- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Pay The Devil is at the crossroads of country, blues and soul. In his voice is the authority to bring them together.
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Pay the Devil reiterates Morrison's own musical diversity and flair for making any song his own.
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BillboardBrilliance shines throughout. [11 Mar 2006]
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BlenderMost of the time he makes the profound sadness seem like the best party in either Nashville or Dublin. [Apr 2006, p.116]
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At the end of the day, it's really hard to screw up these songs with that voice--try as he might.
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Entertainment WeeklyMorrison is a natural at sounding like a disconsolate guy unloading on a bartender. [10 Mar 2006, p.63]
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MojoHis own three songs blend in nicely. [Apr 2006, p.90]
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Pay The Devil is for Van Morrison completists only.
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It's obvious Morrison was going for an early-50s throwback vibe, complete with oohing chorus singers and a forthright pedal steel twang, but it comes off more like a western-exotica caricature than the genuine article.
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Paste MagazineA rough, intriguing fit. [Apr/May 2006, p.101]
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Overall, Pay the Devil is a simple album with a couple of remarkable Morrison performances.
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Q MagazineIt's hard to see it as anything more than another mildly diverting whim. [Apr 2006, p.116]
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Rolling StonePleasant but uninspiring. [9 Mar 2006, p.90]
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Competent but unremarkable.
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He sounds enlivened, even happy, nestling among the steel guitar and bottomless suffering.
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UncutIt would be fanciful, not to mention disrespectful, to say that Morrison has waited his whole career to make this album. But he makes it sound like he has. [Apr 2006, p.96]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 8 out of 13
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Mixed: 2 out of 13
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Negative: 3 out of 13
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RobbBSep 2, 2006
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LutendoTAug 22, 2006
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VinTJun 4, 2006