Irish-vocalist Van Morrison [ tickets ] is no stranger to the music of the American South. He's been drawing upon classic R&B, blues and jazz in his recordings and concerts for decades. Now, the Belfast Cowboy turns to country with the winning CD "Pay the Devil."

The 15-track disc, which includes a dozen country covers and a trio of originals, kicks off with a convincing take on "There Stands the Glass," a classic ode--made famous by Webb Price--to finding salvation in the bottle. From there, Morrison continues to conjure up ghosts of the (original) Grand Ol' Opry as he moves through tracks once sung by the likes of Conway Twitty, Connie Smith, Hank Williams and George Jones.

Highlights include his mournful cover of the Twitty favorite "What am I Living For" and his killer run through of "Big Blue Diamonds," which was recorded by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. He also does a good job with the three originals, "Playhouse," "This Has Got to Stop" and the title track, somehow making them feel like they come from the same vintage as the classic cuts.

Perhaps the most impressive number is the rendition of "Your Cheatin' Heart." We've all heard that Williams song so many times that one might think there's no need to lay it to wax once again. But Morrison proves that expectation wrong with his authentically soulful cover.

Although Morrison does draw on other genres--notably by including a fun version of the Louis Armstrong-hit "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It"--the overall feel of the record is classic country. In all, this album stands as a refreshing antidote to the pop rock that currently passes for contemporary country music on the radio. The great irony is that it took a rock-and-roll icon to make it.