Behind the Ritual
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| “Behind the Ritual” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by Van Morrison | ||
| Album | Keep It Simple | |
| Released | March 17, 2008 U.K. April 01, 2008 U.S. |
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| Length | 6:58 | |
| Label | Exile/Polydor Exile/Lost Highway Records |
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| Writer | Van Morrison | |
| Composer | Van Morrison | |
| Producer | Van Morrison | |
| Keep It Simple track listing | ||
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"Behind the Ritual" is a song written by singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included as the ending track on his 2008 album, Keep It Simple.
In the opening lines of the song, the singer is reminiscing of the youthful days in his career as when he fronted the band, Them.
- Drinking wine in the alley, drinking wine in the alley
- Making time, drinking that wine
- Out of my mind in the days gone by
Reviewer Jeffrey Lee Puckett calls it "one of his trademark long and winding odes" and comments, "He's never messed with us more than he does on 'Behind the Ritual'. At the point when Morrison would normally start improvising a key word or phrase, we get this: blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah repeated around 60 times."[1]In concerts previewing the album and since its release, Morrison has used this song as a closer.
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[edit] Critical Reception
This song is often the favourite of reviewers and critics of all the songs from Keep it Simple.
In a review in the Buffalo News, Jeff Miers writes: "'Behind the Ritual' stands out as one of Morrison's finest. Over a poised, shuffle grove the singer slurs, intones, dances around the edges of the meaning, his activity serving to shine a light on what is unstated much in the manner that the timeless 'Madame George' said so much with so little."[2] Another reviewer in The Mirror remarked: "'Behind the Ritual' is the killer. Drinking wine and dancing like a dervish Van finds 'the spiritual behind the ritual.'"[3]
[edit] Personnel on original recording
- Van Morrison - Vocals. saxophone, ukelele
- Mick Green - Guitar
- John Allair - Organ
- Paul Moore - Bass
- Neil Wilkinson - Drums
- Liam Bradley - Percussion
- Crawford Bell - Backing Vocals
- Karen Hamill - Backing Vocals
- Jerome Rimson - Backing Vocals
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Van Morrison at Lost Highway Records - full length track of "Behind the Ritual"
- Lyrics and Audio sample 2008, Keep It Simple
