Roll with the Punches

The spontaneity on this set is more akin to a live record than a studio effort, making it a most welcome entry in his catalog.

Morrison does not have the same vocal power or raw intensity as a performer as he did when younger, but his voice has become deeper and richer in tone in later years. Roll with the Punches may show him playing it safe but there’s every sign that the prolific 72-year-old has plenty of more rounds left in him.

This new CD proves how much he still loves performing. That said, the more emotional songs, such as Ruby Toombs’ weepy “Teardrops From My Eyes” Count Basie & Jimmy Rushing vindictive “Goin’ to Chicago”, sound better than the more fun ones. While Morrison shows that he still can stretch out a word or repeat it rat-a-tat style, the music’s more interesting when it doesn’t call attention to itself.

Roll with the Punches never falls, or even falters, exactly; it’s just a series of punches, whether of the clock or in the air, landing with consistency and specificity and only occasionally drifting into anonymity. To paraphrase Morrison himself, it doesn't pull any punches, but it doesn't push the river.

Three of the 10 R&B covers he's recorded before, while the five original compositions faithfully plough his familiar tropes. [Oct 2017, p.35]

His third album in as many years, while not among his most consequential, proves that, at 71, Morrison can still perform with gusto. [Nov 2017, p.98]