Van Morrison - The Healing Game

After searching for a little while, finally stumbled across this album in a record store yesterday. What a great record.

Anyone else love this 90s rarity?

 

It was his last really great record in my book. Vastly underrated he was at another creative peak. What band too, they had played together a lot and it shows. I love Pee Wee Ellis' work on that record.

 

I have it, but haven't listened to it in a while. It's definitely more enjoyable than Days Like This but I find the followup to this, Back on Top, to be a stronger album overall. The Healing Game still suffers from a bit too much Brian Kennedy.

I'll give it a listen today.

 

Yes Brian is the weakest link! I don't know why Van was so enamoured with him.

 

Yes Brian is the weakest link! I don't know why Van was so enamoured with him.

 

Hardly a rarity (seen all the time in used bins here in L.A.) but imo it's Van's last truly great album. The title track is up there with his greatest performances. I'm not particularly bothered by Kennedy here--it's far far worse on other albums.

 

He practically destroys Days Like This.

 

Great album!

...lovely groove by Geoff Dunn >>>

 

Awesome record. The Healing Game, Sometimes we Cry. and the great live version of the burning ground.

 

What's the best sounding edition actually?

 

I consider The Healing Game to be Van's Flaming Pie (I did indeed just throw a McCartney reference into a Van Morrison thread, thank you very much) in that it marked the beginning of a new "golden period" after a few years of fair to middling releases (in Van's case ,Too Long in Exile and Days Like This). I think that Van has really kept the quality of his releases pretty high since The Healing Game. Just my opinion, of course.

 

One of my favorites!

 

The Healing Game is definitely a return to form. I think it stands up beside No Guru, No Method, No Teacher, Poetic Champions Compose, A Sense of Wonder. Not his greatest works, but still excellent. "Rough God Goes Riding" is one of my favorite Van songs ever.

I absolutely hated that Mose Allison album. IMO, that's Van's worst album by a loooooonnng shot.

Brian Kennedy doesn't really bother me.

 

CDs, you mean? Or do LA record stores actually have plenty of vinyl copies?

 

He had to mean CD. The LP is hard to find.

The first song on each side of the LP - Rough God Goes Riding and Burning Ground -- are both top drawer songs that are best played loud. The band is great and Pee Wee Ellis really shines on this album. I particularly like side one of the LP.

In my opinion, The Healing Game is a great album and much stronger than Days Like This, but I think Back on Top is a better album overall. Unlike others, I like the Brian Kennedy effect on the songs on The Healing Game.

 

Love the title track - I'll have to check out the rest of the album.

 

I love this album.

The CD single of Rough God Goes Riding had two nice B-sides - At The End Of The Day and an alternate version of the title track.

 

"At the End of the Day" was eventually released as a bonus track on the 2008 remaster.

 

I thought those Healing Game songs I heard in concert were Spectacular.

I like Days Like This and Brian Kennedy. I like Days Like This and Brian Kennedy. Sorry MikeP. Sorry MikeP. Dibs on the repeat. Dibs on the repeat. . . Guess I'm Vanhopeless...

 

I prefer the Healing game sung by Van and John Lee. Van really gets motivated.

 

I assumed CD, as you did not specifically say you found the vinyl version. Nice find, though!

 

I sure do! And look at Van on the cover. Cool McCool!

 

The original cd sounds great. As a 1997 release I would assume the mastering was the same worldwide. I think this album was part of the last round of remasters, but I'd say there is approximately a 0% chance that the sound was improved. Never heard the lp.

 

Has anyone compared the original CD with the remaster?