Van Morrison - Album by Album discussion - PART THREE

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by DJ WILBUR, Feb 29, 2008.

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  1. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    we have the live in San Fran disc up next Mr. Bourine....shall we just get that party started today?....or we dragging this malaise out through the weekend? I hate days like this.....psych...not the record, just days like this in our thread....:angel:
     
  2. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    It's Good Friday, not too much traffic today, I 'spect.
     
  3. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    No Prima Donna - The Songs of Van Morrison

    No Prima Donna : The Songs of Van Morrison

    1. You Make Me Feel So Free -- Sinéad O'Connor
    2. Queen Of The Slipstream -- Brian Kennedy
    3. Coney Island -- Liam Neeson
    4. Crazy Love -- Cassandra Wilson
    5. Bright Side Of The Road -- Hothouse Flowers
    6. Irish Heartbeat -- Brian Kennedy & Shana Morrison
    7. Full Force Gale -- Elvis Costello
    8. Tupelo Honey -- Phil Coulter Orchestra
    9. Madame George -- Marianne Faithfull
    10. Friday's Child -- Lisa Stansfield


    I suppose we need to make mention of this 1994 tribute record that Van produced with Mr. Phil Coulter (who among other things wrote a few Bay City Roller hits). I like some of this album, its not essential by any means, but the Elvis Costello acapella vocal group thing, the Cassandra Wilson jazz vibe thing, the Marianne Faithfull smokey dark vibe and Hothouse Flower celtic vibe....are all pretty great and the Liam is worth hearing once...haunting version this....must skip the Coulter track at all costs...treacle beyond compare.

    We'll hit the live double San Fran next week, but a holiday weekend tribute album to talk about if anyone cares to. Does anyone even have this besides me? I'd wager no...but its part of his output and though the live album came out first its basically his next studio involved record...we've got a few albums coming up where not full "Van records" IMO, duet albums and what not, so this one fits in as he produced it.



    Like Van himself, this tribute collection is soulful, quirky and, when all is said and done, passionate. Morrison apparently felt enough proprietorship over his own work that he co-produced the album with fellow Irish musician and ex-Them bandmate Phil Coulter. The choice of material is anything but predictable - only the most ardent Van fans will recognize most of these songs. There are also some surprising guest artists : Liam Neeson does a stark recitation of "Coney Island" (the one in Northern Ireland, not the famous New York City beach community) against a background of Celtic instruments. Sinead O'Connor delivers a different sort of twist with an emotionally wrenching, '50s-style rendition of "You Make Me Feel So Free." But the album real standout tracks belong to Cassandra Wilson, who gives a respectful and heartfelt take of "Crazy Love" , and Marianne Faithfull, who uses her singular, teetering voice to full effect on Morrison's strange tale of a drag queen, "Madame George."

    There's always one clunker in these tribute efforts and, unfortunately, here it's a sticky sweet orchestral version of the priceless "Tupelo Honey". Everything else, though, is golden.


    Source : People Weekly, August 29, 1994
    Author : Andrew Abrahams
    Copyright Time Inc. 1994
     

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  4. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Ooh, I've never even heard this. Is it still available?
     
  5. Craig

    Craig (unspecified) Staff

    Location:
    North of Seattle
    I'm sure it's out of print, but you could probably find a used copy easily enough.

    I really like "Crazy Love" by Cassandra Wilson and "Full Force Gale" by Elvis Costello.

    I've heard another female singer do "Crazy Love" in the past (can't remember who), but this version is excellent. It's interesting to hear it from a woman's perspective after hearing it from a man (Van) for all these years.

    I'm not a Brian Kennedy hater (hater) so I enjoy his tracks, too.

    It's just like Van to produce his own tribute album.
     
  6. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    Ain't that the truth....!!!!!
     
  7. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    I don't hate Bri, it's just the parroting thing that bugs me is all.
    (I don't hate Bri, it's just the parroting thing that bugs me is all.)


    I wonder if he found himself impossible to work with.:laugh:
     
  8. drewslo

    drewslo Forum Resident

    I just rented one of the volumes of the "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues" that Van Morrison appears in. It's the one directed by Mike Figgis and also features Jeff Beck and Tom Jones among many others. A cool Van performance of "Rambler's Blues" is featured in it's entirety (with Jeff Beck among others backing him) as well as a portion of another old blues song. Van is also featured in a couple of interview segments. Anybody else see this?
     
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  9. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    Yes when it first aired. It was interesting but uneventful. I was most impressed with Tom Jones whose sex symbol status has unfairly over shadowed his outstanding vocal ability. Van was good but looked a little stiff and uncomfortable.

    As for the tribute album I passed on it, and have never even heard it. I am curious though and would pick it up used.
     
  10. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    When William decides to move on to the San Fran live album I've got some juicy quotations from the Heylin book to add.
     
  11. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    we'll do the San Francisco thang on monday.....
     
  12. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    It'll take me that long to get through listening to the album. Brief it ain't.

    From what I've listened to so far it might have been better credited to:
    Brian Kennedy, Georgie Fame, Candy Dulfer
    (with Van Morrison...if you're lucky)
     
  13. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    one can never have enough Georgie Fame I always say.....
     
  14. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    Aha! I finally found an original WB cd of Too Late To Stop Now (cheaply from an Amazon seller, and in excellent condition :righton:). It certainly lives up to the praise it has received around here. A far sight better than the first remaster. "I've been workin, I've been workin' so hard!" :goodie: :nauga: :goodie:

    And now I'd like to direct your attention to the following auxillary thread I've started to sort out the various versions of Van's catalog on cd. Please join in and add to the knowledge base. Tom, since I suspect you must have a lot Canadian pressings I hope you'll help us fill in those gaps :wave:

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=144082
     
  15. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    A Night In San Francisco

    A NIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO 1994

    Another decade another Van Morrison live outing. This one is his everyone but the kitchen sink variety. Quite the revolving microphone and revolving catalog....as Tom mentioned, there is a lot of Georgie Fame and Brian Kennedy as well as his own daughter who lives in San Fran on "Beautiful Vision"....

    from allmusic
    The material is not limited to Morrison compositions, either. In fact, it isn't so much that Morrison & Co. cover a variety of rock, pop, blues, R&B, and jazz standards as that many pieces are medleys that contain complete songs and quotes from others, rather in the way that a jazz soloist will suddenly throw in a few bars of a familiar tune. Those who want to see Morrison as an esoteric singer/songwriter rather than a showman may find this album a mongrel creation, but it's undeniably lively, and that's the first requirement of a live album.


    Basically for me, I dont often pull this one out and when I did to ready this post, I started hitting the next button a lot. I've got so much Van Morrison footwear, and really for this era, I tend to pull out the radio broadcast from The Point about a year later, much prefered by me....Still some great moments on here, the opening Did Ye Get Healed? the Lonely Ave medley is another fave of mine, Shakin All over/Gloria medley....Still with the 50ish something Van recordings I own, this is not going to get many more airings in my house....


    1 Did Ye Get Healed? Morrison 4:18
    2 It's All in the Game/Make It Real One More Time Dawes, Morrison, Sigman 4:19
    3 I've Been Working Morrison 3:24
    4 I Forgot That Love Existed Morrison 6:17
    5 Vanlose Stairway/Trans-Euro Train/Fool for You Charles, Morrison 6:55
    6 You Make Me Feel So Free Morrison 3:14
    7 Beautiful Vision Morrison 4:11
    8 See Me Through/Soldier of Fortune/Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf ... Morrison, Stewart 10:18
    9 Ain't That Loving You Baby? Reed 4:44
    10 Stormy Monday/Have You Ever Loved a Woman?/No Rollin' Blues Myles, Walker, Witherspoon 6:08
    11 Help Me Cropper, Jackson, Jones ... 6:10
    12 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl Williamson 3:33
    13 Tupelo Honey Morrison 4:01
    14 Moondance/My Funny Valentine Hart, Morrison, Rodgers 9:09
    15 Jumpin' With Symphony Sid King Pleasure, Young 4:47
    16 It Fills You Up Morrison 4:43
    17 I'll Take Care of You/ It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World Benton, Brown, Newsome 16:23
    18 Lonely Avenue/4 O'Clock in the Morning [medley] Davis, Ehm, Morrison, Orbison ... 14:51
    19 So Quiet in Here/That's Where It's At Alexander, Cooke, Morrison 5:00
    20 In the Garden/You Send Me/Allegheny Cooke, Morrison, Staines 9:41
    21 Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? Morrison 3:51
    22 Shakin' All Over/Gloria Kidd, Morrison 11:29
     

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  16. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    Once I got over the slap-in-the-face that was seeing "Tupelo Honey" on the tracklisting only to find out Brian Kennedy was doing the vocals :realmad:, I have always had generally warm feelings for this album. No, I do not care to have so many tunes song by people not named Van Morrison on a Van Morrison album, but they are easily skipped. It's a great Van album to play at a party.

    I like the high energy level and the random song snippets and medleys (although to be fair the rushed tempos do not suit all the material, e.g. "It's All In The Game") . And in some cases I do think the live version excels the studio recording (the true measure of any good live album). Offhand I would include "I Forgot That Love Existed" and "It Fills You Up" in that group. In fact, this album did for "It Fills You Up" what It's Too Late To Stop Now did for "I've Been Workin'"--made me sit up and take notice of a song that had previously passed me by.

    I don't think this album is as well recorded as the previous two live albums. Van's voice sounds very good, but the band is a bit of a muddle. The soundstage is definitely lacking compared to It's Too Late To Stop Now.
     
  17. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    140 minutes of live Van should be a good thing--especially these days when folks are currently paying top dollar for the pleasure of seeing him maunder onstage in his "Aloof Van" persona, singing with his back to the audience, generally ignoring them--and his past, and toddle off the stage as soon as the clock hits the 90-minute mark.

    There are some nice moments here--a driving "I Forgot That Love Existed", to name one, but it's all too flabby, too ponderous, and ultimately weighted down by the endless guests (which is okay, I guess) and others who are foisted upon us, guaranteed regularly scheduled solo turns (Candy Dulfer sax sections, Georgie Fame's organ, the soulless vocals of Brian Kennedy).
    I don't hate Brian Kennedy, it's just thay his voice is so incredibly thin and undistinguished that one wonders how Van could in good conscience let him desecrate stone-cold classics like "You Make Me Feel So Free," the results of which sounds like Kennedy just jumped onstage "Direct from the Lido Deck for your dining and dancing pleasure..."

    As hard as it is for me to say this, there just isn't anything here to make me want to go back and play it again. This album is a chore to get through, like a death march for the ears.


    From Heylin's Can You Feel the Silence:

     
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  18. butch

    butch Senior Member

    Location:
    ny
    G Fame made Tell me Something and How Long Has this been going on still worthwhile despite the dubious quality(they were not up to the usual standard of Van's Silver Age but not terrible) of the records.Georgie was an indispensible part of Van's Silver Age!
     
  19. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    These are good points. If I was a little brusque in my post I'm just in a rotten mood today, so ignore me. I agree with all you've said here.
    I have no problem with fast tempos, but yeah, in "It's All in the Game" it works to the detriment of the song.
     
  20. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    That's a great quote from Heylin, Tom. And I thought I hated Brian Kennedy. . . I need to re-read that book.

    Nice Lido deck quote from you, too :cool: A bit harsh for someone who claims not to hate Brian Kennedy :whistle: ;)
     
  21. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    It was meant to funny more than anything. But really, giving him 'You Make Me Feel So Free' and those other ones...
     
  22. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    Yes he was quite a force behind Van. As he's credible on his own right, I can only imagine the politics surrounding those two while working together.
     
  23. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    There's an organ solo passage during, I think it is, "Lonely Avenue" in this SF set that was really captivating--I was mesmerized by it. There's isolated moments of really good material on this album, I just find that you have to wade through a lot of other stuff to find them.
     
  24. Randy W

    Randy W Original Member

    Sorry, not a fan of Brian Kennedy's parroting background vocals on any of Van's albums. Consequently I don't listen to A Night in San Francisco, Days Like This, The Healing Game, or Back on Top much.

    Shame really - some good songs on those albums. :cry:
     
  25. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

    Does he (BK) really do that on all those albums?

    I heard The Healing Game for the first time recently, and I don't recall this, maybe I wasn't listening close enough, or it wasn't annoying enough...

    I liked the CD!
     
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