What´s your favourite Van Morrison record?

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Bob And Charlotte
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What´s your favourite Van Morrison record?

Post by Bob And Charlotte »

I mean, if you like Van Morrison at all...

Hands Down: ASTRAL WEEKS

One of the finest records ever made. This album can (and will) breake you heart in pieces. Moondance is a obvious second place and St. Dominiacs Preview is quite beautiful too.

Everyone agree that Astral Weeks is unbeatable?
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

I love Astral Weeks, but I personally have to go with Moondance. I love the R&B side of Van, and Moondance delivers it extraordinarily well. As one of the LPs in my parents collection that I have inherited, it was also the first Van Morrison album that I was exposed to, and that I really got into.

Runners up:

Astral Weeks, Tupelo Honey, St. Dominic's Preview
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Bob And Charlotte
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Post by Bob And Charlotte »

Where´s the love for 'No love for No Guru No Method No Teacher' BlueChair?
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

I haven't heard that album, Bob & Charlotte :D

My Van Morrison collection is limited to about nine albums.
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Bob And Charlotte
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Post by Bob And Charlotte »

so you might consider the idea of buying this great record.

(obviously after you have compleated your Dylan collection) :D
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Mr. Average
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Post by Mr. Average »

I like Wavelength, Back on Top, and Enlightenment.
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King of Confidence
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Post by King of Confidence »

The first Morrison record I ever heard was Poetic Champions Compose, and it's still my favorite. I think "where you came in" matters a lot with artists like Van, Elvis and Waits.

Others:

No Guru
St. Domic's Preview
Wavelength


I think he's gotten kind of boring and I stopped picking up the new ones after Back On Top. That hasn't happened with Elvis (can't say I am into Waits enough to say).
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Post by senior_service »

Astral Weeks
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noiseradio
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Post by noiseradio »

Them

It counts. Stop arguing.


Raw and edgy rock. Van Morrison w/o the polish.
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

HER NAME IS G


L


O


R


I-I-I-I-I-I-I

G-L-O-R-I-A (GLOOOOOOOOOORIA)
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noiseradio
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Post by noiseradio »

There you go.
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Mr. Average
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Post by Mr. Average »

KofC. Three words from Poetics Champions Compose:

"Someone Like You"

A great love song. And I think among the top 10 Van Morrison songs that I have had the pleasure to hear.

Also, heavily lifted for film soundtracks. In fact, thats what led me to the purchase of Poetic Champions Compose. Some very nice jazz stuff complements the record, and gives it great balance.

I am thrilled that we may have a found a sliver of common ground! Of course,you may find "Someone like you" to be weak and cliche'd, in which case, I'll keep searching.

Good Health.
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
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crash8_durham
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Post by crash8_durham »

I love Moondance and Tupelo Honey.

Faovrite songs include,
Into the mystic
And it stoned me
Crazy love
Tupelo honey
Goodbye Baby
Bright side of the road
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

Excellent picks regarding songs, crash...

My Top 5 Van Morrison songs (maybe):

1. Sweet Thing
2. Come Running
3. Gypsy
4. The Way Young Lovers Do
5. Into The Mystic
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King of Confidence
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Post by King of Confidence »

Mr. Average wrote:KofC. Three words from Poetics Champions Compose:

"Someone Like You"

A great love song. And I think among the top 10 Van Morrison songs that I have had the pleasure to hear.
...

I am thrilled that we may have a found a sliver of common ground! Of course,you may find "Someone like you" to be weak and cliche'd, in which case, I'll keep searching.

Good Health.
Nope, Mr. A, that is actually my favorite too. I far prefer it to the more well-known (thanks in part to Rod) "Have I Told You Lately." In fact, I think it's his best straight up love song.

Other favorites: "Queen of the Slipstream," "Motherless Child," and "Did Ya Get Healed."

I just like the sound of the album. From start to finish, it's a steamy, jazzy bath.

I think PCC was the first time I encountered pop music that wasn't totally innocuous and vapid (not that there's anything wrong with that) in it's content. The whole spiritual questing aspect of his music was new and thrilling to me at the time. It's also what kind of got old with Van over the years, though.
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Post by alexv »

Van favorites not mentioned:

Veedon Fleece: inscrutable lyrics, gorgeous tunes, soulful singing (what early Van was all about) (great album cover too)

Into the Music: Bright Side of the Road; Full Force Gale; You Make Me Feel So free; Stepping Out Queen (danceable Van)

All time cover of a Van tune: EC and Fairfield Four doing Full Force Gale (if I were religious I'd want that played at my funeral)
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Post by Gillibeanz »

None! :?
COME ON YOU SPURS!!
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girl out of time
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Post by girl out of time »

it´s a tie: moondance & veedon fleece
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so lacklustre
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Post by so lacklustre »

Astral Weeks it has to be.

One of his later albums (1993) that I like is Too long In Exile.
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Mike Boom
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Post by Mike Boom »

Into The Music is a fantastic album and a personal favourite of mine but you cant really beat Astral Weeks now can you?

Special mention must go to Its Too Late To Stop Now - best live album ever!
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Post by martinfoyle »

Image
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 30-4342256
Common One. A spiritual experience. Say no more.
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Mike Boom
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Post by Mike Boom »

How could I forget Common One! Each song on that album is sublime and Summertime in England is beyond words. Spiritual indeed.
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Jackson Monk
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Post by Jackson Monk »

Of the ones I have

1. Astral Weeks
2. Moondance
3. Enlightenment
4. Hymns to The Silence (Sunday Morning music at it's best)
5. Poetic Chapions Compose
6. The Story of Them
7. Tupelo Honey
8. Wavelength
9. Days Like This
10. Avalon Sunset
11. Into the Music
12.Too Long in Exile (aka...'Too Long boring me to fucking distraction')
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Post by Goody2Shoes »

Moondance for me, as it evokes a very happy time and place in my life.

Also, it makes me want to have sex. Especially These Dreams Of You and Brand New Day. That first-hot-weekend-of-the-summer-little-too-much-sangria-on-the-terrace-overlooking-the-lake brand of sex.
It's a radiation vibe I'm groovin' on
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Wow, not sure I've experienced that form, but I think I shall have to seek it out. Great soundtrack for that snagria too.

Moondance was my first experience, too. I don't have a high opinion of my older siblings in general, but they did turn me on to Neil Young and Van via the above, so it wasn't all bad (Bowie and Costello were mine, all mine, though!). I don't go with the 'first introduced' theory in general (though I do in terms of living in Madrid or Barcelona first and loving more, so what do I know? [Madrid, by the way]), but you do get special associations with more time and first falling for an artist. It's funny that you mention those two songs, G2S, cos I always thought of Moondance as very much an LP of two halves. One stunning and one average, so I almost never listen to side 2.

Back in the days when LPs had two sides, side 1 of Moondance was about as perfect as a side could get. Moondance is my least favourite song on it, the other 4 are awesome. I think Astral Weeks is unique and beautiful, but suffers a bit from its own legend. As a whole it is arguably his finest hour, buut I don't think the songs can match the stunning highs of the other four songs on side 1 of Moondance.

Agree with lots of the above. Veedon Fleece is indeed wonderful (opening track, Fair Play to You, is heaven, God knows what sort of sex you might have to that). Only recently heard Common one. Nice, but not top rank. I heard was reasonably impressed by What's Wrong With This Picture? (especially as he appears to have got the title from a fabulous Lloyd Cole + the Negatives song). The good parts of Hymns To The Silence are wonderful, all that exploration of childhood, for me it's a late night one more than Sunday morning, and we had Be Thou My Vision as a hymn at our wedding in honour of that fine rendition.

Sadly, though, unlike EC and others (or actually probably quite like EC according to lots of us), and a bit like Bowie though without the 50+ renaissance, he's never matched his early work. No, the fire and genius of his earlier stuff has got diluted with time, which is very different to EC. north may not be thrilling as per GH!! et al, but it's still a new and brilliant departure. When did Van last have one of those?
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