernireland.org
• Review:Keep It Simple by Stephen Macaulay @Glorious Noise