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Back on Top

Back on Top Van Morrison

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Release Date

March 9, 1999

Duration

52:08

Genre

Styles

Recording Location

WindMill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland
Wool Hall, Bath, Somerset, England

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Discography Timeline

See Full Discography
Blowin' Your Mind!
Blowin' Your Mind! (1967)
Astral Weeks
Astral Weeks (1968)
Moondance
Moondance (1970)
His Band and the Street Choir
His Band and the Street Choir (1970)
Tupelo Honey
Tupelo Honey (1971)
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview (1972)
Hard Nose the Highway
Hard Nose the Highway (1973)
It's Too Late to Stop Now...
It's Too Late to Stop Now... (1974)
Veedon Fleece
Veedon Fleece (1974)
A Period of Transition
A Period of Transition (1977)
Wavelength
Wavelength (1978)
Into the Music
Into the Music (1979)
Common One
Common One (1980)
Beautiful Vision
Beautiful Vision (1982)
Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
Inarticulate Speech of the Heart (1983)
Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast
Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast (1984)
A Sense of Wonder
A Sense of Wonder (1985)
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986)
Poetic Champions Compose
Poetic Champions Compose (1987)
Irish Heartbeat
Irish Heartbeat (1988)
Avalon Sunset
Avalon Sunset (1989)
Enlightenment
Enlightenment (1990)
Hymns to the Silence
Hymns to the Silence (1991)
Too Long in Exile
Too Long in Exile (1993)
A Night in San Francisco
A Night in San Francisco (1994)
Days Like This
Days Like This (1995)
How Long Has This Been Going On
How Long Has This Been Going On (1996)
Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison
Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison (1996)
The Healing Game
The Healing Game (1997)
Back on Top
Back on Top (1999)
The Skiffle Sessions: Live in Belfast 1998
The Skiffle Sessions: Live in Belfast 1998 (2000)
You Win Again
You Win Again (2000)
Down the Road
Down the Road (2002)
What's Wrong with This Picture?
What's Wrong with This Picture? (2003)
Magic Time
Magic Time (2005)
Pay the Devil
Pay the Devil (2006)
Live at Austin City Limits
Live at Austin City Limits (2006)
Keep It Simple
Keep It Simple (2008)
Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl (2009)
Born to Sing: No Plan B
Born to Sing: No Plan B (2012)
Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue
Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue (2015)
Keep Me Singing
Keep Me Singing (2016)
Roll with the Punches
Roll with the Punches (2017)
Versatile
Versatile (2017)
You're Driving Me Crazy
You're Driving Me Crazy (2018)
The Prophet Speaks
The Prophet Speaks (2018)
Three Chords and the Truth
Three Chords and the Truth (2019)
Latest Record Project, Vol. 1
Latest Record Project, Vol. 1 (2021)
What's It Gonna Take?
What's It Gonna Take? (2022)
Moving On Skiffle
Moving On Skiffle (2023)
Accentuate the Positive
Accentuate the Positive (2023)
New Arrangements and Duets
New Arrangements and Duets (2024)
Remembering Now
Remembering Now (2025)
Somebody Tried To Sell Me a Bridge
Somebody Tried To Sell Me a Bridge (2026)

Back on Top Review by James Chrispell

After so many songs ranging through so many styles, it is a pleasure to have Van Morrison return to the music that suits him so well. Steeped in blues and R&B, Back on Top finds Morrison celebrating life and its pleasures to the limit. The up-tempo "New Biography" takes a sharp stab at those who say they know him just so they can see their names in print. "Golden Autumn Day" is a near perfect summation of his music up to today and provides a rare glimpse into his personal life as well. On this and other cuts, Morrison sounds like he's taken a lesson or two from tourmate Bob Dylan, and there's a thread that runs from Dylan's recent work right on through to this one. "Goin' Down Geneva" is a great blues cut, while "In the Midnight" is bedroom music, pure and simple. "Back on Top," the title track, swings along with such ease that you're tempted to check and make sure you didn't put in Moondance by mistake. The meditative "When the Leaves Come Falling Down" even will remind one of Morrison's meditations on Astral Weeks. No matter which track you pick, there's not a weak cut here.

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Ben Walker September 29, 2020
Songs of contentment with healthy doses of righteous anger and sorrow are well-presented and balanced in this excellent record, which occupies the same ground as Hymns to the Silence. Yes it is unambitious and there is still that unhelpful shadow vocal but despite the urban image there is much tribute to nature and what seems like honesty in the lyrics. But an artist knows how to give their work style too and the style is as consistent as the quality, which hadn't been the case for virtually the whole of the nineties, discounting the cover albums.
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Seb Nmd March 4, 2019
In which some life is found in the old dog yet. Not his previous imperious standards but not the bland worksongs of recent years. Nice to see the fire in the belly, Georgie.
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All Credits
Liam Bradley Drums, Percussion, Vocals (Background)
Ciaran Cahill Assistant Engineer
Ian Cooper Mastering
Paul Cox Photography
Matt Curtis Artwork, Design, Photography
Sean Doherty Assistant Engineer
Pee Wee Ellis Guest Artist, Sax (Baritone), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor), Vocals (Background)
Mick Green Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Matt Holland Trumpet
Bobby Irwin Drums
Ian Jennings Double Bass
Brian Kennedy Guest Artist, Vocals (Background)
Brian Masterson Engineer
Van Morrison Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals
Walter Samuel Engineer, Mixing
Fiachra Trench Mixing, Piano
Geraint Watkins Organ (Hammond), Piano
Brad Wilson Photography
Back on Top 1999 CD Back on Top Point Blank - VPBCD 50
Back on Top 1999 CD Back on Top Point Blank / Virgin - 47148
Back on Top 1999 Cassette Back on Top Virgin - VPBTC 50
Back on Top 2008 CD Back on Top Universal - 5309543
Back on Top [Bonus Tracks] 2008 CD Back on Top [Bonus Tracks] Universal Distribution - 93440
Back on Top [Bonus Tracks] 2008 CD Back on Top [Bonus Tracks] Polydor - 5305453