Tuesday 5 September 2017

Van Morrison album by album




Van Morrison is one of my favourite artists - I consider him to be one of the great musical artists of the 20th century, and his album Astral Weeks to be one the greatest examples of human achievement. I have seen him live three times. None of the concerts were entirely successful - though seeing him do Astral Weeks at The Albert Hall was something special.

I worked on the Wikipedia article, and took it to Good Article status, but another editor keeps wanting to clean it up and remove mentions of Morrison's famous stubborn, idiosyncratic attitude. This is a shame as that's an essential part of him, and knowledge of that gives insight into his music. Astral Weeks would never have appeared if he hadn't been so curmudgeonly. Anyway, so be it. I change it back every now and again, and after some time has passed it gets removed again. Life is too short.

Van Morrison (Sir George Ivan Morrison, OBE,[1] born 31 August 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a critically acclaimed singer and songwriter with a reputation for being at once stubborn,[2][3] idiosyncratic,[4] and sublime.[5] His live performances at their best are seen as transcendental and inspired;[6][7] while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are acclaimed as among the greatest recorded. In 2016 he was knighted for his musical achievements and his services to tourism and charitable causes in Northern Ireland.
Known as "Van the Man", Morrison started his professional career when, as a teenager in the late 1950s, he played a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands covering the popular hits of the day. He rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Northern Irish R&B band Them, with whom he recorded the garage band classic "Gloria". His solo career began under the pop-hit oriented guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single "Brown Eyed Girl" in 1967. After Berns' death, Warner Bros. Records bought out his contract and allowed him three sessions to record Astral Weeks (1968).[8] Even though this album would gradually garner high praise, it was initially a poor seller; Moondance (1970), however, established Morrison as a major artist,[9] and he built on his reputation throughout the 1970s with a series of acclaimed albums and live performances. Morrison continues to record and tour, producing albums and live performances that sell well and are generally warmly received, sometimes collaborating with other artists, such as Georgie Fame and the Chieftains. In 2008 he performed Astral Weeks live for the first time since 1968.
Much of Morrison's music is structured around the conventions of soul music and R&B, such as the popular singles "Brown Eyed Girl", "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)", "Domino" and "Wild Night". An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, loosely connected, spiritually-inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz and stream-of-consciousness narrative, such as the album Astral Weeks and lesser-known ones such as Veedon Fleece and Common One.[10][11] The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic soul".[12] He has received six Grammy Awards, the 1994 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Anyway, I think it's time I went through his albums chronologically.....

Them

The Angry Young Them (1965)
Them was Morrison's band before he embarked on his solo career., and this is their debut album. It's a raw RnB album and is a mix of covers, and songs by Morrison; it contains "Gloria" and "Mystic Eyes", which indicate his special song-writing talent to accompany that extraordinary voice, and four other Morrison compositions. Also in 1965 the single "Here Comes The Night", written by Bert Berns, the band's producer and later Morrison's record label boss, was released and became a hit. The song didn't appear on the UK album, but was included on the American release.

His voice is young here, though already soulful and attractive. The musical structures are pleasant, but fairly simple RnB, with little of the depth and range that he would later employ. Morrison would occasionally return to this sound much later in his career. As an album of Sixties British RnB it is attractive enough, and quite useful as an indicator of what was happening in general at the time. "Gloria" is, of course, the stand-out track - a sweaty song of adolescent sexual desire which has become a garage classic, much covered, most notably by The Doors and Patti Smith.

Some other albums by British RnB artists released around the same time: The Rolling Stones No 2;  Begin Here (The Zombies);  Animal Tracks (The Animals);  Kinda Kinks (The Kinks); The Pretty Things; Their First LP (The Spencer Davis Group);  For Your Love (The Yardbirds); The Magnificent Moodies (The Moody Blues); and The Hollies.

Conclusion: It's a decent enough album, and worth hearing as Morrison's debut, but it is not essential.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 5

Them Again (1966)
Some of the tracks here are pastoral, pointing ahead to Astral Weeks, otherwise this is a fairly weak album.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 5

Solo


Blowin' Your Mind (1967)

Morrison hates this album as it was made without his knowledge, and due to the contract he signed with Bert Berns he claims he hasn't made any money from it. The single "Brown Eyed Girl" is one of the most played songs on the radio, and for most people is what Morrison is famous for. When I saw him in Rochester Castle Gardens, the audience mostly chatted and drank during the concert until at the end he did "Brown Eyed Girl", then everyone got up and sang and danced. "T.B. Sheets" is a good song, and indicates the direction he would take. 

ReleasedSeptember 1967
Recorded28–29 March 1967
GenreRock, R&B, blue-eyed soul
Length35:32
LabelBang
ProducerBert Berns

Side One
No.TitleLength
1."Brown Eyed Girl"3:03
2."He Ain't Give You None"5:13
3."T.B. Sheets"9:44
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Spanish Rose" 3:06
2."Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)"Wes Farrell, Bert Russell2:57
3."Ro Ro Rosey" 3:03
4."Who Drove the Red Sports Car?" 5:35
5."Midnight Special"Traditional2:51


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6
Score: 6 1/2

The Authorized Bang Collection (2017)

All the tracks Morrison recorded for Bert Berns' Bang Records, which is mostly the stuff on  Blowin' Your Mind (1967) along with alternative takes, but interestingly also includes the contract fulfilling "nonsense songs about ringworms" that he gave to Bang's widow to get out of the unfair contract. I love it.

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9
Score: 6

Astral Weeks (1968)

For nearly a year Morrison wanted to record this material, but Berns wanted less of the art and more of the commercial. They had a stand-off, with Berns refusing to record these songs, and Morrison refusing to do anything else until this material was recorded. When Berns died in Dec 1967, his widow, Ilene Berns, took over Morrison's contract. She blamed Morrison's stubbornness for Berns' heart attack, and used her influence to prevent Morrison from being allowed to record with anyone else or to perform at most venues in America, and almost had Morrison deported.  The contract with Berns, according to Morrison, meant he made little money from it, and he was started to struggle financially. Luckily, Warner Bros was aware of the Bang Records stalemate, and stepped in to take over the contract, as they - like Bert Berns - wanted more of the singer and composer of "Brown Eyed Girl".  A deal was struck in which Warners paid Ilene Berns $20,000, and Morrison had to make three agreements: to record 36 songs for Bang, which Morrison did by recording 36 nonsense revenge songs in the space of  half an hour; to give Bang 50% of the rights of any single released by Morrison for one year, which Morrison fulfilled by not releasing any singles for a year,  and to included two songs under contract to Bang Records on his next album, which Morrison fulfilled by using the titles of two songs under contract, but rewriting the content to suit Astral Weeks style.

This is one of the finest albums ever made. A sublime moment of human creativity and achievement. This is Morrison's first proper solo album, as Blowin' Your Mind was an unofficial release of songs not intended to be released as an album. 

Released29 November 1968
Recorded25 Sep, 1 and 15 October 1968
StudioCentury Sound, New York
GenreFolk jazz, blue-eyed soul
Length47:10
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerLewis Merenstein

Part One: In The Beginning
No.TitleLength
1."Astral Weeks"7:06
2."Beside You"5:16
3."Sweet Thing"4:25
4."Cyprus Avenue"7:00
Part Two: Afterwards
No.TitleLength
1."The Way Young Lovers Do"3:18
2."Madame George"9:45
3."Ballerina"7:03
4."Slim Slow Slider"3:17


Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 10

Moondance (Jan 1970)

Beautiful.

Released27 January 1970
RecordedAugust – September 1969
StudioA & R (New York)
Genre
Length38:14
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerVan Morrison

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."And It Stoned Me"4:30
2."Moondance"4:35
3."Crazy Love"2:34
4."Caravan"4:57
5."Into the Mystic"3:25
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Come Running"2:30
2."These Dreams of You"3:50
3."Brand New Day"5:09
4."Everyone"3:31
5."Glad Tidings"3:13


Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 9 

His Band and the Street Choir  (Nov 1970)

Soulful and beautiful. Proper music. With soul. With feeling. With beautiful melodies.

Released15 November 1970
RecordedMarch–July 1970
StudioA&R in New York City
GenreRhythm and blues
Length41:40
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerVan Morrison

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Domino"3:06
2."Crazy Face"2:56
3."Give Me a Kiss"2:30
4."I've Been Working"3:25
5."Call Me Up in Dreamland"3:52
6."I'll Be Your Lover, Too"3:57
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Blue Money"3:06
2."Virgo Clowns"4:10
3."Gypsy Queen"3:16
4."Sweet Jannie"2:11
5."If I Ever Needed Someone"3:45
6."Street Choir"4:43


Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 7

Tupelo Honey  (1971)

This is "my" Van Morrison album - the first album of Morrison's that I bought, and which I totally fell in love with. Friends to whom I was enthusing then suggested I try Moondance and Astral Weeks, which I did, and I think these three albums form a highly musical and emotional trio of sublime achievement. There are songs on this album that I find intensely beautiful.

All of Morrison's albums have been re-released on CD, apart from this one. Apparently he has claimed that it was originally released without his permission, and that the songs were from different periods. This doesn't really stand up, as we have the recording session information, and the songs all have a similar and related theme regarding his contentment with his then partner. It may be that he is embarrassed that it is such a deeply personal and intimate album of love for someone other than his current partner.....

A number of modern biographers and critics have been looking at this album and reappraising it downwards. Typical of that is Erik Hage who feels that the directness, emotional honesty, and sublime feeling of "You're My Woman" is "some of his worse poetry" and that he can do such tender naked honest emotion "in his sleep" (I think he's confusing the real thing here with with casual performances on later albums) and that it doesn't compare to "Brand New Day" (an obvious Sam Cooke rip-off, performed with professional coldness) or  "I Ever Needed Someone" (an unimaginative and casual gospel piece). For a critic to confuse a rare and unique direct song of intimate love to a partner, with a run of the mill gospel song full of trite clichés or to a Sam Cooke rip-off is rather shoddy. Ho hum.

I think this is the last of Morrison's truly great albums.

Released15 October 1971
RecordedSpring–Summer 1971
StudioWally Heider and Columbia 
Genre Folk rock, blue-eyed soul
Length40:42
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerVan Morrison, Ted Templeman

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Wild Night"3:33
2."(Straight to Your Heart) Like a Cannonball"3:43
3."Old Old Woodstock"4:17
4."Starting a New Life"2:10
5."You're My Woman"6:44
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Tupelo Honey"6:54
2."I Wanna Roo You (Scottish Derivative)"3:27
3."When That Evening Sun Goes Down"3:06
4."Moonshine Whiskey"6:48


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9
Score: 9

Saint Dominic's Preview (1972)

I don't think I've heard this one before. Some of the tracks, yes, but not the complete album. I think this may take me some time to get into. It's a quiet album.  "Jackie Wilson Said" is good, but the rest of the album is not yet impressing me.  I suspect I need to give it more time. 

There are tracks, like "Listen To The Lion", which have an element of the mystical Morrison, though not quite getting there. On the whole this is an impressive album which is well liked critically and commercially, though, for me, holds back a mite from Morrison's top albums. 

ReleasedJuly 1972
Recorded1971–1972
StudioColumbia, Wally Heider 
& Pacific High
GenreFolk rock, R&B, soul
Length41:12
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerTed Templeman,
Van Morrison

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)"2:57
2."Gypsy"4:36
3."I Will Be There"3:01
4."Listen to the Lion"11:07
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Saint Dominic's Preview"6:23
2."Redwood Tree"3:03
3."Almost Independence Day"10:05


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 9
Score: 7

Hard Nose the Highway (1973)

A fairly ambitious album musically, this was taken seriously on release, but critics have been less kind over the years.  This seems to be carrying on the musical expansion shown on Saint Dominic's. It is interesting, though less emotionally successful than previous albums, as though Morrison is concentrating on the music rather than what he wants to express as he did with his first solo albums. On the whole I find the album flat. It's missing the transcendent magic that Morrison achieved during his golden period.

ReleasedAugust 1973
Recorded21–25 August and October 1972
 at Caledonia Studio
GenreFolk rock, R&B, blue-eyed soul
Length42:52
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerVan Morrison

Side one
  1. "Snow in San Anselmo" – 4:33
  2. "Warm Love" – 3:22
  3. "Hard Nose the Highway" – 5:12
  4. "Wild Children" – 4:19
  5. "The Great Deception" – 4:50
Side two
  1. "Bein' Green" (Joe Raposo) – 4:20
  2. "Autumn Song" – 10:34
  3. "Purple Heather" (Traditional) – 5:42


Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 5

It's Too Late To Stop Now  (Feb 1974)

Live album from Morrison's peak live period - recorded between May and June 1973. Totally awesome.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 8 1/2

Veedon Fleece (Oct 1974)

This has been compared to Astral Weeks, largely I suspect because there is a superficial resemblance in the jazzy feel and the gentle tones of the album. It consists partly of left-over songs from Hard Nose,  and while being a very pleasant album, doesn't quite have the poetry, magic, intensity, and breathless beauty of Astral. Though, the more I listen to it, the more it seduces me. Sure, it's not Astral or Moondance or Tupelo, but it clearly comes from the same hand, and belongs this side of the break, because when Morrison returns to recording in 1977, his intensity, passion and soul has gone, and what we are left with is a great singer, and a decent songwriter, but the Celtic magician-poet and seer has melted away.

Released5 October 1974
RecordedNovember 1973 and spring 1974
StudioCaledonia Studios, California and Mercury Studios, New York
GenreFolk jazz[1]
Length47:36
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerVan Morrison

All songs written by Van Morrison

Side one
  1. "Fair Play" – 6:14
  2. "Linden Arden Stole the Highlights" – 2:37
  3. "Who Was That Masked Man" – 2:55
  4. "Streets of Arklow" – 4:22
  5. "You Don't Pull No Punches, but You Don't Push the River" – 8:51
Side two
  1. "Bulbs" – 4:18
  2. "Cul de Sac" – 5:51
  3. "Comfort You" – 4:25
  4. "Come Here My Love" – 2:21
  5. "Country Fair" – 5:42
Bonus tracks (2008 CD reissue)
  1. "Twilight Zone" – 5:48 (alternate take)
  2. "Cul de Sac" – 2:54 (alternate take)

  • Van Morrison – vocal, guitar
  • Ralph Walsh – guitar
  • John Tropea – guitar on "Bulbs" and "Cul de Sac"
  • David Hayes – bass
  • Joe Macho – bass on "Bulbs" and "Cul de Sac"
  • Dahaud Shaar (David Shaw) – drums
  • Allan Schwartzberg – drums on "Bulbs" and "Cul de Sac"
  • Nathan Rubin – violin
  • Terry Adams – cello
  • James Rothermel – flute, recorder
  • Jack Schroer – soprano saxophone
  • James Trumbo – piano
  • Jef Labes – piano on "Bulbs" and "Cul de Sac"

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 6 1/2

Break

Van Morrison is an awkward and troubled person. Painfully shy, he often found it hard to perform live (and sometimes even to perform in the studio with sessions musicians he didn't know, as is the case with Astral Weeks). By the mid Seventies his emotional vulnerability overcame him, and after Veedon Fleece in 1974 he stopped recording and performing. He couldn't write or perform, and after struggling with it for nearly three years he was about to give music up completely, when he was  asked to take part in The Band's farewell concert in November 1976, which became known as The Last Waltz.

He knew the members of The Band. They were friends and neighbours, so he agreed. But when it came time for him to go out on stage nerves got the better of him, and he refused. His manager, the beefy Harvey Goldsmith, physically forced him onto the stage, where he performed this miraculous and joyful version of Caravan.


Gaining confidence from that performance he comes back in 1977. Though, while his music and voice is still good, he'll never again match the transcendental quality of the material he made up to 1974.

A Period of Transition (1977) 

Mostly happy go lucky songs. The mystic appears to have left Morrison. These are pleasant songs, but there is little real depth of soul or passion as we get from classic period Morrison albums. Having said that, "The Eternal Kansas City" is a more than acceptable track, and overall the standard is perhaps a tad more soulful than the average folk rock album. But this is not a classic album, nor is it one that I wish to return to, especially with so much good stuff from the classic period. But it's an easy and pleasant listen when it's playing. 

ReleasedApril 1977
RecordedAutumn 1976 – early winter 1977
GenreFolk rock, R&B, Funk, blues
Length33:50
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerVan Morrison, Dr. John

All songs written by Van Morrison unless noted.

Side one
  1. "You Gotta Make It Through the World"  – 5:10
  2. "It Fills You Up"  – 4:34
  3. "The Eternal Kansas City"  – 5:26
Side two
  1. "Joyous Sound"  – 2:48
  2. "Flamingos Fly"  – 4:41
  3. "Heavy Connection"  – 5:23
  4. "Cold Wind in August"  – 5:48


Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 5

Wavelength (1978)

This initially struck me as: "a modest album, but as its quite poppy it sold well". But then I started to get into it. It's very comfy. Very appealing. It's the commercial side of Morrison, for sure, but it does have elements of the mystical Celtic soul which is the essence of good Morrison.  The more I listen to this the more I like it. Yes, on first listen there is a smooth glossy pop feel which can be off-putting, and it makes some of the typical Morrison moments feel affected and false, but I think this is simply Morrison being happy and upbeat, something we don't associate with his more meaningful works, so it gives an impression of being throwaway, which is unfair and untrue. This is a lovely, well crafted, bright, and beautiful album. A great marriage of pop and Celtic soul. 
Morrison has said that this album isn't really him, while the next one, Into The Music, is more what he's about. 


ReleasedSeptember 1978
RecordedSpring 1978
GenrePop rock, R&B
Length49:32
LabelWarner Bros. (original release)
ProducerVan Morrison

All songs written by Van Morrison except where noted.

Side one
  1. "Kingdom Hall" – 5:59
  2. "Checkin' It Out" – 3:29
  3. "Natalia" – 4:04
  4. "Venice U.S.A." – 6:32
  5. "Lifetimes" – 4:15
Side two
  1. "Wavelength" – 5:44
  2. "Santa Fe/Beautiful Obsession" (Jackie DeShannon/Morrison) – 7:04
  3. "Hungry for Your Love" – 3:45
  4. "Take It Where You Find It" – 8:40
Remastered CD reissue (2008)

Recorded live at the Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, on 26 November 1978:

  1. "Kingdom Hall"  – 6:05
  2. "Wavelength" – 6:07

  • Van Morrison – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes, alto saxophone, backing vocals
  • Bobby Tench – electric guitar, backing vocals
  • Herbie Armstrong – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Mitch Dalton – Spanish guitar ("Take It Where You Find It")
  • Mickey Feat – bass guitar
  • Kuma Harada – bass ("Santa Fe/Beautiful Obsession" and "Take It Where You Find It")
  • Peter Bardens – keyboards, synthesizer
  • Garth Hudson – Hammond organ, synthesizer, accordion
  • Ginger Blake – backing vocals
  • Laura Creamer – backing vocals
  • Linda Dillard – backing vocals
  • Peter Van Hooke – drums

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 7 

Into The Music (1979)

While this is not exactly a return to Morrison's creative peak, the songs here are among the best and most approachable he's done since 1972 - they are honest, emotional, poppy, and melodic. There was some enthusiasm among critics for the album which seems a little misplaced, but understandable. This is not one of Morrison's great albums, but it's better than most, and at moments he really gets oh so very close to what he achieved at his peak. "And The Healing Has Begun" is kinda special. Yes. This is not bad at all.  Morrison felt this album was more what he was about than the previous one. It's certainly drier and less light. I think I prefer the poppier, lighter one. 


ReleasedAugust 1979
RecordedEarly 1979
StudioRecord Plant, Sausalito
GenreRhythm and blues, rock and roll, Gaelic music
Length49:30
LabelMercury
ProducerVan Morrison, Mick Glossop

All songs written by Van Morrison, unless noted.

Side one
  1. "Bright Side of the Road" – 3:47
  2. "Full Force Gale" – 3:14
  3. "Steppin' Out Queen" – 5:28
  4. "Troubadours" – 4:41
  5. "Rolling Hills" – 2:53
  6. "You Make Me Feel So Free" – 4:09
Side two
  1. "Angeliou" – 6:48
  2. "And the Healing Has Begun" – 7:59
  3. "It's All in the Game" (Charles Dawes, Carl Sigman) – 4:39
  4. "You Know What They're Writing About" – 6:10
2008 Compact Disc bonus tracks
  1. "Steppin' Out Queen" (Alternate take) – 7:00
  2. "Troubadours" (Alternate take) – 5:30


Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 6 1/2

Common One (1980)

This is when Morrison moves into jazz. Not really my thing. It's a proper album from a proper serious musician and needs to be treated with respect, but it's too solemn for me. Though I can see places where it might be transcendent, and parts reminiscent of earlier work, it does largely miss the mark for me.  Morrison has said that this is his favourite album. Well, actually, it is rather good - it just needs time to work its magic. 



ReleasedAugust 1980
Recorded11–19 February 1980
StudioSuper Bear Studios
GenreR&B,[1] jazz fusion
Length55:01
Label
ProducerVan Morrison

All songs written by Van Morrison.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Haunts of Ancient Peace"7:07
2."Summertime in England"15:35
3."Satisfied"6:01
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Wild Honey"5:49
2."Spirit"5:10
3."When Heart Is Open"15:05
Bonus tracks (2008 CD reissue)
  1. "Haunts of Ancient Peace" – 7:44 (alternate take)
  2. "When Heart Is Open" – 7:43 (alternate take)


Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

Beautiful Vision (1982)

Morrison has such a great voice, and a real way of singing with swing and style, that he could sing a McDonald's menu and make it transcendent, but this is fairly dull and plodding, like he's just going through the motions. This is music a considerable distance from his creative peak. As it is Morrison it's listenable, but it never soars, and it never takes me away.  
Essentially these are well crafted and pleasant pop songs; they are not transcendental, but perhaps we expect too much of Morrison. It's an attractive album. The stand out track is "Cleaning Windows". 


Released16 February 1982
RecordedMay–summer 1981
StudioThe Record Plant
Sausalito, CA
GenreCeltic folk, jazz, rock, rhythm and blues
Length45:31
LabelMercury 
ProducerVan Morrison

All tracks are written by Van Morrison, except as indicated.

Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Celtic Ray"  4:11
2."Northern Muse (Solid Ground)"  4:05
3."Dweller on the Threshold"Van Morrison/Hugh MurphyVan Morrison4:49
4."Beautiful Vision"  4:08
5."She Gives Me Religion"  4:33
Total length:21:46
Side two
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Cleaning Windows"  4:43
2."Vanlose Stairway"  4:10
3."Aryan Mist"Van Morrison/Hugh MurphyVan Morrison4:00
4."Across the Bridge Where Angels Dwell"Van Morrison/Hugh MurphyVan Morrison4:31
5."Scandinavia"  6:41
Total length:24:05


Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

Inarticulate Speech of the Heart (1983)

Some throwaway songs and instrumentals.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast (1984)

OK. Some good moments, but not an essential album. The proper live album is Too Late To Stop Now

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

A Sense of Wonder (1984)

Odd album. Sounds like Morrison, and there are moments which are quite intriguing, indicating that the man still has a strong creative awareness and drive, but there's that typical Eighties production, drums forward, smooth production values taking the edge off everything, and a general lack of passion and involvement which makes the core Morrison albums so transcendental. Let The Slave is curious, but there's a lot of poor songs, making the whole fairly tedious.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986)

Critics felt this was a return to form, and his best album of the Eighties. It has some merit, but it is not in the same class as the albums of Morrison's peak period.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 5 1/2

Poetic Champions Compose (1987)

Poor stuff. I like the do-wops at the end of "Queen Of The Slipstream"; "Alan Watts Blues" is a decent piece both lyrically and musically, but most of this album is very weak, "Give Me My Rapture" sounds like a track  from some budget Christian album - unbelievable that it could be by the same guy who made Astral Weeks, Moondance, and Tupelo Honey.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

Irish Heartbeat (1988)

Morrison and The Chieftains singing traditional Irish folk songs. It sounds like The Chieftains with a bit of Morrison's beautiful voice. This is not a Morrison album.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

Avalon Sunset (1989)

Each to their own, but it seems such a waste of Morrison's creative talent and beautiful voice to waste it on trivial Christian songs like this. This is a throwaway album, the lyrics are embarrassing, and the music is the crudest and most trivial I've yet heard from Morrison. But, given Morrison's talent, this album is still better than most. Morrison's worse album is better than many folk's best.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

Enlightenment (1990)

Listenable, but not much going on here.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

Hymns to the Silence (1991)

More of the same.

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score:

Too Long In Exile (1993)

Something of a hodge-podge. Some listenable material, some mildly interesting. Morrison definitely has a talent, but this is just too casual and directionless to be considered a serious album.

Wikipedia
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A Night in San Francisco (1994)

Live album. I didn't have much patience with this. Mostly messy, totally unengaged, There are special guests, which means even more loss of focus. This is more about the spectacle of Van Morrison than the art and craft of Van Morrison. It sucks. This is probably about as far as you can get from the commitment and artistic passion of Astral Weeks as it is possible to get.

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Days Like This (1995)

Another album that critics hailed as "a return to form", which I now understand means "this sounds a bit like what Morrison sounded like when he was actually good".  This is not a return to form. It's Morrison lazily going through the motions with songs that lack commitment, but sound pleasantly poppy and familiar.

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How Long Has This Been Going On (1995)

Morrison has flirted with jazz throughout his career. His two main music sources have been RnB and jazz, and he has combined those with elements of folk, pop, and soul (which has been termed "Celtic soul") to great effect. Now and again he has isolated out the jazz, and it has been fairly ordinary. I can understand that is he has an interest in a form of music that he would like to explore it more fully now and again, but when he does he goes so far away from what makes him special that the result is very pedestrian. This is a collaboration with Georgie Fame. It's not a Morrison album, and should not be listed in his oeuvre, even as a failure, because there is nothing recognisably Morrison about this. Think late 50s early 60s pop-bop, and that's what you get. It's dribble.

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Tell Me Something:
The Songs of Mose Allison (1996)

While Morrison has a beautiful voice, it can be wasted at times. Here he attempts to cover jazz compositions by Mose Allison, assisted by the limited talents of his favourite jazz collaborator Georgie Fame, and the mess stinks to high heaven.

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The Healing Game (1997)

A little tougher, grittier and more rounded than previous Morrison material. Seems he is maturing into old age nicely, same as a number of other older artists have done. It's still a fairly modest album compared to his early Seventies output, but this is perhaps his first album since those days that you can at least take seriously as a genuine creative work rather than just another annual album release.

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The Philosopher's Stone (1998)

A gathering together of unreleased tracks from Morrison's career, a la Dylan's Bootleg Series. This is, as such, strictly for the fans. There's a mix of good stuff, OK stuff, and not so good stuff. It's not an essential album, just a curiosity. The tracks would be better off being put as bonus tracks on the appropriate albums.

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Back On Top (1999)

Another annual release.  Pleasant moments, but nothing essential - the best track, "Leaves Falling Down", is like a Van Morrison by numbers - you can hear it's a Morrison track, but its smulchy rather than profound, and just marks the contrast between his creative period in the early Seventies, and pretty much everything he has done since he returned from the three year break.

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The Skiffle Sessions
Live in Belfast 1998 (2000)

Nah!

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You Win Again (2000)

Nah again!

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Down The Road (2002)

This album at least sounds like Morrison, unlike the previous two, but is otherwise more of the usual.

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What's Wrong with This Picture? (2003)

Old fashioned jazzy blues. Mostly superficial stuff. Likeable, but this could be anyone - though "Fame" is a good song, and is more recognisably Morrison.

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Magic Time (2005)

While Morrison hasn't really been truly transcendental since the early Seventies, he's rarely made a bad album. He has such a beautiful voice, and a great feel for the music, that even albums I moan about are above average output. This is a good example of Morrison putting out what is essentially a run of the mill album for him, but is quite attractive and listenable.

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Pay The Devil (2006)

Country & Western covers.

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Keep It Simple (2008)

A modest album.

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Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl (2009)

I saw the Albert Hall version, as with this concert, there were moments when Morrison really cooked, but what these concerts kinda proved is that the original album was a perfect moment in time. It wasn't just the songs, nor even the performers. It was them plus something intangible that folks have tried to analyse and pin down over the years, but always sort of slips away. It was late in the evening. Morrison didn't explain what he wanted. Morrison was nervous. There was an emotional and creative atmosphere in the studio that came out of the unique circumstances. Pure magic was recorded. Something rare and special. This album is rather some way from that magic. Yes, it's listenable, because the songs and the performers are good. But what made Astral Weeks one of the best albums ever made, and a pinnacle in human artistic achievement, is not present here.

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Born to Sing: No Plan B (2012)

More pleasant stuff.

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Duets: Re-working the Catalogue (2015)

A range of duets covering songs from different stages in Morrison's career. Pleasant nonsense. Totally non-essential.

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Keep Me Singing (2016)

The voice is going.....

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Roll With The Punches (2017)

Mostly covers.

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Discography



Albums ranked

1)  Astral Weeks (1968)   39 2
2)  Moondance (1970)  24 4
3)  Saint Dominic's Preview (1971) 15 1
4)  Veedon Fleece (1974)  13
5)  Tupelo Honey (1971) 11 1
6)  Into The Music (1979)  11 3
7)  His Band And The Street Choir  (1970)  4
8)  It's Too Late To Stop Now (1974)  4
9)  Beautiful Vision (1982)  2 1
10) No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986)   2

  Blowin' Your Mind (1967)  1
  Wavelength    1 1
  Live At The Grand Opera House Belfast (1984)   1
  Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (1983)  1
  The Healing Game (1997)   1 
  Too Long In Exile 
  Avalon Sunset  1 
  Hymns To The Silence  
  Poetic Champions Compose 

Sources:
* Rolling Stone
* VMPlease
* Stereogum
* BestEverAlbums
* GoldMine
* ARBlog
* Nerve
* Ranker
* ClassicRockHistory 


Links


* The Great Albums 1
* The Great Albums 2
* The Great Albums 3
* The Great Albums 4

* Wilson & Alroy
* sfloman
* Adrian
* Hoffman Forum: "Did Morrison Ever make a bad Album?"
* Uncut "Stories Behind Morrison's 10 Best Albums"
* Vice - Guide 
* Album Reviews 



***





Jan 2020: 561

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