Music Review:
Accentuate the Positive – Van Morrison
****
Van Morrison returns with Accentuate the Positive, his 45th studio album overall, his twelfth in the past ten years, and second of 2023, following the excellent Moving on Skiffle. Covering nineteen songs made popular by the Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and others, the album finds Morrison returning to one of his childhood passions, this time to rock ‘n’ roll.
With Morrison’s voice in top form, backed by his excellent band and background singers, this album is a lot of fun. As one reviewer wrote, it was if they were hanging around the studio having a party playing music they love without knowing the tapes were running.
Morrison is joined on guitar by Jeff Beck on one of his last studio performances on “Lonesome Train”, on which Chris Farlowe adds vocals. Taj Mahal joins Morrison on “Lucille” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll”.
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
- More of this review
- Music News
- Song of the Week Lyrics ~ In Christ Alone by Keith & Kristyn Getty and CityAlight
My favorite songs on the album are:
You Are My Sunshine
Flip, Flop and Fly
Problems
The Shape I’m In
Lonesome Train
Shakin’ All Over
Bye Bye Johnny
Shake, Rattle and Roll
Music News:
- Love is This. Enjoy this live acoustic performance of “Love is This” by Matt Redman and Josh Aaron from the Museum of the Bible.
Song of the Week: In Christ Alone by Keith & Kristyn Getty and CityAlight
This week’s song of the week is “In Christ Alone” performed by Keith & Kristyn Getty and CityAlight live from the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The song was written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. You can watch the lyric video here.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.
