Van Morrison - Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge [2LP UK Import]

Van Morrison has always had the blues in his bones, and Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge lets them take over completely, presented as a 2LP UK import.

Released in 2026 on his own Orangefield label as his 48th studio album, it was produced by Morrison himself and recorded at Studio D in Sausalito, California. Across 20 tracks he tips his hat to the pioneers, working through songs by Eddie Vinson, John Lee Hooker, Fats Domino, Lead Belly, Willie Dixon and B.B. King, then slotting in a handful of his own compositions so naturally you barely notice the seams.

Eddie Vinson's Kidney Stew Blues opens proceedings, and longtime collaborator John Allair's Hammond organ and piano warm much of the record. The guest list is formidable. Elvin Bishop appears on six songs, Taj Mahal joins for Betty and Dupree, and Buddy Guy steps in for I'm Ready and Rock Me Baby, two veterans sharing the bandstand. The title track, a Morrison original, shows how comfortably his own writing sits among the standards.

At nearly 80 minutes, this is a generous, loose-limbed set best enjoyed with the volume up and nowhere to be. It is Van the Man doing what comes naturally, in excellent company.