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
    Oh, thank you for this! I missed it completely. An alt version of 'When Heart is Open'? Is this a 2-CD deluxe edition? How is that going to fit?:laugh:

    No bonus tracks at all on the Belfast Opera House disc, I noticed.
     
  2. Randy W

    Randy W Original Member

    I like Magic Time, especially Celtic New Year.

    I also re-listened to The Healing Game, and was not bothered as much by the back up singing. I now feel that is one of his best modern day albums.
     
  3. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    I agree with both your comments. I think in a couple of years The Healing Game is going to be held out as an example of another career high.
     
  4. Craig

    Craig (unspecified) Staff

    Location:
    North of Seattle
    It was that way for me from the get-go. :D

    I'm disappointed that they didn't include the alternate version of the title track on the remaster so more people could hear it done with The Chieftains. :shake:
     
  5. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Welcome back, Craig. You have been too long in exile.

    Whaddaya mean done with the Chieftains? When did that happen? Tell us more.
     
  6. drewslo

    drewslo Forum Resident

    I'll listen to "Magic Time" later today and post some comments. I'm in much agreement with DJ Wilbur on this one. It withstands the test of time.
     
  7. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

    Mos Def!!! :righton: snag it... maybe his best since No Guru, no kidding, no worries... The opening one-two punch of Stranded and Celtic New Year sets a high standard that the rest of the album struggles to reach, but it is a epic, valliant, van effort...

    Goi buy now Curb!:wave:


    cheers,
    :cheers:
    mrbill
     
  8. albert_m

    albert_m Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atl., Ga, USA
    Celtic New Year and Just Like Greta can stand up there with Van's best from any era.

    The Lion this Time is certainly a moving song, which deviates from his recent familiar ground musically. Stranded is a really nice retro ballad.

    As an album, I prefer Back on Top and Down the Road, but those ones above really are excellent stand outs and the album is enjoyable.


    I know nobody hear likes the music industry sucks obligatory song on each album, but they They Sold Me Out is kind of catchy....

    In any case, Magic Time is another later period Van Morrison album that is worthy of being in the collection.
     
  9. gohill

    gohill Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow, UK
    not easy squeezing that man's dough outta his wallet....sometimes I think he's scottish....

    watch it... that's fighting talk where i come from :)

    right i'm off out now to go see Gary Louris in Glasgow ABC in an hour or so. Hope you are suitably jealous, i will exaggerate his greatness when i return just to rub it in.:wave:
     
  10. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    I've pre-ordered all eight upcoming Van Morrison reissues from amazon.co.uk ...

    I can't wait for INARTICULATE SPEECH OF THE HEART to be reissued. It's one of my all-time Van Morrison favorites. And believe it or not, when Universal gets around to reissuing A PERIOD OF TRANSITION -- one of Van's most reviled albums -- I'll be all over that one as well BECAUSE I LOVE IT. So there.
     
  11. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    hahaha, i tease i tease Tom, who didnt even react to that line at all.. i was just making sure everyone was still paying attention!
     
  12. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    As it happens, William, my father's side was Scottish. :laugh: Gohill and I would gladly fly to New York to straighten you out...but with air fare and all, it'd be a wee bit too pricy for us.
     
  13. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    well, you told me! i cant articulate how much I hated those two transitional albums.....so I'm your Curbach to your faves....:wave:
     
  14. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    haha, i knew it!
     
  15. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Anyone else notice 'Stranded' is a slowed-down version of 'Real Real Gone'?
     
  16. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    hmmm, i will have to put my mind to this one...i'd not noticed, are they the same, or similar?
     
  17. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    So I picked up Magic Time while I was out at lunch. Heard "Stranded" and "Celtic New Year" on the way back to the office. "Stranded" seemed pleasant enough, and on first blush I think "Celtic New Year" may be the best song Van has come up with since "Carrying A Torch".

    I wouldn't have thought Van was still capable of such heights after the artistically null Back On Top and What's Wrong With This Picture?. I guess I need to get Down The Road, too. I'm thinking I might just be able to cobble together a decent comp of post 1990 material--one disc only and probably not a full 80 minutes :nyah:

    Rstamberg, you are welcome to join my Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart fan club. It's a small lonely group. Just be sure you have a suit of heavy armor to withstand the sticks and stones Wilbur, Tom and Mr. Bill will be throwing your way :hide:
     
  18. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    80 minute comps are over rated anyway....

    cant wait to see your tracklisting for "The Latter Years"....

    also, i'm more akin to lob stones than sticks....:ed:
     
  19. drewslo

    drewslo Forum Resident

    Sign me up as a member of the "Inarticulate" fan club as well!
    By definition we don't have to explain why we love it.

    As for "Magic Time", I just listened to it today. My favorite songs are
    Celtic New Year, Gypsy In My Soul, The Lion This Time and the title track.

    Celtic New Year is timeless Van - could fit on almost any of his albums of the last 35 years and not sound out of place.

    Gypsy In My Soul is a variation of "Believe To My Soul" but it's a great groove - Van doing what Van does best.

    The Lion This Time has grown on me over time. Any title with "Lion" in it is going to suffer in comparison to the classic "Lion" song (kind of like how we compare all of the Healing songs with "And The Healing Has Begun") but it holds up on it's own. Nice acoustic guitar and vocal.

    Magic Time is the masterpiece to me. I love this song.

    Stranded does sound like a lot of earlier Van songs but it's a good opener and performance, setting the tone.

    I like the cover of "This Love Of Mine" but I would drop the next cover "I'm Confessin" and the later on the album, "Lonely and Blue". The original Van songs are much better. Maybe they could have been put on a CD single or something. The pacing of the album suffers from these two a bit.

    Otherwise, a very solid album. Not essential to anyone but a Van fan but it's good enough for me.

    "They Sold Me Out" is the obligatory "complaining song" but I'm humored by the line "sold me out for a few shekels and divided my robes" which gives it a biblical setting. It also perfectly set up the last song "Carry On Regardless" in which Van is having a great time improvising, yodeling and carrying on...with much laughter. I like Van's recent trend of closing albums on a humorous note.
    It messes with our image of him.
     
  20. curbach

    curbach Some guy on the internet

    Location:
    The ATX
    Sticks, stones. . . Tom likes to toss out words like "Yannification" which is more like a hand grenade :laugh:
     
  21. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Play 'Stranded', but sing the lyrics to 'Real Real Gone' over top.
     
  22. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    ah, the Tommyfication of Van Morrison....

    your Toronto concert tix go on sale tomorrow bub! Make sure Karen knows....haha
     
  23. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    Look out, Van, I'm gonna be at the July 7th show! Just scored me ticket, I have.:righton:
    I'll be the one shouting out "Play 'Brown Eyed Girl!':laugh:;)
     
  24. DJ WILBUR

    DJ WILBUR The Cappuccino Kid Thread Starter

    he plays that one again after all these decades of not...so be careful what you wish for....

    anyway glad the non scottish side came out and can't wait to read your review...
     
  25. Clarkophile

    Clarkophile Through the Morning, Through the Night

    Location:
    Oakville, ON
    In that case I'll scream for 'Fair Play' or 'Oh the Warm Feeling'.
     
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