Van Morrison
never stopped recording during the 1990s, but for a little while it seemed as if he was disconnected from his muse. It wasn't so much his series of jazz cover albums -- he'd return to this vein often in subsequent decades -- but his songwriting that showed signs bitterness, particularly on 1995's
Days Like This
, where he seemed dismissive of the very notion of being a songwriter. In that light, it's hard not to see 1997's
The Healing Game
as a rejuvenation. Indeed, the album's very title suggests that
Morrison
is in the process of mending fences and reconnecting with a sense of joy, a process that began during his deep dive into
Mose Allison
and other bluesy jazz artists in the mid-'90s.
retains that sense of swing on
-- he also retains keyboardist
Georgie Fame
, who would become a fixture on
's albums over the next two decades -- and it invigorates a set of songs that aren't necessarily all that different from what he's been writing as of late; he's still specializing in ballads, blues, and folk-rock colored by R&B. The subtle differences make a difference, though, whether they lie in the lyrics or, especially, the music, which feels warmer and more relaxed than the album's relatively recent companions.
seems at home within the easy grooves of
, and while that alone is enough to make the album worth revisits, it's also true the album boasts a sturdy selection of songs, highlighted by the meditative title track, the searching "Rough God Goes Riding," and the impassioned "Fire in the Belly." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine