Van Morrison - Album by Album discussion - PART THREE

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

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  1. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    I read somewhere that both of these albums were recorded in one day. Each, that is, not both on the same day.
     
  2. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    It sounds like it, what does Heylin say about these sessions?
     
  3. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    I shall report back forthwith, sir. :righton: Left the book at home, unfortunately.
     
  4. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    Work often interferes with thread time.;) :laugh:
     
  5. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    You're right, I had to stop working to answer your post.:laugh:

    Notice "had to", like I had no choice in the matter to continue working.
     
  6. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    ain't that the truth....
     
  7. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

    I wondered if anyone has ever lost their job due to Hoffman Site Addiction???

    It seems that the number of members spikes mid way through the workday...

    hum...:shh: :shh: :shh: :shh: ;) ;) ;) :D :D :winkgrin:
     
  8. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    2/2/74 Concert now streaming at Wolfgangs Vault.
     
  9. dgstrat

    dgstrat Senior Member

    Location:
    West Islip, NY
    I've been away from this thread for a while, but wanted to come back and chime in on Days Like This. To me this is Vans most under-rated album and one of my absolute favs. Not many people name it amomng Vans best, but I'd put it just under moondance and St Dominicks Preview. What is it that i love about this album, you may ask. Well, first of all I love the songs a lot. The only exception being "Songwriter", which doesn't work for me with the rest of the tracks. The album opener, "Perfect Fit" shows Van at his happiest and peppiest and it's such a feel good tune. Love the horn charts and especially love the bouncy guitar part. Very sweet solo by Ronnie Johnson, as well, and fantastic harmonies from brian Kennedy. A great start to a Van record. Next up is "Russian Roulette" which i love. More horns, some nice harp playing from Van, and some great call and response (the first of many) from Van and Brian Kennedy. I love the chemistry between Van and Brian Kennedy on this album. Kennedy plays off Van's lines perfectly and adds lots to the feel of these songs. next up is "Raincheck". A fantastic vocal delivery from Van, some fantastic jazzy guitar fills. Love the 3/4 waltz feel. "You Don't Know Me" is a beautiful duet with Shana. classic arrangement very tastefully done. "No Religion" is fantastic with a Stax type feel going on. More great horn charts and more Kennedy mimmicking Van's lyrics. "Songwriter" is a bit trite for me, but that's the only mis-step here. "Days Like This" has more of that 60s soul feel going on. Very nice. "I'll Never Be Free", another duet with Shana, and another very well arranged classic. Great horns, again................a recurring trend here. "Melancholia" is one of my favorite tracks on this set. A simple song, but it creates a mood. Vans growl really gets to me here. So much soul!!! Only Van gets away with "when I'm making hay". Kennedy is great here following Van around and increasing tension. "Ancient Highway" is gorgeous and shows Van at his meandering best. Awesome vocals and a great build up to Van pouring it all out of himself, then quiet. "In the Afternoon" is the perfect feel good ending track. Beautiful horn chart, again. Listening to this right now. I dig Van when he's happy......................So, i really love this album. ...................My greatest memory of this album is hearing it played in full at a bar in Monterey, Ca where i was eating lunch and downing quite a few. The atmosphere was beautiful and hearing this album just made it for me. There you go DJ.................
     
  10. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter


    beautifully put D...nice to have you pop in here for a rare sighting! we are pretty much in agreement on this one...(we might be the only two digging the duets of Brian and Shana on Days...but they work for me too)....hope you pop back in again sometime!
     
  11. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    I've got my trusty copy of Heylin with me today, so I'll post some bits at lunchtime.
     
  12. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    I like this one too. Shana took some heat here, as I recall, for singing off key or something on these tracks, but Dad was doing his bull-in-a-china-shop thing as usual; I found our Van a little clumsy and overbearing in those songs, but I still enjoy them.
    I liked your comments on "Ancient Highway" and "Melancholia."
     
  13. albert_m

    albert_m Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atl., Ga, USA
    I thought it very well done.

    As for the jass albums... I don't listen to them that much. I picked up "How Long" when it came out and enjoyed "Centerpiece" and "Sack o woe" a lot and still do, but I don't like the reworked Van songs and the others are ok.

    I only picked up the Mose collection last year upon enjoying Benediction on Best of 3. Though it turns out, that's the only one that I really enjoy.

    Both albums ok listens, but to me, he's hit and miss on how does jazz.

    But "You Don't Know Me" I like a lot, including Shana on it.
     
  14. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Alto saxophonist Alan Skidmore, taken from the Heylin book:

    Ouch.
     
  15. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    Thanks for the information. :shh:
    I think that is a little harsh but basically sums it up.:agree:
     
  16. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    The two or three or four horns used to be on the right-hand side of the stage, and Van was practically centre stage, and very often he would sing the first part of the tune and then in a very haphazard way he would point at one of the horns to play a solo, 'You. Play. Now.' [But] with the sunglasses and hat, we never knew which way he was pointing at . . . The man is a legendary blues singer, and he fancied his chances of running a jazz group
    . . . [save that] he isn't a jazz musician. He's a rhythm & blues singer; he's a great lyricist, but in no way is he a jazz musician.
    ...I think the man is a very good musician for what he does, [but] he should definitely leave jazz out. He shouldn't go anywhere near it.




    Well those are some of the types of comments that would normally send me into a fit, but I've gone and decided to figuratively take some chill pills instead

    And then one wonders why Van might write songs like New Biography, They Sold Me Out, and Professional Jealousy.

    Anyway, when Days Like This and Healing Game were released, we frequently played these cd's at the flagship bb music store where I first worked. Myself, and three or four other Van enthusiasts enjoyed both of those titles, but I remember commenting after first hearing either the How Long or Tell Me Something discs, or both, that to me, they sounded like a rehearsal and fwiw one of my friends and co-workers, who is a freak for Bill Evans, Chet Baker, and Charles Mingus, agreed, so, I guess neither one of us was impressed with those two particular efforts.
     
  17. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    More from Keep It Simple...I've been listening to it and to me Van sounds quite sly in his delivery - in both Poor Boy and Nightclubs.
    There are a number of lines he throws out in some of these songs that get a chortle, snicker, giggle, and good-old fashion heh-heh, out of me.

    Don't get around much anymore
    The smoke has driven me out the door...

    I'm not a legend in my own mind...

    Don't go to nightclubs no more, I'm such a bore



    Had my rise, had my downfall
    Now I'm gonna rise up again
    Had my degrees, my initiations
    Not speaking to the profane


    Brainwashed the suckers again and perpetrated the myth
    Propaganda far and wide...
    Just got shipwrecked and stranded on the rocks
    And it left me high and dry


    What's key, and why those lines work so well, imo, is how he phrases the lyrics, and the melodies he is using to express those words in.
     
  18. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    I wonder if anyone has had the time to hear the concert from Winterland, 2/2/74, streaming at wolfgangs vault - I suppose it's been widely circulated before as many of these broadcasts have, but I'm listening to it this morning for the first time.

    Van has some nice things to say to someone at the show. ;) . After performing what must have been a new song (Try For Sleep) at the time, one unknown to the audience there, I assume, but a song that gets a nice reaction and applause from the audience nonetheless, someone in the crowd yells out for a song before the band start with the next tune and Van comments, If you shut your mouth and keep quiet you might get what you want...alright...otherwise you're just like boring me to death and probably everybody else.

    At times, the backing vocals are too loud in this mix, though, to the point of being distorted, and are distracting, imo.
     
  19. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    He's such a charmer, our Van.:laugh:
     
  20. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    Right? The first time I heard him say it this morning, my freshly scrubbed ears went into shock. I was like, oh my, did he just say that? After hearing it a second time, I saw more of the humor in it, but it's funny because I thought maybe he might make a joke after he finished what he said. but, no, there was no joke coming...;)
     
  21. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    The performances of Streets of Arklow through Into the Mystic from this 2/2/74 show...me likes, :righton:

    Jack Schroer on the piano sounds magnificent. Into the Mystic includes a neat harmonica solo.
     
  22. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    Just wanted to add that it was the remaster of Back On Top that I've ended up with, and that the bonus track, Valley of Tears, is superb. Jools Holland adds some very pretty piano accompaniment.
     
  23. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    How Long Has This Been Going On and Tell Me Something

    two thirds of THE TURD TRILOGY. I really really want to love How Long Has This Been Going On, especially as I'm a Georgie Fame fan, but there is not much to love, its an album that should be great and doesnt work at all, which is about all I can also say about the Mose Allison songbook...its all so bad in a way, these should both be great, but i wouldn't wipe my butt with either of em!

    Tom, I'd be surprised if they spent so much as a whole day on each of these.

    I'll certainly never give them another hour of my life again!

    Next, lets go get Healed...
     
  24. peterC

    peterC Aussie Addict

    Location:
    sydney

    Jeff Labes?
     
  25. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    BBC Four Sessions – Van Morrison
    Friday 25 April 10.00-11.00pm BBC FOUR
    Sunday 27 April 10.00-11.00pm BBC FOUR (repeat)


    As part of the prestigious BBC Four Sessions series, soul legend Van Morrison performs a special concert which was recorded at LSO St Luke's in London.

    In the exclusive session, Van showcases tracks from his new album, Keep It Simple, and older favourites such as Magic Time and Vanlose Stairway. He is backed by a full band and joined by special guests: guitarist Mick Green and organ maestro Georgie Fame.

    The performance is an uplifting demonstration of why Van Morrison is still "The Man".



    also, Keep It Simple debuted on the US sales charts at 10*. this is a career high debut slot position for him....interesting to note he's never had a top ten album before!
     
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