Down the Road (Van Morrison album)
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Down the Road is an album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released on May 14 2002. The critically acclaimed album has been noted for its nostalgic tone, lyrically and musically. The arrangements mix R&B and blues with country and folk, and with a few exceptions like "Georgia on My Mind," the music is most often rooted in 1950s and early 1960s popular music.
Cover
The album cover depicts the front of a record store, Memorabilia & Records, with a window full of LP covers by blues, R&B, jazz, and old rock & roll artists, a deliberate blueprint of the album's influences.
Recording history
The album was originally recorded with heavy accompaniment by Linda Gail Lewis (Jerry Lee Lewis's sister); tentatively titled Choppin' Wood, it was completed in late 2000, but a personal and professional falling out led Morrison to remake the album. Songs like "Princess of the Darkness", "Just Like Greta", "For A While", and "Mama Don't Allow" were pulled from the album while the remaining tracks were either re-recorded or re-mixed to remove Lewis's contributions. "Steal My Heart Away", "Talk Is Cheap", "What Makes the Irish Heart Beat", "What Happened to P.J, Proby?", "Georgia on My Mind", "Only a Dream", "Man Has to Struggle", "Evening Shadows", and "Fast Train" were then added to the album sequence, expanding the original running time from 50 minutes to 67 minutes.
Songs
"Choppin' Wood" is Morrison's tribute to his father who had died suddenly from a heart attack more than a decade earlier. The songs on the album are leaning back towards the blues the singer listened to in his youth but he also attempts to come to terms with approaching old age with songs like "The Beauty Of The Days Gone By".
Track listing
All songs by Van Morrison (unless noted otherwise)
- "Down the Road" – 4:15
- "Meet Me in the Indian Summer" – 3:57
- "Steal My Heart Away" – 4:20
- "Hey Mr. DJ" – 3:45
- "Talk Is Cheap" – 4:19
- "Choppin' Wood" – 3:26
- "What Makes the Irish Heart Beat" – 3:47
- "All Work and No Play" – 4:51
- "Whatever Happened to P.J. Proby?" – 3:13
- "The Beauty of the Days Gone By" – 5:45
- "Georgia on My Mind" (Carmichael / Gorrell) – 5:35
- "Only a Dream" – 4:57
- "Man Has to Struggle" – 5:07
- "Evening Shadows" (Bilk / Morrison) – 4:01
- "Fast Train" – 5:01
Personnel
- Van Morrison - Acoustic guitar, Harmonica, Alto sax, Vocals
- John Allair - Hammond organ
- Crawford Bell - Vocals (bckgr)
- Olwin Bell - Vocals (bckgr)
- Acker Bilk - Clarinet
- Dick Dunn - Piano, Hammond organ
- Lee Goodall - Flute, Saxophone, Alto saxophone, Baritone saxophone, Vocals (bckgr)
- Mick Green - Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Colin Griffin - Drums
- Karen Hamill - Vocals (bckgr)
- David Hayes - Bass guitar
- Matt Holland - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vocals (bckgr)
- Pete Hurley - Bass
- Bobby Irwin - Drums
- Bob Loveday - Violin
- Siobhan Pettit - Vocals (bckgr)
- John Scott - Arranger, Electric guitar, Vocals (bckgr), Vocal Arrangement
- Fiachra Trench - Piano, Arranger, String Arrangements, Musical Director
- Jake Walker - Viola
- Geraint Watkins - Piano, Hammond Organ
- Rosie Wetters - Leader
- Aine Whelan - Arranger, Vocals (bckgr), Vocal Arrangement
- Martin Winning - Clarinet, Tenor sax
Production
- Van Morrison - Producer
- Stuart Bruce - Engineer
- Tim Cooper - Mastering
- Walter Samuel - Engineer, Mixing
- Ben Sidran - Liner Notes
- Peter Thorpe - Photography
Charts
Album - UK Album Chart (United Kingdom)
| Year | Chart | Position |
| 2002 | UK Album Chart | 6 |
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
| 2002 | The Billboard 200 | 25 |