80-year-old Van Morrison released his 49th studio album, Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge, this January. If he keeps up this pace, he’ll reach fifty-five releases before the end of the decade.
The nearly 80 minute album showcases Morrison’s deep dive back into the blues. Those familiar with Van Morrison may think of him as a soft rock artist, but his long career spans many music genres, including R&B, gospel, Celtic, and soul. Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge showcases a knowledge of the genre which establishes Van Morrison as a blues artist rather than an artist interested in the blues.
The majority of the album is a selection of obscure covers from notable legends like Fats Domino, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and BB King. The opening track, “Kidney Stew Blues,” a resuscitation of Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson’s 1969 track “Kidney Stew is Fine,” begins the LP with a strong, swinging clarinet, which later is matched by a lively saxophone. Morrison’s voice sings out strong and clear, but if you’re looking for that classic, rich tone he commanded back in the days of “Brown Eyed Girl,” you’re out of luck. “Kidney Stew Blues” squares us in the present day, where Van Morrison is an older artist having a good time jiving with some icons of the past.
Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge certainly puts the old greats to work, with 89-year-old Buddy Guy appearing in the credits of two songs, and Elvin Bishop and Taj Mahal, both 83 years old, each bringing their sound to another handful. “Play The Honky Tonks,” a Marie Adams original, employs Elvin Bishop’s signature guitar to liven up the sound. This song lyrically matches the bluesy theme of the album and also nods to the reason Van Morrison put this album out. “I’m gonna play the high class joints. I’m gonna play the low class joints. Baby, baby, I’m even gonna play the honky tonks,” Morrison croons. In this chorus, Morrison is sometimes joined by the voices of several others, giving the listener the impression that he really is singing this song with a group of guys out at an old bar room.
Van Morrison has seen great heights in his career, having won two Grammys and being nominated for seven more, putting two songs and two albums in the Grammy Hall of Fame, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and winning the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting in 2017. This new album isn’t an attempt to regain the fame he once had; instead, Van Morrison uses it to insist that he’ll play wherever the music takes him, even if it’s the honky tonks.
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