Moving On Skiffle

ヴァン・モリソンのスキッフル再訪!

20世紀前半にアメリカで生まれたスキッフルはジャス、ブルース、フォーク、ルーツ・ミュージック、カントリー・ミュージック等の影響を受けた音楽のジャンルで、1950年代のイギリスでもブームとなり、UKロックの原点ともされる。

子供時代からこのジャンルを愛し、まだデビュー前の学生時代にはロニー・ドネガンの「ロック・アイランド・ライン」を聴き、直感的に自分の中にある音楽を理解し、数本のギター、洗濯板、ティー-チェスト・ベースというスキッフル・バンドで演奏していたというヴァン・モリソン。

プレ・ビートルズ期の英国シーン黎明期を形作ったスキッフルのヴァン・モリスン的解釈。このジャンルへの愛を再び表現した作品!

ゲスト:Dave Keary(g)、Pete Hurley(b)、Colin Griffin(ds)、Sticky Wicket(洗濯板)他。現在ブリット・フォークで人気のSeth Lakemanも5曲でフィドルを担当。

After two albums where Van Morrison spent a great deal of time griping about the modern world, its hard not to interpret the title of Moving On Skiffle as "moving on from the political unpleasantness of the last few years to skiffle, the music of my childhood." Morrison has returned to skiffle before, cutting a dynamite live album with Chris Barber and Lonnie Donegan at the tail-end of the 2000s, but Moving On Skiffle is a different beast. Where The Skiffle Sessions: Live in Belfast 1998 benefitted from its live setting, Moving On Skiffle is clearly a studio album, a record so relaxed and unhurried it takes over 90 minutes to reach its conclusion. Thats not to say it doesnt have its share of sprightly tempos: the band often kick up dust to a train-track rhythm, yet they never seem on the verge of descending into a frenzied rave-up or hoedown. The musics easy touch allows Morrison to be a bit playful, juxtaposing familiar melodies and lyrics in a surprising fashion; for instance, "Worried Man Blues" has him riffing upon words from "Mystery Train." This same attitude leads Morrison to reworking "Mama Dont Allow" into "Gov Dont Allow," giving him a place to grouse about how the government is shutting down free speech and skiffle. Its the one time on Moving On Skiffle where Van Morrison allows his inner curmudgeon to take the reins; otherwise, Moving On Skiffle is light and lively, an easy record to enjoy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine