Van Morrison "Into the Music"?

Just wondering what the board thinks of Van's 1979 release "Into the Music". For my money one of Van's most underrated albums. Particularly the second half suite of The Healing Has Begun....thru It's All in the Game. Vocally I don't think Van was ever in better voice or as inspired during those songs and a rarity in that the live versions from side 2 never really matched the lp cuts in power (for me anyway)
Impressions? If you haven't hard it check these tracks out below:



and
Van Morrison - It's All In The Game/You Know What They're Writing About (Lyrics) »

 

I've always loved this album, probably in my top 5 Van albums. I finally grabbed a NM original vinyl copy a couple of months ago and it sounds excellent. I agree about his voice.

- Buck

 

Brilliant album.

Side 2 is the best album side of any album I have heard.

 

Simply wonderful,
Thanks for posting.
I keep all of his albums.
Cheers

 

It may be my favourite...well, Moondance is number 1, bit ITM is so great!

Yep, second fave of all. Full Force Gale! Bright Side of the Road! That side 2 suite!

 

It's my second favorite Van album, after Moondance. And while it has no songs as great as on that album's first side, there's an evenness to the music that's very satisfying.

 

I rate this above Moondance, great as that is, and part of what I find to be a purple patch in the Van catalog, including Wavelength, Common One, Sense of Wonder. When it came out I was seriously into Van and thought it a bit bland initially but over the next couple of years it grew on me immensely. Love it.

 

One of his best. Side 2 is as good as any side of Van.

 

Moondance, Saint Dominic's, Tupelo Honey, Inarticulate and Into The Music would be my top 5

 

There was a time when Van live on a good night was a religious experience across generations.
This is a great album with a great band.

 

The album that got me ''into'' Van's music. Great mix between short and catchy songs (Full Force Gale!) and longer, lyrical works in the ''Van Morrison" style. An album I still can enjoy from the first track to the last.

 

This is on "The Wish List" for me... especially after hearing "And The Healing Has Begun" on The Essential....

 

This album is more evidence that Van is The Man.

 

I think Moondance and Astral Weeks are his best albums. Two of rock's greatest, all these years on. But below them are a string of very fine albums that come very close. Into the Music is certainly in this category along with St Dominic's Preview, Tupelo Honey, His Band and his Street Choir, Too Late To Stop It Now, and Common One, and slightly ahead of Veedon Fleece, Hard Nose the Highway and Avalon Sunset. What an amazing discography.

 

Great band mates from that period. I love the horns,
it doesn't get any better than PeeWee Ellis and Mark Isham !

 

It's my favourite Van Morrison album too even through he has released some truly amazing pieces of music throughout his long career.

My collection is missing some fine Van albums released after 1979, but I have all the albums he released up to and including "Into The Music".

 

absolutely, when he's on its amazing. He gives me religion

 

Great, great, great album. Comparable to his earlier peak output. "Angeliou", "And the Healing Has Begun", "It's All In the Game", "You Know What They're Writing About" comprise about as good of a side as Van has ever laid down. Utterly transcendent. Incredible vocals, fully invested in the songs. This is VAN THE MAN. No coasting, no detachment, nothing rote or by the numbers. Out of step with the times and thus essentially timeless, complete in its own universe.

 

Love it!

 

Love this album. Not as good as Veedon Fleece (but then nothing is) but the closing 20 minutes of the album is transcendent. Someone mentioned it above but when Van is at this level it is almost a religious power. I also have love for Inarticulate Speech and Common One.

 

Among his best albums, for sure. I'd rate Veedon Fleece, Astral Weeks, Moondance, St. Dominic's and maybe No Guru No Method No Teacher, above it, but that's about it.

 

"And The Healing Has Begun" As far as I'm concerned, Van Morrison rarely gets better than that, boys.

 

Top 5 Van album,there was a time when i listened Into The Music on a cassette for hours and hours and hours and all i wanted to do was roam across the fields yeah;i got healed!

 

Underrated?
Maybe in a community of deaf people