Van Morrison
The Healing Game
(Universal)
First Appeared at The Music Box, April 1998, Volume 5, #4
Written by John Metzger
Van Morrison continues to crank out albums like clockwork, and though there are no real surprises
on The Healing Game, Morrison recovers the passion that seemed to be missing from much of his
last outing -- Days Like This. This disc continues his
collaborations with Georgie Fame, resulting in incredible vocal performances on Fire in the Belly
and This Weight. Piper at the Gates of Dawn covers his collaborations with The Chieftains and produces a
similarly wonderful result. In addition, Morrison continues to include a solid horn section on many
of his songs, giving the album a beautiful, jazzy underscore. It's a formula that has worked well in
the past and continues to do so here. In other words, The Healing Game is
an outing that feels quite comfortable, and while it doesn't
break any new ground, it travels familiar roads with both passion and beauty. 
The Healing Game is available from Barnes & Noble.
To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 1998 The Music Box