In the world of rock’n’roll, as in the world of sports, a performer is often considered over the hill at an age when some people are in graduate school. Since the 1950s, pop music has celebrated the young and ephemeral; maturity, longevity, and ties to traditions have all become anathema to restless insouciance and a watchful eye out for the newest, most outrageous thing.

The hegemony of this cult of the cutting edge helps explain the relative obscurity of Van Morrison, the Irish pop singer. Morrison turned 50 last year, which in the world of MTV makes him yesterday’s news. This is unfortunate, because in the last few years Morrison has released the best music of his career — a body of work that provides a rich spiritual counterpoint to grunge’s anger and rap’s prurience.