Van Morrison's Greatest Song

Beside You (Bang version) is amazing in my ears. I don't really like the jammy Astral Weeks version.

 

SAINT
DOMINIC’S
PREVIEW
on
ITLTSN

Is one of the highlights of Western Civilization

 

Half of what I said was quoting what YOU said - and no one here understands your post, so looks like we are all in agreement!

 

"St. Dominic's Preview" and I'll fight anyone who says differently.

 

I hate these people who when you ask for one greatest (singular) they list three or four. So I'd say

Astral Weeks ...

and/or Haunts of Ancient Peace ....

oh, and maybe Sweet Thing, Madame George, Satisfied and St. Dominic's Preview

 

So many great ones to choose from and on any day I could pick among a dozen (or more!)... But here's one that hasn't been mentioned yet:

 

Gloria.

No contest.

 

Nah, I can't fight with you over that one. When it comes to Van songs I'd rather celebrate our differences.

 

Well, maybe the correct answer is: Van's greatest song is the one that started in 1964 and is still going strong today.... all of them.

 

Autumn song is my number one!

 

This aint Van Morrison, is a Thin Lizzy song! Hahaha

 

Van has likely more than 20 tracks that I'd have to say "absolutely as good as songs can get" but if forced to pick one, I guess I'll go with "Linden Arden Stole the Highlights"

 

"Sweet Thing", that's my choice, too...just came across this Van Morrison thread today and have been going through the many excellent posts. My very first record I ever bought was "Domino" by Van Morrison in November 1970...then about three months later I purchased the "Blue Money" 45 and turned it over..."Sweet Thing" was on the B side, and it totally floored me. It reminded me of being in the Garden of Eden...I had never heard anything like it and still haven't. Van's back catalogue is so huge, there is still a ton of stuff I haven't heard, but whenever I listen to "Sweet Thing" I still get that sublime feeling that came over me when I first heard it as a fourteen year old.

 

My wife loves Sweet Thing too. She always plays it in the car on trips.

 

Our best friends named their daughter Autumn Song about 42 years ago.

 

Totally agree about the live version with Part two - I've never heard part 2 on a studio album - just part one on the Inarticulate album.

If I was only allowed to hear one more Morrison track again it would have to be Astral Weeks.

 

I'm not a huge Van Morrison fan. But I am going with Moondance as his best.

 

autumn, or autumn song? either way its awesome. autumn song is awesomer

 

could pick 50 songs but ill go with Madame George.
both versions (Bang/Astral) are great in their own way

fun fact: the title character is the wife of WB Yeats....according to Marianne Faithfull.

 

caravan!

 

She is indeed Autumn (first name), Song (middle), just like the title and a beautiful woman inside and out. I've known her since she was a toddler. She rolls her eyes now when she has to explain that she was named after a Van Morrison song. I think George Strait is her favorite artist.

 

While Van's studio version of "Foreign Window" (from the No Guru, No Method, No Teacher album) never really grabbed my attention, there's a live version Van did as a duet with Bob Dylan, outdoors in Greece, which was included in the One Irish Rover documentary. Simply outstanding, I feel it deserves to be considered among Van's greatest moments:

 

Van Morrison has been a favorite of mine for a long, long time. I don't think I could choose a greatest VM decade, much less greatest album or greatest song.

I will say that I prefer his 20th century work to his 21st century work. For the most part, anyway.

 

I have no problem with that past century over this century declaration. He has to my ears been working at a very medium level of his inspiration and abilities for most of the past couple of decades of his records, just doing a sort of middling version of "that thing he does" on near autopilot. I'm happy to have most of it as pleasant Sunday afternoon listening to be sure, but it's not the genius I fell in love with.

 

no guru is a brilliant album, I almost went with 'in the garden', 'foreign window' is a classic as well