Van Morrison ?

Astral Weeks is pretty unlike any of his other output, but is, despite that, essential. Moondance is great, as is St Dominic's Preview. My favourite Van is the live Nothing Can Stop Us Now, which will give you a good idea of just how fantastic he could be before he turned into a lazy slob...

Of the later stuff, Into The Music is easily the best IMO. Much more focused than some of the more recent records.

-- Ian

The Moondance album is essential. Then check out Hard Knows the Highway, Common One (still my favourite), and then some of the newer stuff... No Guru no Method no Teacher etc. His is a diverse ouvre, so it'll keep you well occupied.

Thanks guys.
I'll see what I can turn up.

Howard

I second Astral Weeks and Hard Nose The Highway. Great stuff.

Andy

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I'll see what I can turn up

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but don't forget to pay a 'fair' price if you find it in a charity shop.

Or try looking here...

Van Morrison is the most overrated artist in popular music, and Arsetral Weaks is the most overrated record ever.

There is someting unbelievably awful about his music - priggish, self-righteous, prententious, all that faux mysticism and limp romance. Nobody ever questions his reputation, the same old clichés are just trotted out over and over again. Does anyone actually listen to him? And get any kind of enjoyment out of it? Seriously? To me, it's a kind of musical cod liver oil, something that people say is good for you, so you'd better bloody listen to it. I'd rather listen to Led Zep or Donny Hathaway or Stevie Wonder or the Dead, there's more emotion in those artists' little fingers than Van the so-called-Man's entire body of work.

I can also think of a gazillion singers who are better - there is more soul in Elvis, Donny H, Marvin Gaye, Scott Walker, Terry Callier, Dylan, Lennon, Paul Buchanan, John Martyn et al than Morisson can ever dream of.

So, Howard, the short answer is, don't waste your money. Buy Extensions Of a Man by Donny Hathaway instead.

Kevin

PS That said, Them were a good dirty R&B group, so ttheir greatest hits is well worth buying. But VM did nothing oof interest afterwards.

Tupelo Honey is my favorite! And recording is also superb.

Kevin,

His lyrics are streets ahead of anything else you can get in "Rock and Pop". It's all crap, hence I went classical many years ago, but Van is certainly better than most. Anyway, please don't be offended, but coming from a man who openly admits to liking Elvis and Led Zep...!!! Next you'll be telling me you like Queen too!!!!!!!!

John Martyn is OK - legless as usual!

Earwicker

The piggy-eyed prat's lyrics are generally pretty feeble, no more credible than Sting's.

And no, I fuggin' hate Queen. I really, really hate them.

Cheers

Kevin

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Originally posted by Kevin-W:
And no, I fuggin' hate Queen. I really, really hate them.

Cheers

Kevin

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Ah, you've gone up in my estimation Kev - Queen are/were fuckin'OFFENSIVELY bad!!!!!

Check out Van's Summer Time in England - then see if you still feel the same way about his lyrics. It ain't Winterreise, but still...!

Earwicker

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Originally posted by Kevin-W:
Van Morrison is the most overrated artist in popular music

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According to my rule book (p. 94), the law states that Pink Floyd are the most overrated artists in popular music, so there. :-)

Edit: having said that, half a dozen albums aside, Van has put out an awful lot of guff. And I agree Them were a really good garage band.

-- Ian

The roll call of the worthless features

Morrison, Dylan, Zappa (and Sting of course)

Just don't bother with any of them - Your life doesn't need it.

DS

OTD - Duane Eddy - Twangy Guitar and Silky Strings

*** And all the little children said "Nang Nang Nang ***

Well that really helped.
As usual the I have a copy of Shitbollox's only album group come out to play.
Why is it anybody who sells more than 10 records is total shite according to these "gurus"?
How does having "piggy" eyes affect his music?
And of course only classical is real music.

Well tough tits I LIKE PF,Rush some Dylan and lots of other FORBIDDEN acts.
Thank heavens we don't actually have the music police patrolling for real.

Howard

[This message was edited by BigH47 on Sun 16 January 2005 at 17:30.]

Howard,

Feel free to trrash the latest Corvin Dalek remix, if it makes you smile ?

DS

OTD - Deep Purple In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (The biggest pile of toss I have ever put on my record player, just as well it is a favour for a friend to CDR it)

*** And all the little children said "Nang Nang Nang ***

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Originally posted by sideshowbob:
My favourite Van is the live Nothing Can Stop Us Now,
-- Ian

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Ian

It's actually called It's Too Late To Stop Now (call me Mr Picky) and is my favourite live album by anyone. Approx 10 years later he released another really good live album Live At The Grand Opera House, Belfast.

Agreed he can be a mixed bag - but somehow I seem to keep picking his stuff up and finding at least a couple of great toons. As a general rule - the earlier the better with Van.

Rich

DS
???????

H

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It's actually called It's Too Late To Stop Now (call me Mr Picky)

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Mr Picky

You're quite right :-)

Nothing Can Stop Us Now is, in fact, the title of a Robert Wyatt album from the early 80s on Rough Trade. Howard should get that too while he's at it...

-- Ian

Thanks guys.
I have just bough 3 VM CDs for £7 inc P&P.
Will post findings after auditioning.

Howard

Screw the mystical folkie Van and go for the R&B Van...Street Band and Choir, Tupelo HOney...Moondance is good playing although a bit more mellow. And, oddly enough, a recent offering returns to the smokin' days of Memphis and rockabily.."You Win Again"..it's really well recorded, sweaty bar in 1958 in Memphis type rock with Jerry Lee's sister on piano, Fender tweed amps and telecaster guitars etc etc. If you like roots rock , it is great.

David, you omitted (S)Norah Jones...

This is great fun.

Andy

Van Morrison is one of the most singular talents in all of what might be called somewhat loosely popular music. While he has been quite popular at times in his career, Van is really better seen as existing outside of popular music, and his work can roughly be divided into three aspects, many of which pop up in various strengths through the years.

Van is certainly one of the most R & B influenced singers of the rock era. For this aspect of his music, check out some of his early work with "Them", or try his best selling "Moondance", and the following few albums including "St. Dominic's Preview". Later examples of this gritty sound include "Too Long In Exile" from the 90's.

He has a more poetic side that is closer to jazz in some ways, and here "Astral Weeks" is the gold standard. This album was done with top New York session players specifically from the jazz and classical worlds, and it is a breathtaking, sublime meditation. In this vein are other albums such as "Veedon Fleece", "Common One" and "Into the Music".

In the 80's, he developed a more spiritual side that fused jazz, R&B and a uniquely rich musical feel that is best heard on the mid 80's masterwork "No Guru, No Method, No Teacher". Similar albums include "Beautiful Vision", "Hymns To the Silence" and the live album from this era taken from the Belfast Opera House is good sumation of this phase of his work.

Ideally I would get "Astral Weeks", "No Guru", and his most recent album "What's Wrong With This Picture" and see where you find the most affinity. There are only another twentyfive to go after that...

Good listening!

Poetic Champions Compose

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Originally posted by bdnyc:
Later examples of this gritty sound include "Too Long In Exile" from the 90's.

Good listening!

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I enjoy most of this album alot .... the songs w/John Lee Hooker (particularly the re-make of "Gloria") and the last track with its strong R&B/jazzy instrumental breaks. His repetitive vocals on the title track are a bit tedious, though. Rarely see this album mentioned in discussions of VM.

Jeff A

Some here disagree, but I think that Astral Weeks and Moondance are compulsory acquisitions for any sensible music collection. And you can probably pick up both for £15 in total.

G