“Too Long in Exile” Polydor* * *Setting...

“Too Long in Exile”

Polydor

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Setting aside his mystic persona to wax all Humbert Humbert-like, Morrison remakes Sonny Boy Williamson’s blues classic “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” here--changing the refrain to “tell your mama and your papa, I once was a schoolboy, too” with the added aside, “long time, long time.”

Indeed. It’s hard to hear anyone of Morrison’s vintage sing that tune and not think about dialing the vice squad. But the happy fact is, he sounds younger and sprightlier than he has in ages. In fact, “Exile” may be the most flat-out enjoyable album he’s issued since . . . well, since that sexy schoolgirl was in diapers.

Though not entirely devoid of things spiritual, it’s definitely a detour into secular blues territory, with a third of the track list devoted to lesser-known standards of decades past while several of the fresh tunes are barroom-suitable, jazzy instrumentals. John Lee Hooker duets on two numbers--including a new pass at “Gloria”!--and Candy Dulfer contributes sax solos.

Morrison himself also plays sax, does some scat-singing, devotes only minimal time to the usual rants against the music industry and quotations of dead Irish poets, says “baby” a lot, yelps “ ow “ repeatedly . . . by gum, we do believe he’s switched from decaffeinated! Rave on.