ALBUM OF THE WEEK

WHAT’S IT GONNA TAKE? Van Morrison

★★III

Having served-up a dense slab of anti-lockdown sentiment during last year’s 28-track double album, Van Morrison fans might have been hoping he had exorcised all his feelings on Covid restrictions, but here the Brown Eyed Girl singer swaps his trademark whimsical lyrics for snipes at “the government” for infringing on personal freedoms during the pandemic.

On Can’t Go On This Way, the 76-year-old sings how people “can’t go out dancing, can’t find no joy, can’t go on holiday” while on Absolutely Positively The Most he preaches that “restriction is a sin, we cannot win if we’re not free”.

The shame for this LP is there is much to like in the music. The Hammond organ adds a retro vibe, the mood is often funky, but the one-track protest lyrics jar during a record that trudges along instead of inspiring revolution.