There's a quiet irony to Van Morrison's entrance at the Royal Albert Hall, as the band play him on for a prosaic cover of "You Are My Sunshine". Face obscured behind dark sunglasses and a brimmed hat, mouth fixed into a near-unwavering scowl, he looks allergic to the very idea of sunshine.
But such is the mercurial appeal of Morrison, perhaps the greatest and most confounding curmudgeon in the history of popular music. After briefly rebranding as an anti-lockdown campaigner during the height of Covid, the 78-year-old is back touring his latest album, Accentuate the Positive, a record comprising covers of classic country and rock’n’roll songs.
After “Sunshine”, he throws himself into a cover of the Everly brothers’ “When Will I Be Loved” with considerably more gusto, which gamely compensates for a rather plodding arrangement – albeit with a couple of guitar licks that fleetingly evoke Linda Ronstadt’s peerless 1974 version. The band (seven men, and two women backing singers) are uniformly excellent, and come alive on the more up-tempo numbers, such as the jaunty “I Wish I Was an Apple on a Tree”.
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin June 05, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin June 05, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Fernandes saves ponderous United with extra-time goal
A stray punch got the battle of Britain going, but it took the right boot of Bruno Fernandes to decide it.
Keys overcomes Swiatek power in semi-final thriller
Tennis has seen its fair share of mesmerising performances.
RFU chief executive vows to stay despite bonus row
A defiant Bill Sweeney has vowed to continue as chief executive of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, even as he faces a revolt within the game over his tenure.
Canelo vs Crawford is the super fight with a twist
Mexican idol and US star set for September meet as fight fixer Turki Alalshikh strikes again,
Consumer confidence in economy falls to new low’
Consumer expectations for the economy have plunged as the government faces continued pressure over public finances.
SLAVE TO THE BEAT
On 'Eusexua', her defiantly weird paean to the Prague rave scene, FKA twigs bends vital new electronic shapes, writes Helen Brown, while rapper Central Cee's debut delivers
Think kink: the distinctions between BDSM and abuse
Olivia Petter talks to sex educators about what differentiates a consensual sexual practice from abusive behaviour, and why it's so crucial for partners to understand these polarities
Air pollution crisis in focus ahead of Delhi's election
Toxic air in India’s capital, population more than 33 million, has become a key political issue,
Lost Tina Turner track casts light on her return to fame
A surprise treasure has been unearthed from Tina Turner's vaults: the previously unheard track \"Hot for You, Baby\", which was intended for use on her fifth solo album, Private Dancer.
Could Britain really join a European customs union?
Europe's new trade official responsible for post-Brexit negotiations has said a \"pan-European [customs] area\" is something the EU could consider as part of \"resetting\" relations between the UK post-Brexit and the EU.
