Personnel: Van Morrison (vocals, guitar, harmonica, alto saxophone); John Lee Hooker, Ronnie Johnson (electric guitar); Teena Lyle (recorder, Hammond B-3 organ, vibraphone, congas, background vocals); Kate St. John (English horn, tenor saxophone); Candy Dulfer (alto saxophone); Howard Francis (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); John Savannah (Hammond B-3 organ, background vocals); John Allair (Hammond B-3 organ); Georgie Fame (keyboards); Richard Cousins, Nicky Scott (bass); Geoff Dunn, Paul Robinson, Kevin Hayes (drums).

Recorded at The Wool Hall Studios, Bath, England and The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, California.

Morrison spent much of the '80s and early '90s venturing into the mystic, exploring the spiritual side of his muse to the virtual exclusion of his blues/R&B roots, on a series of dreamy, often beautiful albums. Those that longed for the wailing Celtic bluesman of yore were overjoyed by the release of TOO LONG IN EXILE. Here, Van rediscovers his roots, covering great R&B tunes from the past and knocking out a few of his own.

His lascivious growl invests the horn-driven "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl" with just the right touch of menace. He simmers the ingredients of the potboiler "Lonely Avenue" perfectly, wringing emotion from the tune without descending into self-pity. On the brooding, minor-key "I'll Take Care Of You," Morrison intermingles devotion with darker emotions to chilling effect. His own tunes are strong as well, especially the semi-autobiographical title tune, which paints a picture of Van as the eternal expatriate of the spirit, trying to reconcile his search for heaven with his place on earth.

Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.58) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."

Rolling Stone (12/23/93, p.146) - "... from the album's blues underpinning, [Morrison] extends to Brook Benton, jazz instrumentals and songs of his own whose language speaks with a fresh directness...he has sketched in miniature his career's aesthetic evolution...."

Rolling Stone (8/5/93, p.66) - 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Melody Maker (6/12/93, p.30) - "...Never has one man's regression therapy sounded THIS exhilarating. And if it ain't curing his blues, it's sure making the rest of the world feel a whole lot better...."

Musician (8/93, p.90) - "...Van and band deliver the same spirited and soulful sound he always has..."