Van Morrison

I initially became aware of Van Morrison in the mid seventies, because my friend's older sister had the Brown Eyed Girl single from 1967. I loved that, and also, as a result of David Bowie's cover of Here Comes The Night on 1973's Pin Ups, checked out Them's original version of it, which she also had. 

From then, though, he sort of passed me by as punk and new wave took over my angry young spirit, until I was walking through Piccadilly Circus one hot afternoon in the early eighties. I went into "Our Price" record shop ( I could show you where it used to be, but it is long gone now, of course) and they were playing this great song - really soulful and with a supremely evocative vocal. I asked the assistant who it was. The song was Crazy Love from Morrison's Moondance album. I duly "got into" Morrison and started exploring his back catalogue - mainly the early stuff, Moondance and His Band And The Street Choir. Then I started enjoying his more mystical material like Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart. I have been with him ever since, through his various journeys - spiritualism, Christianity, jazz, blues, soul, Caledonian soul - he has been putting out albums very year or so for decades now and I am always able to get something out of all of them. 

Many have accused him of being formulaic, particularly in his later years. I see him more as trustworthy and honest. You know what you're going to get and if you like it then you'll be fine. The same theory applies to his live performances. On stage banter is a kept to a non-existent level. Good. Just play your sublime music. 

"The Man" is, of course, a "complex" character - almost simultaneously giving and generous yet mind-bogglingly mean-spirited. He has also latterly shown himself to be a covidiot. A great quote is that you can still really like his music despite having met him. I should know, my Father was the same sort of man. The thing is, when those characters choose to give, they have so much there to enrich our lives. Van Morrison is one of those people. 

Let's walk down Cyprus Avenue then.....
Blowin' Your Mind
Astral Weeks
Moondance
Street Choir
Tupelo Honey
St. Dom's Preview
Hard Nose
Veedon Fleece
Period/Transition
Wavelength
Into The Music
Common One
Beautiful Vision
Inarticulate Speech
Sense Of Wonder
No Guru No Method
Poetic Champions
Avalon Sunset
Enlightenment
Hymns/Silence
Too Long/Exile
Days Like This
The Healing Game
Back On Top
Down The Road
Wrong/Picture
Magic Time
Pay The Devil
Keep It Simple
Born To Sing
Keep Me Singing
Roll/Punches
Versatile
Prophet Speaks
3 Chords/Truth
Latest Rec Project
What's It Gonna
Moving On Skiffle
Accentuate/Positive
Too Late to Stop Now 

Collaborations + Them albums
Irish Heartbeat
You Win Again
How Long
Tell Me Something
Driving Me Crazy
Angry Young Them
Them Again
Duets

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