Van Morrison Album by Album Discussion: Part 1 (1968-1977)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by DJ WILBUR, Sep 25, 2007.

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  1. JA Fant

    JA Fant Well-Known Member

    Moondance, is a must-have!
     
  2. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    I've got the vinyl but can't listen to it right now (busted TT).

    It's fun to pull out the LP cover and realize just how huge Van's face is on the album as compared to the tiny CD.:laugh:

    And is it just me or did Van look like a 40+-year-old man even when he was still in his 20's?
     
  3. Buzzcat

    Buzzcat Bankrupt Radio Lifer

    Location:
    Madtown, WI
    I have a question. In 'And It Stoned Me', Van sings, "Stoned me just like jellyroll."

    He's used that word, jellyroll, a few times since then on songs. Just what is he refering to here? Morton? Some obscure hallucinogenic?
     
  4. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    He means sex.
     
  5. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    He used "jellyroll" before then too, on "He Ain't Give You None" from 1967's Blowin' Your Mind.
     
  6. Buzzcat

    Buzzcat Bankrupt Radio Lifer

    Location:
    Madtown, WI
    Sex? Really? How the 'ell does jellyroll relate to sex?!
     
  7. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
  8. Buzzcat

    Buzzcat Bankrupt Radio Lifer

    Location:
    Madtown, WI
    Ah ha! Thanks Tom. It'da taken me a month to dig that out of that site.
     
  9. Randy W

    Randy W Original Member

    As far as good sounding CDs go, I like the German ones I have better than the US ones for Astral Weeks, Moondance and Tupelo Honey. Yet, vinyl is really the way to go for these.

    "Jellyroll" is an oft used lyric for Van ;).
     
  10. mfp

    mfp Senior Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    Speaking of which, am I crazy or does Van Morrison look like Van Gogh on the cover of Moondance?

    [​IMG][​IMG]
     
  11. johnny33

    johnny33 New Member

    Location:
    usa
     
  12. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Heh-heh, very similar indeed, except Van Gogh looks happier.
     
  13. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    and that is saying something!

    I'd never made that connection before, but that's a great coupling of images....idea for another thread...musicians who look like paintings...

    questions about this album.
    Was this album a big hit when it was initially released or did it find its audience over time?

    As strong as it is, was there a "hit single" and where on the charts did it go? Also, how did this album due on the charts initially. Hit or grower?

    I got into van in the mid 70s and bought this and a few others around the same time so for me, this one, Choir, Dominic, Tupelo alll entered my brain around the same time, so i'm not aware of its radio success etc.
     
  14. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    I didn't get into Van until the late 80's (thanks to the girlfriend I mentioned in my review for Moondance), but I remember having the impression that MD was fairly ubiquitous. It was in everyone's collection, along with Born to Run and stuff like that.

    The hit-single question reminds me of a question I posed earlier, which was, was "Come Running" the best candidate for a single? I'd say "Caravan" has hit written all over it.


    I see Moondance as sort of part 1 of the "Janet Planet Trilogy":laugh: , where she had a huge influence on (or sway over) Van: her picture was everywhere, she wrote the liner notes, sang backup, inspired the songs/song titles and offered Van career advice. As pointed out already, her Earth Mother sensibilities provide unintentional laughs nowadays, but for better or worse, she was Van's muse during this period.
     
  15. pig whisperer

    pig whisperer CD Member

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    :laugh: :righton:
     
  16. R. Totale

    R. Totale The Voice of Reason

    I don't know from charts or hits, but in the year or two after it came out I know that on "underground" FM college radio I heard the title song all the time. I never actually bought a Van LP myself until "It's too late...", and until I got that one I basically thought of Van and Moondance the song interchangeably.
     
  17. portisphish

    portisphish Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pasadena, CA
    I'm a little late to the party, and don't have much to add to the great insights already provided, but Astral Weeks is definitely in my top 5 favorite albums. Speaking of covers of Van songs, this site has a list that might be interesting.

    http://www.coversproject.com/artist/van morrison
     
  18. portisphish

    portisphish Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pasadena, CA
    I credit my Father for introducing me to Van Morrison. He would play the Moondance album on 8-track when we were driving somewhere. I probably bought the album sometime in the 80's. I think it is a great place to start if you are looking to get into Van. Very accessible songs. I can't listen to the title track anymore, however.
     
  19. smilin ed

    smilin ed Senior Member

    Location:
    Durham
    And isn't the version of Caravan on the Last Waltz just the business?
     
  20. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
  21. Solaris

    Solaris a bullet in flight

    Location:
    New Orleans, LA
    Sorry I haven't posted about Moondance till now, it's been a busy week.

    I don't really have a whole lot to add to what everyone else has said. Side one is a kicker, side two has several really good songs. I'm thoroughly sick of the title track and skip it every time; the masterpieces for me being "And It Stoned Me" and "Into The Mystic," the former being one of my favorite all-time Morrison songs.

    Can You Feel The Silence indicates that sessions began at Mastertone on 30 July 1969 with Warren Smith, Richard Davis and Jay Berliner -- all of whom had appeared on Astral Weeks. "Everyone" and "Caravan" were recorded this day, with pianist Jay Labes, whom Van had invited, rounding out the ensemble, but Morrison wasn't satisfied with the sound. At the second session they recorded the title track but Morrison still didn't like what he was getting. When sessions reconvened at A&R, the Astral Weeks players were all gone, replaced by people Morrison himself had picked. Lewis Merenstein was pushed out by Van's desire to go more commercial.

    Morrison's bid for control yielded success: Moondance became a radio staple immediately. As Lester Bangs noted in his Rolling Stone review, Morrison's new music was "getting more play on FM stations than anything in recent memory."
     
  22. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    I feel the same as you (except I'd give "Into The Mystic" the edge over "And It Stoned Me"). Side 1 is sublime while side 2 is merely very good.

    I can't really listen to the title track anymore either (I put the jazzy version from How Long Has This Been Going On? on my iPod instead of the original just to freshen things up a bit.) But for the purposes of this thread, I gave it a careful listen again and it really is a near-perfect creation. Overexposure kind of numbs you to it, unfortunately.

    I posted earlier that I thought Astral Weeks and Moondance were both over-rated. I say that mainly in reaction to the common critical opinion that these two albums are somehow head-and-shoulders above Van Morrision's other work. I'll grant that Astral Weeks is something else entirely, but I really see nothing to particularly distinguish Moondance from any of his other early to mid 70's albums. They are all great (except Hardnose The Highway), and I think the critical focus on Moondance tends to give short shrift his other acheivements. Not to mention his brilliant work in the 80's.
     
  23. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Sad but true. When I sat down and listened to it this week it was after a hiatus of many, many years. I still knew every Van-growl, drum fill and horn trill, but you're absolutely right: it is as close to perfection as you can get.

    Up till now this thread has been one long Van-Jan:p love-in---which is fine, of course, because the accolades are warranted---but I have some serious problems with His Band and the Street Choir that should make next week a little more interesting.
     
  24. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    but your favorite song i'm sure is Sweet Jannie....right????:D
     
  25. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    That, my friend, would be telling.:shh: :p
     
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