Moving On Skiffle
VIRGIN
8/10
THE great reset has arrived. After two exhausting albums of political ranting, Van Morrison appears to have got everything off his chest and gone back to basics. Moving On Skiffle sees him working through 23 covers of early country, gospel, folk and blues numbers that he first encountered at Belfast’s Atlantic Records during the skiffle craze of 1956–57. Whether his own versions can be considered skiffle is a moot point, despite the constant buzzing presence of Alan Wicket on washboard.
Van Morrison in Belfast, a live album (released in 2000) that featured skiffle maestros Lonnie Donegan and Chris Barber, plus Wicket on washboard in a band that also included Dr John and Big Jim Sullivan. On that occasion, the approach to skiffle was more conventional, a rough-edged rinky-dink feel to complement the souped-up jazz and blues. is richer and more sophisticated but has a lightness of touch that recalls Bruce Springsteen’s delightful 2006 album of Pete Seeger reinterpretations, . Although it is more New Orleans than 2i’s, Morrison’s love of these songs rings true, and there’s a generosity of spirit, with almost every band member given space to showcase their own chops, from Richard Dunn’s perky Hammond on opener “Freight Train” to Seth Lakeman’s mournful fiddle on closing track “Green Rocky Road”. Morrison himself plays guitar, harmonica and saxophone.
