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Van MorrisonAlbums ReviewedAstral Weeks (1968)Moondance (1970) Tupelo Honey (1971) Saint Dominic's Preview (1972) Hard Nose The Highway (1973) It's Too Late To Stop Now (1974) Veedon Fleece (1974) Into The Music (1979) Common One (1980) Beautiful Vision (1982) Astral Weeks(1968)Growing up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a city noted for its musical diversity, the young Van Morrison grew up on blues and R&B music from America, rather than traditional Irish fare. These influences were apparent on his first successful band Them, whose songs 'Gloria' and 'Here Comes The Night' are oldies radio staples. After Them broke up, Morrison worked with Bert Berns' Bang label, which corralled him into a more commercial direction, resulting in 'Brown Eyed Girl'. Aged 23, and with a lot of experience and several hits behind him, Van Morrison was able to release his first solo album proper with 1968's Astral Weeks, which is about as far removed from his poppy Bang material as possible, pursuing a sound that's as much based in jazz as it is in rock. Morrison originally intended Astral Weeks as a rock opera, and there are strands of common narrative and places running through the songs, but credits producer Lewis Merenstein with the final shape and presentation of the record, and interviewed in 1970 he claimed that he wouldn't have used the jazz players that Merenstein recruited on every track. The jazz musicians, notably bassist Richard Davis and guitarist Jay Berliner fill the album with improvisation, as does Morrison's uniquely exploratory vocals, making this one of the least scripted albums in the rock canon. The only full band arrangement is the excellent, if somewhat out of place, 'The Way Young Lovers Do'. The rest of the songs are devoid of drums and outside the verse/chorus structure, dreamy and free flowing, and right on the extreme boundaries of the rock music umbrella. The eight tracks can be divided into two equal categories - four shorter and more accessible pieces, all quite different in character, and four longer epics which are all quite similar in feel. Of the four shorter pieces, 'Beside You' is arguably the album's weakest point, with Morrison's over-emoting over a vague structure, particularly over the lines "You breathe in you breathe out you breathe in you breathe out you breath in"one of the few times where his normally gorgeous vocals are annoying. On the other hand, the pretty 'Sweet Thing' is probably the album's most accessible piece, closely followed by the punchier 'The Way Young Lovers Do', but the closing 'Slim Slow Slider' is disappointingly uneventful. It's the four longer tracks that provide the tone of the album, all slowly unwinding; even if they're a bit too samey for me to really love this album in the same way that many other fans do, they do have a unique flavour all of their own. Of the four, my favourite is probably the opening 'Astral Weeks', which has a pure spirituality and freshness that probably benefits from being placed first on the album. However 'Cyprus Avenue' and 'Madame George' are also excellent, and 'Ballerina' is the only song that really drags. I might not be its biggest fan, but Astral Weeks is a fascinating record; it sounds different from anyone Van Morrison or anyone else has created, and for adventurous music listeners it's worth picking up for that reason alone. Although Morrison arguably created more accessible yet arty and personal works with subsequent albums like St. Dominic's Preview and Veedon Fleece, Astral Weeks is his most extreme statement which alone makes it essential if you're at all a Van Morrison fan. 
Moondance(1970)After the arty Astral Weeks, Morrison went back in a more commercial direction with Moondance, although for the first time he's in the producer's chair. This may be commercial, and it's certainly more radio friendly and accessible than the somewhat angsty Astral Weeks, but Van Morrison's own vision is fully in place here. It's often labelled as the first part of his "domestic trilogy", which chronicle his life at Woodstock with his wife (singer Janet Planet) and young family. The jazz and R&B influences are still apparent, but they're more in terms of sound palette and rhythms. This set of songs have obvious verse and chorus structures and it's a sign of Van Morrison's stature as an artist that he can produce two fine consecutive albums with such different focuses. Side one is packed with five outstanding compositions; the title track, where Van plays Sinatra, is the most well known, but there is no real justification for its omniprescence at the expense of the other great songs. 'Crazy Love' is pretty (and possibly explains why there is a 'Crazy Love, pt. 2' on Paul Simon's Graceland), 'Caravan' is jaunty, 'Into The Mystic' is lovely and esoteric, while 'And It Stoned Me' is all of the above. In other words, they are all just as good as the title track but not as corny. Halfway through, Moondance is shaping up as one of the finest albums ever made. Unfortunately, the second side is far less interesting; it's still very professional, but it goes down too easily and isn't as evocative as the first half. There is nothing definitively bad, but most of the songs suffer from being low key and predictable. The exception is 'Brand New Day', which is still not as memorable as anything on the first side, and 'Everyone' which is redeemed by a fine clavinet part. As a whole though, Moondance gets a high grade because the excellent songs on the first side set up a wonderful mood, and the lesser songs on the second side at least perpetuate that, even if they don't stand out as individual pieces.
 His Band And The Street Choir(1970)This is the only album from Morrison's early career that I'm missing - I hear it's kind of second rate and the least essential part of the "domestic trilogy" so I'm not that concerned about it (unless I can find it for $4 or something). Tupelo Honey(1971)Like so many of his compatriots Van relocated to America (although this time it was due to a woman rather than a potato famine), reflected in the country textures that infiltrate Tupelo Honey. Living in Woodstock, Van Morrison was living close to The Band, and they're perhaps one influence on the rootsier sound here. It's perhaps symptomatic though, that the best songs - opening single 'Wild Night' and the epic title track - are those closest to Van Morrison's more typical R&B stylings. If you're not in the right mood, Tupelo Honey's menu of sappy domestic bliss can be nauseating, but despite the throwaway nature of several tracks the overall effect is rather charming. The booklet artwork helps; Van, with his tight pants and little beard, looks like a cute figure from Irish mythology and you can't help but feel happy for him. The key song on Tupelo Honey is the absolutely gorgeous title track; it starts off with a beautiful organ, joined by Van's delicate vocal intoning "She's as sweet as tupelo honey/She's an angel of the first degree." It's a mystery why this song hasn't gained a greater prominence in Van's catalogue; it's not included on his ubiquitous Best Of compilation. The other two epic tracks are similarly enjoyable; 'You're My Woman' isn't startlingly original, but carries through on a wave of euphoria, while 'Moonshine Whiskey' has a fluid catchy chorus that contrasts nicely with the taut verses. The other standout tracks are the snappy lead-off single 'Wild Night', with a stylish bass entrance into the introduction, and 'Old Old Woodstock' which evokes the languid and rural tone of some of The Band's work. Regrettably, the other compositions aren't so solid; the low point is 'I Wanna Roo You', which is even worse than the title suggests. The lesser tracks do fit in adequately with the rest of Tupelo Honey as there's nothing particularly profound anywhere, although 'I Wanna Roo You' is a letdown coming straight after the magnificent title track. Considering that it's a collection of mellow country love songs Tupelo Honey is surprisingly enjoyable, although it's certainly a good thing that he didn't stay in such a predictable vein for his next album.
Saint Dominic's Preview(1972)In yet another case of a turbulent personal life acting as the breeding ground for great art, Morrison's failing marriage informs his music here. The love songs of the domestic trilogy are replaced with more eclectic and ambitious material, saving Van from a slide into artistic obsolescence but perhaps also hurting his commercial fortunes. Saint Dominic's Preview is perhaps the quintessential album of Van Morrison's early career, covering both punchy R&B pop craft like the opening 'Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)' and artier impulses like the ten minute semi-improvisations that close each side of the original LP. If there's anything from Van Morrison's oeuvre lacking here, there are hardly any traces of the Irish folk influence that's present on Astral Weeks and Veedon Fleece, but this is still an impressively diverse work, covering a lot of ground over just seven songs. It's difficult to dislike this album's five shorter songs; they're all succinct and catchy, and enjoyment really hinges on reaction to the two longer and more esoteric tracks. 'Listen To The Lion' is superficially conventional, but its unique aspect is its limited lyrics as the title phrase is repeated like a mantra, demonstrating the emotional pull of Morrison's voice; it's surprisingly captivating over its eleven minute running time. 'Almost Independence Day' is more difficult, perhaps because of the Moog synthesiser that's a key part of the arrangement, a rare foray into electronic sounds for this era of Morrison's career and invasive for a track that's otherwise reminiscent of Astral Weeks. Of the less weighty material, the title track still weighs in at six minutes as is a tour-de-force in itself, with a catchy chorus hook and spiritual atmosphere. The opening trio of 'Jackie Wilson', 'Gypsy' and 'I Will Be There' represent some of Morrison's most accessible writing, with plenty of hooks and memorable choruses. With Van Morrison following his muse and coming up with accessible songs simultaneously, Saint Dominic's Preview is easily among the man's essential works, a slightly flawed but fascinating master stroke.
Hard Nose The Highway(1973)You can't go too far wrong with Van Morrison's 1968-1974 period; Hard Nose The Highway is generally reckoned as one of his lesser albums from the era, and justifiably so, but it's still an enjoyable listen and it's difficult to see any Van fan not enjoying it. There's a fine line; if St. Dominic's Preview was a brilliant summation of Van Morrison's career up to that point, then Hard Nose The Highway is arguably a rehash of the same; there's nothing here that Van Morrison hadn't attempted previously. The record also has more of a smooth, jazz-inflected feel, and it's a little blander than usual, but it's still sonically creative in the opening 'Snow In San Anselmo', which is one of the weirder successes in the Van Morrison catalogue. The two covers, the traditional British ballad 'Wild Mountain Thyme', referred to here as 'Purple Heather', and the more bizarre choice of 'Bein' Green' are also an indication of Van Morrison running out of ideas, but they're nicely performed, and none of the above objections detract from the fact that most of the songs on this album are perfectly solid. Despite the overall feeling that it's a relatively minor work, the major issue with Hard Nose The Highway is simply that the ten minute track 'Autumn Song' drags more than it should; a pleasant but generic jazz tune is stretched out to unnecessary proportions, far less interesting than the previous record's 'Listen To The Lion'. The lyrical agenda of 'The Great Deception' is a little obnoxious ("Have you ever heard about the great Rembrandt/Have you ever heard about how he could paint/And he didn't have enough money for his brushes"), but works fine musically. The main appeal of Hard Nose The Highway is the pair of opening tracks; 'Snow In San Alselmo' is one of Van Morrison's best arty tracks, with a eerie feeling and weird choir, while 'Warm Love' is one of his best commercial songs, with an accessible melody and utilising his pretty upper register. The title track is perfectly solid, while he also manages to bring something new to the somewhat over-used 'Purple Heather'. Hard Nose The Highway isn't Van Morrison's strongest album by any stretch of the imagination; it's the quietly under-achieving record between two milestones, but Morrison was in such good form at this time that even his under-achievements are well worth hearing.
It's Too Late To Stop Now(1974)Everyone who was anyone in the mid-seventies made a double live album, and this is Van Morrison's, recorded on the tour for Hard Nose The Highway and compiled from recordings made in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and London. One definite point in its favour is that only half of these songs are drawn from Van Morrison's solo albums; the remainder are R&B covers from the likes of Ray Charles, Willie Dixon and Sam Cooke, plus 'Here Comes The Night' and 'Gloria', the signature songs from his years fronting Them. As much as he integrates influences from folk and rock into his musical palette on his studio albums, Van Morrison's love for R&B music has been well documented, and it's at the forefront on this live document. On the other hand, I'm not really a fan of the backing band; they're way too sedate and piano-centric, while the backing vocals and strings also drag proceedings into Vegas territory. But this is primarily Van Morrison's show and a showcase for his vocal abilities, and his voice is in fine fettle, blasting his way through 'Warm Love' and taking centre stage on the lengthy 'Listen To The Lion'. The band sounds great on songs like 'Domino' and 'I've Been Working', where the guitar and bass are actually audible, while 'Saint Dominic's Preview' is punchier than its studio counterpart. The most interesting interpretation is 'Cyprus Avenue' and it would have been fascinating to hear more of the loose, exploratory tracks from Astral Weeks translated into a live setting. It's Too Late To Stop Now often gets cited as a landmark live album, and if you like to hear Van Morrison take on R&B standards interlaced with some originals and accompanied by a whole lot of piano, knock yourself out; I'll take the concise pop-smith of Moondance or the mystical troubadour of Veedon Fleece instead.
Veedon Fleece(1974)The last album from Van Morrison's first solo sequence; after this album he went into semi-retirement for three years, only emerging to appear in The Band's The Last Waltz. In some respects, it's almost the completion of the circle begun with Astral Weeks; returning to Ireland at the end of his marriage, Veedon Fleece is more steeped in acoustic mysticism than any of his releases since Astral Weeks, and it's similarly loose in feel. It's also more noticeably more Irish than anything he'd released previously; there's little R&B here, using more folk-oriented, acoustic instrumentation, and the lyrics reference William Blake and figures from Irish mythology. While comparisons to Astral Weeks are inevitable, it is different enough to have its own identity; there are few vestiges of jazz, and while the songs are hardly straightforward verse/chorus constructions, they're not as meandering and free form. Despite suffering from the same front loading problem as Moondance, and despite feeling somewhat haphazard in places with several of the best songs petering out unexpectedly, Veedon Fleece still stands as one of Van Morrison's better records, capturing an atmosphere of melancholy and mysticism. Like Moondance, the first side is excellent and the second side is solid without developing the ideas of the first half any further. 'Fair Play' sets the scene with acoustic grace, while 'Linden Arden Stole The Highlights' steps up the mystical themes and emotional poignancy. 'Who Was That Masked Man?' uses a devastating falsetto that's absolutely gorgeous, and proof to any doubters of Morrison's vocal prowess, even if it ends distractingly abruptly. The centrepiece is the eight minute 'You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push The River', which provides a dramatic vocal showcase while still containing a brilliant song underneath. On the second side, the low key closer 'Country Fair' is the only real disappointment, but as a whole it is one dimensional after the more diverse first half. 'Come Here My Love' is pretty and melodic, while 'Cul De Sac' and 'Bulbs' both have their share of angst and urgency. Despite the only half star increase over the previous studio record, Veedon Fleece is a much more substantial and important album in the Van Morrison discography than its predecessor; it's only the monotony factor of the second side that stops it from being among his top tier albums, and in any case it's a moody, fascinating record with its share of great moments.
A Period Of Transition(1977)Wavelength(1978)I'm missing these two - apparently the former is pretty underwhelming, but the latter has its moments. Into The Music(1979)As much as Into The Music is like a blue-print of the adult contemporary direction than Van Morrison would pursue during the 1980s, the song writing is so sharp that it's somewhat of a non issue. It's slickly produced and loaded with backing vocalists, strings, saxophones, and all sorts of adult contemporary paraphernalia, but for these joyous songs the everything but the kitchen sink approach works beautifully, like being swept away by a wave of intertwined sexual and spiritual power. There's still plenty of R&B in Van Morrison's vocals, and plenty of folk underpinning in songs like 'Rolling Hills' and 'Troubadours', enough authenticity in the music to give its poppy facade depth. If you're prepared to tolerate a bit of cheesiness, this is vying with Saint Dominic's Preview as his finest album - it's nowhere as near as arty or adventurous, but it's so joyously and professionally executed that it's difficult to resist. The jaunty opener 'Bright Side Of The Road' is the best known song here, but most of these first side feels like hit singles. Van Morrison discusses his relationship with his muse on the infectiously arranged 'You Make Me Feel So Free', with its irresistible piano riff, while Ry Cooder plays slide guitar on the unambiguous God rock of 'Full Force Gale' ("Like a full force gale/I was lifted up again/I was lifted up again by the Lord"). Folkie Robin Williamson plays penny whistle on the explicitly folk derived 'Troubadours' and 'Rolling Hills'. The second side of the original LP is devoted to longer songs, but they're more or less cut from the same cloth, simply sustaining the hooks and joyous rush over longer running times. The eight minutes of 'And The Healing Has Begun' allows Van room for vocal improvisation, but it's still a catchy pop song at heart, while the cover 'It's All In The Game' provides the only real contemplative moment. Maybe this isn't high art in the same way that Astral Weeks or Veedon Fleece were, but as pure pop music, Into The Music is one of the catchiest, hookiest sets of songs ever committed to vinyl.
Common One(1980)Into The Music was peppy Christian pop, and was among Van Morrison's most accessible efforts; its followup is the exact opposite. Accessibility isn't the priority on Common One; instead it plunges directly into mystic spiritual territory, and with two songs passing the 15 minute mark there's little in the way of pop hooks. Losing pianist Mark Jordan from the Into The Music band changes the feel of the record significantly; Common One is much more open sounding, and jazz oriented, with more room for improvisation from Van Morrison's vocals and the saxophone and trumpet. The result is arguably the most divisive album of Van Morrison's career, as its lengthy song structures push it close to jazz (as admirers would classify it) or easy listening (as its detractors would label it); and there's justifiable grounds for regarding Common One as a flat-out masterpiece, a noble failure, or as an outright snooze fest. Personally, I'm probably tending towards the positive side of middle ground; while it's not immediately compelling, the ambient atmosphere of the longer pieces is quite unique in Van Morrison's catalogue, even more peaceful and relaxed than Astral Weeks and Veedon Fleece. And at least a couple of the shorter pieces are accessible enough; 'Satisfied', which Christgau accurately categorises as "the only vaguely fast one", could have fit nicely onto Into The Music with its punchy R&B arrangement, while 'Wild Honey' is concise and prettily melodic, with a sentimental arrangement and lyric ("don't you feel my heart beat/just for you") that rubs up nicely against the more esoteric material. The more esoteric, fifteen minute material includes 'When Heart Is Open', a subdued improvisational piece based on Miles Davis' 'In A Silent Way', and the more urgent 'Summertime In England', where Van Morrison rants about T.S. Eliot and William Blake. Add in the charming opener 'Haunts Of Ancient Peace', and there's plenty of really good material here; Common One takes effort, but there's plenty here for dedicated fans.
Beautiful Vision(1982)Beautiful Vision marks the point where Van Morrison eased out of the limelight, and where his appeal became focused towards a more limited fan base. It's settled comfortably into smooth jazzy textures, like a calmer take on the Into The Music sound, and it's relatively insular with its low key explorations of Christianity and Irish heritage. But even if he's treading water musically, there are plenty of great songs here, and it's one of his more consistent, most substantial records, even if it's less adventurous and less universal than his earlier work. Guests include Mark Knopfler, who plays guitar on 'Cleaning Windows' and 'Aryan Mist', while Morrison himself plays piano on the closing instrumental 'Scandinavia', where his sprays of notes are melodically compelling, even if he's not a technical genius. Enforcing an initial reaction that Beautiful Vision is bland and uninteresting, at least a couple of these songs are abjectly uneventful - the monotonous title track and 'Aryan Mist' both wander past without adding anything to the record. But digging deeper, there are a couple of catchy potential singles in the form of 'Cleaning Windows' and 'Dweller On The Threshold', the former a seemingly autobiographical tale from Van Morrison's days in Belfast inspired by R&B, and the latter balancing wistful lyrics with a fast tempo. The standout track, though, is 'Across The Bridge Where Angels Dwell', where R&B, jazz, and gospel are fused into a glorious whole, Van Morrison's voice floating above the female backing vocals. The two Celtic influenced pieces, 'Northern Music (Solid Ground)' and 'Celtic Ray', give the album a solid beginning, while the instrumental 'Scandinavia' is a surprisingly effective coda. The insular world that Morrison creates here isn't ideal for neophytes, but Beautiful Vision is like a more mature, calmer version of Into The Music, and it's not as far from that album's greatness as it may seem on first impression.
Post 1982I've acquired a couple of his post 1982 albums from the library (specifically No Guru, No Method, No Teacher and Avalon Sunset) and I'll review them sometime, but I don't think I'm ever going to want to sit through the last 25 years of Van Morrison's discography - he's managed close to an album a year so it's a pretty daunting prospect. I would like to get my hands on the outtakes collection The Philosopher's Stone and 1991's Hymns To The Silence though.Want more Van Morrison coverage? http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/van.html is one of the best single artist websites on the web. |
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Written 2001-2007, Graham Fyfe
