Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 11-15 of 64
 Back to the Mystic May 1, 2008
JRadz (Montclair, NJ USA)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
I had high hopes when Van signed with roots rock label Lost Highway. But after several lackluster records - including the dreadful "What's wrong with this picture" and the dull country record "Pay the devil" - Van has delivered the record I've been imagining. The material and his singing are strong, as are the arrangements and production, and the whole cd has a wonderful organic feel to it. There are a few vague references to "the myth" and "propaganda" (on "What's Wrong...", his paranoid musings made him sound mentally ill), but overall, these are Van's strongest batch of songs in a long while, maybe since "Into the Music." Makes a great companion piece with Dylan's "Modern Times."
 Just OK April 8, 2008
Steve Dossey (Somewhere just beyond or before the crossroads)
16 out of 21 found this review helpful
Keep It Simple is basically a mellow outing; some blues, some low key melodies, nothing that knocks you out. The stand out cut is Behind the Ritual, a song reminiscing about drinking wine in an alley. Song of Home has a sweet melody and refrain. And Lover Come Back is a nice, almost plaintive song. Overall the song writing is pretty tepid, with many of the lines repeated within each song. Van should have really taken the album's title to heart and produced an acoustic album with some carefully selected new originals and some classic folk/blues interspersed...that might have been worth listening to.
 Surprisingly brilliant May 24, 2008
Marcus Aurelius (PA USA)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
On first listen I was disappointed at the opening numbers--seemingly throw-away songs that reminded me of Van as his most uninspiring moments. Some of your are already getting ready to click and comment on this reviewer's cluelessness, but let me finish. Van's best work is among the most soul-felt work an artist has ever produced, and he's left a very high bar for what the lover of his work wishes for. Somewhere into the cd, Van delivers: "Keep it Simple" is a fine cut, but "End of the Land" is just about as fine and blue-eyed-Belfast soul as anything else VM has ever offered to his listeners. "Behind the Ritual" is another gem that gives us Van in the zone that makes us forgive some of his less successful efforts. I started listening to the c.d. with those three cuts programmed first, and all of a sudden the lesser tracks started opening up. I'm not too picky--all I want is brilliance before I accept the more humble songs. If you're willing to make up your own track list, I think you'll start to see that this is one of the cd's worthy of the artist who gave the world some of the best music in the last 45 years. Thank you Van. Thank you.
He's back!! May 24, 2008
Mary E. Canini (hobe sound, florida United States)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
With his latest work, "Keep it Simple", Van is once again the man! I purchased his "Down the Road" CD several years ago and found it to be good, but somewhat uninspired, and all the songs start to sound the same. After resigning myself to the fact that his music would probably only be mediocre at this stage of his life I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find Van going back to his soulful roots with this new album. It has a retro yet fresh feeling to it with the incorporation of the female backing vocals and the organ. The songs are really moving like his early works were in the 70's. I also enjoy the lyrics in these songs as he sees life from the perspective of a man his age. I give him a lot of credit to put out a piece of work like this at this point in his career.... when the creative juices are usually dried up! "Keep It Simple" is a work of art kept simple. I would totally recommend buying this if you're a Van fan!
The best of the best May 29, 2008
Duane Landaal (Brenham)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
I have to say, I have come to realize this is one of my favorite albums of the year tied with Houston Marchman's - Naked The Best of Houston Marchman. Both are soooo good and I can listen to their voices over and over again and never get tired. Houston Marchman is special in that his music is filled with soul, passion, and solid lyrics. He truley has THE best singing vioce I have ever heard in my entire life. You should check out the cd if you enjoy this one.
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