In the bawdy tradition of bluesmen like Muddy Waters, and his 1977 “comeback” record Hard Again, this 1999 release is intended to reestablish Morrison’s derelict credentials, and cut a swath through the soft rock label that he had assiduously affixed himself over the previous decade. And god damn if  Van doesn’t sound like a fully accomplished, first order letch on the gritty opening tussle “Goin’ Down Geneva”. It would have been fun if he could have stuck to his guns, but regrettably Morrison the maudlin balladeer soon asserts himself, and shortly a number of barely distinguishable mid-tempo numbers arrive to throw cold water on the party. Late gems like “Precious Time” and the  gorgeous “Golden Autumn Day” help salvage the proceedings, but Back On Top feels mostly like a bacchanal missed and an opportunity lost.