Van Morrison

★★ What’s It GonnaTake? EXILE/VIRGIN. CD/DL/LP

Still miffed, still evangelical about it.

“Somebody said I was dangerous/I must be getting close to the truth,” sings mystic seer-turned-conspiracy theorist Van Morrison on Dangerous. Or further and further from it, Van. And so those of us still in thrall to Morrison LPs from Veedon

Fleece to Avalon Sunset must navigate his latest rallying call for the deluded, musing upon how wonderful Can’t Go On This Way might be were it concerned with eating potted herring in Ardglass, rather than an untimely rant about Covid restrictions. Morrison’s voice is still agile and strong, and the sweet soul music here is light on its feet (witness Sometimes It’s Just Blah Blah Blah), but ever convinced of his mission, and stressing that he’s Not Seeking Approval, Van seems distant, unavailable. What’s it going to take? Feck knows. Some kind of Damascene epiphany.