Keep Me Singing
2016 studio album by Van Morrison
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Keep Me Singing is the 36th studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released on 30 September 2016 by Caroline Records.[2] It is Morrison's highest-charting album in the US, and third US Top 10 album, following the success of Keep It Simple (2008) and Born to Sing: No Plan B (2012).[3]
| Keep Me Singing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 September 2016 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–16 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 56:33 | |||
| Label | Caroline | |||
| Producer | Van Morrison[1] | |||
| Van Morrison chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
| Consequence of Sound | B−[6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[7] |
| The Independent | [8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
Keep Me Singing received generally positive reviews from music critics, with Metacritic giving the album an average score of 74 / 100 based on ten reviews.[4] Rolling Stone found that "through arrangements elegant to a fault, his mercurial tenor, more supple and restrained, remains a marvel", with his delivery at times being "full of chortles, snarls and gospel-tinged hollers."[10] Hot Press wrote that Morrison's "voice is as strong and expressive as ever, while the songs are a mix of familiar-sounding, soulful ballads and mid-tempo jazz-influenced tunes."[11] His "liquid-smooth voice" is "just as soulful as ever", wrote PopMatters, finding that Morrison "draws on a variety of vocal traditions from Celtic folk to contemporary jazz", and combines them "through the sheer force of his being."[12] Consequence concluded that "[there] are very few constants in life, but another warm record from Van the Man seems par for the course", but noted that it was "pierced with a severe, self-reflective melancholy".[13]
Accolades
Commercial performance
Keep Me Singing debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart, and at number nine on the US Billboard 200.[3] It sold 25,000 units in the US in its first week, with almost all of that figure in traditional album sales.[3] It is his last US Top 10 to date.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let It Rhyme" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Every Time I See a River" | 4:43 |
| 3. | "Keep Me Singing" | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Out in the Cold Again" | 7:06 |
| 5. | "Memory Lane" | 4:08 |
| 6. | "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword" | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Holy Guardian Angel" | 6:18 |
| 8. | "Share Your Love with Me" | 4:11 |
| 9. | "In Tiburon" | 5:18 |
| 10. | "Look Beyond the Hill" | 2:28 |
| 11. | "Going Down to Bangor" | 5:18 |
| 12. | "Too Late" | 2:48 |
| 13. | "Caledonia Swing" | 2:52 |
Personnel
- Van Morrison - vocals, guitar (1–3, 6, 7, 11, 12), drums (4, 5), piano (13), alto saxophone (8, 10, 13), blues harp (1, 3, 11).
- Dave Keary - acoustic and electric guitar (1, 2, 6, 8–10).
- Johnny Scott - electric guitar (3, 11).
- Nigel Price - acoustic and electric guitar (4, 5, 12).
- John Platania - acoustic guitar (7, 13).
- Paul Moore - bass (1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 13).
- Nicky Scott - bass (3, 11).
- Jez Brown - bass (6, 9).
- Laurence Cottle - bass (4, 5, 12), trombone (8, 10, 12).
- Paul Moran - keyboards (1, 2, 4–10, 12, 13), trumpet (2, 8–10, 12).
- Fiachra Trench - keyboards (1–5, 8, 10–12), strings arrangements (1, 2, 4, 5, 7).
- Enda Walsh - keyboards (2, 3, 7), percussion (3).
- Robbie Ruggiero - drums (1, 6, 9).
- Liam Bradley - drums and percussion (2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11).
- Paul Robinson - drums (4, 5, 12).
- Neal Wilkinson - drums (13).
- Kate St John - English horn (4, 5).
- Anthony Kerr - vibraphone (8, 10).
- Tony Fitzgibbon - fiddle (13).
- Ange Grant, Dana Masters, Lance Ellington - backing vocals.
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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