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Continue reading Today: Van Morrison released the album Moondance in 1970 44 years ago
Today: Van Morrison released the album Moondance in 1970 44 years ago
Tag Archives: Van Morrison
The 5 Best box sets and reissues of 2013
I am one of those old guys that still buy physical copies of art (albums). I say it is because I need it to play in the car, but that’s really just an excuse. I love the sensation of unpacking a new album, the feel, the artwork, the printed lyrics, the smell, hell, the whole package!
When the record companies have sold me all the classic albums, they release them again, with better sound, with more songs and bonus features, I don’t feel cheated, I feel blessed. I love archival music stuff, and long to hear studio outtakes, live takes and alternative versions of songs.
It has been a good year for music archivists, and my favorite reissues/archival releases this year are:
1. Bob Dylan – Another Self Portrait (1969-1971) The Bootleg Series Vol.10
This is from my post right after I bought the box set:
I have now had a few days listening to the new Bootleg series 10 deluxe box set. It is very interesting, and it is actually rather good. I am one of those few that kind of liked the original album, so I expected to like Another Self Portrait. I was not expecting that I would like it as much as I do.
That said, there are two things that stand out however. The first is the demo version of When I Paint My Masterpiece, it knocked me out. It is breathtakingly beautiful.
But the best of the release is the full Isle of Wight performance with The Band, and I really did not expect that!
When I paint my masterpiece – Demo:
A fantastic historical document!
2. The Band – Live at the Academy of Music 1971
A 4-CD/1-DVD box set chronicles Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko and Richard Manuel’s 1971 concerts at New York’s Academy of Music, featuring arrangements by New Orleans great Allen Toussaint.
One of the best live albums in rock history got the deluxe treatment, and yes, it got even better. Rock of Ages had 18 wonderful tracks, this upgrade has 56(!) tracks with The Band (and Bob Dylan) at their very peak. 56 best takes of songs from four evenings in 1971 (including the New-Years eve show in its entirety). I have played Rock of Ages so much I thought that nothing could surprise me, but this set did. The sound, the packaging, the liner notes and the pictures, everything is top-notch.
Life is a Carnival (Live, 1971):
Continue reading The 5 Best box sets and reissues of 2013
Today: Van Morrison released His Band and the Street Choir in 1970
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“Why did you leave America – Van Morrison “His Band and the Street Choir is another beautiful phase in the continuing development of one of the few originals left in rock. In his own mysterious way. Van Morrison continues to shake his head, strum his guitar and to sing his songs. He knows it’s too late to stop now and he quit trying to a long, long time ago. Meanwhile, the song he is singing keeps getting better and better.” – John Landau, Rolling Stone Magazine (1971) |
Continue reading Today: Van Morrison released His Band and the Street Choir in 1970
Van Morrison: One Irish Rover Happy 68th Birthday
One Irish Rover was broadcast in 1991 on BBC 2 Arena TV special and on A&E cable television program. It is a series of live songs with commentary by Morrison about music and poetry, it has some truly amazing performances. It includes the footage of Morrison and Dylan in Greece, Georgie Fame at Ronnie Scott’s, John Lee Hooker, The Chieftains and Danish Radio Big Band.
Part 1:
This profile of Van Morrison is both wayward and eccentric, but in a good way, an interesting way.
In One Irish Rover, Van is relaxed and playful. He is surrounded by people that he seem comfortable with, in Greece, Morrison duets with Bob Dylan; sitting on a dock in the Louisiana bayou he do some tremendous blues with John Lee Hooker; we also see him in London playing at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, with the Danish Radio Big Band at the Barbican Center in London and in Belfast, playing with the Chieftains.
It is a true joy, and it ends with a tender Don’t look back with John Lee Hooker that is just …incredibly good!
Part 2:
Track list:
w/ Bob Dylan (Athen 1989-06-29)
1. Crazy Love
w/ John Lee Hooker:
2. Baby Please Don’t Go
3. Wednesday Evening Blues
At Ronnie Scotts Club (London 1989-05-24)
4. Help Me
5. It’s All In The Game/You Know What They’re Writing About
6. Did You Get Healed
w/ the Danish Radio Big Band (Barbican Center, London 1990-02-19)
7. Vanlose Stairway
8. I’d Like To Write another Song
9. Haunts Of ancient Peace
10. Whenever God Shines His Light
11. I Will Be There
w/ Bob Dylan (Athen 1989-06-29)
12. Foreing Windows
13. One Irish Rover
w/ The Chieftains (Belfast 1987-10-29)
14. Raglan Road
At Ronnie Scotts Club:
15. Summertime In England
16. Moondance
w/ John Lee Hooker:
17. Don’t Look Back
Credits
18. Celtic Swing
Part 3:
Part 4:
– Hallgeir
Johannasvisions on a roadtrip to see Van Morrison at Notodden Blues Festival
I have finally seen Van Morrison in concert, and I’m going around with a big grin on my face. It was better than I could hope for. I had heard a lot about how his concerts could be hit or miss affairs, and I was a bit afraid that we would end up with a miss. We did not!
We jumped in the car at 9:30 in the morning on Friday 2 August and drove to Notodden, this took nearly 6 hours with some stops along the way (and a few hiccups in the traffic). We drove through fantastic mountain scenery and listened to Van’s music and had interesting discussions on his music (and life in general).
We put up the tent at the official Blues-camp, drank some wine/beer/whisky and headed over to the concert area.
Van Morrison had asked for James Hunter Six to be support act to his own show, they did a good job. They sound better live than on record, but the best ones always do.
Minute by Minute from their latest album, Minute by Minute was the high point for me, great singing and good fun!
Then there was a short wait until the main attraction would come on stage. The band came out and started Celtic Swing, Morrison joined them and the stage was set. This instrumental sounded tight and good, and the main man played some fine sax. The band consists of seasoned musicians and they played brilliantly through the concert.
I will not go through all the songs, but it was a good set, it was a great set. The last half of the concert was incredibly good. Van Morrison smiled and even told a joke (!): The horns were in the middle of a particular grandiose (even pretentious) part of I Can’t stop loving you when Van points his arm in their direction and declares, “The Bert Kaempfert Orchestra!”, then grins and says, ” almost like the real thing”. Funny guy!
James Hunter joined them on stage for two rousing renditions of Help me and Gloria. It was one of the best concerts I’ve seen this year.
Set list (I’ve marked my favorites with an * ):
1. Celtic Swing
2. Got to go back
3. Only a dream
4. Keep mediocrity at bay
5. Pagan Heart *
6. Baby Please don’t Go/Boogie Chillen/Rock Island Line
7. What am I living for
8. Playhouse
9. Born to sing *
10. Going down to Monte Carlo
11. Moondance
12. Brown Eyed Girl
13. Jackie Wilson Said
14. That’s Life
15. Whenever God Shines his light *
16. Can’t Stop Loving You *
17. Help Me * w/ James Hunter
18. Gloria * w/ James Hunter
Van Morrison told us we had been a fantastic audience, danced (yep) off the stage and the band finished an extended Gloria. It was fantastic!
We saw/heard Little Andrew (parts of it anyway) – didn’t do it for us, Beth Hart, well, one of our principles here at JV is not to write about things we don’t like, therefore I will not say anything about her performance. Late on Friday night we saw The Royal Southern Brotherhood, a band with great potential, a good group of musicians but their songs don’t match their skillful playing. A very promising band none the less!
We went down to our tent around two in the morning, and some fucker on a bus played bad trance music until five! Why do all the guys with the largest loudspeakers have the worst taste in music? I seriously considered throwing rocks at them around the time the power went out in the morning. Then came the rain, the worst downpour we have seen in quite a long time. First time camping in a tent in at least 15 years and all this! We woke up at around ten. 5 good hours of sleep 🙂
We saw Ida Jenshus and here incredible band before the drive home. I’ve said most of the fine things that has to be said about Jenshus and her band, and again they gave us a wonderful concert. They ended the show with a fantastic version of Neil Young’s Words (from Harvest). Then and there all the noise from those trance loving idiots and the bad weather from the night were forgotten. It had all been worth it.
We had a great time and I am still smiling!
– Hallgeir