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Low and slow

Van Morrison

Van Morrison has joined the ranks of ridiculously expensive artists: tickets for last Friday’s Wang Theatre show — one of only four on his current US tour — topped out at $300, about twice last year’s cost of Springsteen, Dylan, or Neil Young. You could argue that he’s worth it, but only when he chooses to deliver — for that price you’d expect him to reach deep into his soul, or at least his catalogue.

This, however, was a low-heat night, one with a lot of pleasing moments — the man is still one of the great popular singers — but without those transcendent peaks that mark a prime Morrison evening. He was inscrutable as ever, his face nearly invisible behind fedora and shades, not saying a word between songs, in a show that began precisely at 7:30 and was over precisely 90 minutes later. And the lack of affect extended to the music: the 12-piece band included some familiar faces (Moondance-era guitarist John Platania is back), but it often seemed the tempos and segues were being rushed to get it all done on time, and Morrison seldom explored a song long enough to take it into the mystic.

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The crowd was with him nonetheless, applauding the first notes of fan favorites “Vanlose Stairway” and “In the Afternoon” (but responding less to “Moondance,” the main set’s only full-fledged hit). Instead of digging up catalogue surprises, he devoted the second half to performing the forthcoming Keep It Simple in its entirety — a move he never made with his best albums. Keep It Simple isn’t a bad one, but the slow tempos and world-weary mood suit late-night contemplation rather than a full live airing. The jaunty “Soul” stood out, even if its lyrics are just a mini-lecture on the meaning of soul. On a better night, that’s something he wouldn’t need to explain.

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