Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece - what a great album!

Sorry to interject a Beatles reference, but to me they’re Rubber Soul and Revolver. 1-A and 1-B or the like.

 

Brilliant album, most Van fans who know it love it, but agree its not as renowned overall as it should be. I feel the same way about Saint Dominic's Preview and Into The Music. All fantastic albums.

 

It is always top 5, IMHO.

 

yeah I don't think van plays many songs from it either...then or now. van experts might know exactly. van was interviewed one time and the reporter asked about the cover and van got mad that people asked him about the dogs like they were his dogs.....how are we supposed to know van? you pose with two dogs in front of an old house....but no, its a hotel and some ladies wolfhounds

 

Love this one.

 

I like it, but don’t adore it. Every album before it is better, to me, at least.

 

This is probably my favourite of his. I have the Polydor CD, the Exile reissue CD and got the original Warner vinyl (after some searching).

I think it only received middling reviews on release, and no hit singles, so perhaps why it was only recognised in later years as a "lost classic", and isn't more celebrated like the lauded Moondance etc.

I like the pastoral, reflective tone of the album, which followed some turbulence in his life.

Also check out Twilight Zone (an out-take featured from the reissue CD).

 

It rocks, softly and slowly, but it still rocks!

 

Love this one, really wish there were some live or radio sessions with this instrumentaion and material.
Some of my favorite lyrics too. A while back, I made a booklet of all the lyrics neatly typed.

Same with Astral Weeks. So unique.

 

It's always been my favorite. I bought it when it was new and then saw him in Chicago within days of it's release.
I already had all of the earlier ones at the time and had become a big fan.

 

The Van Morrison Live at Montreux DVD has a performance from 1974 which features Bulbs and Twilight Zone.

 

Veedon Fleece is often considered his "forgotten masterpiece" and is highly praised by hardcore Van fans. It didn't sell well initially and the style is a bit too freeform for some people which is probably why it isn't as well known. The same could go for Astral Weeks but I think Astral Weeks has slightly more of a charming and brilliant quality to it. Both excellent records

 

The biggest reason is that Van’s catalog is an embarrassment of riches. How does one rank transcendent masterpieces? Veedon Fleece is a quiet record without any ‘hits’ and I think that’s probably why it gets overlooked. But it’s in my top 5 Van albums, easily.

 

Beautiful album and it lands right outside my top 5, in my top 5 if not including live albums.

1. Astral Weeks
2. Tupelo Honey
3. It's Too Late to Stop Now
4. Moondance
5. Into the Music
6. Veedon Fleece

 

Sadly censored...

No, it's a magnificent album. Was it his first true flop of album after the classic run?

 

My favorite of his, a brilliant album. I was lucky to be gifted a copy on cd when it was still available, about 10 years ago.

 

I adore Veedon Fleece. It's an album that evokes wistful memories from a formative time in my life. And because of that I'm not always up for listening to it. But I love it. Who could argue with something so lovely as "Fair Play," or something so impassioned as "Come Here My Love," or something so anciently compelling as "Country Fair"? It's soul music.

 

I love this record so much. Van is prolific and consistent on record. Veedon Fleece is one of his absolute best.

He finally got the Them material in a legal state, so, maybe this and the rest of his stuff is next. Seems to be a roll on this era of stuff being reissued. Veedon may be in the near future reissued...

 

Fair Play, Streets of Arklow and Pull no Punches... great songs . I prefer this album to Astral Weeks .
Veedon Fleece, Into the Music and His band and the Street Choir are my 3 favourites

 

It’s my favourite VM album, along with Beautiful Vision and Enlightenment.

 

More love for Veedon Fleece comes here. One of his best for me.

 

Veedon Fleece is, and has been for a long time, my favorite album by any artist. It is a work of total genius. My Van top five:

1: Veedon Fleece
2: Into The Music
3: Common One
4: Astral Weeks
5: Inarticulate Speech (Not necessarily one of his best but it soundtracked a particularly fine romantic time in my life)

 

Top three with Astral Weeks and Saint Dominic's Preview for me. No hit singles, a very esoteric album, indifferent critics. Morrison's three year break. Don't know the reason why it's underappreciated. Criminal that it's out of print.

 

Yep, I've always found VF to be great...uhh...late-night listening.

 

Great album.