er.. is exquisite*
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Wednesday, 19 July 2017 12:18 (six years ago) link
y'all...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMf-0OuUy9k
― campreverb, Thursday, 20 July 2017 03:36 (six years ago) link
One of my very favorite songs of his is Wonderful Remark, from the King of Comedy film and his ubiquitous greatest hits CD from the late 80s.
There's a longer version of Wonderful Remark on the Philosopher's Stone compilation, but IMHO you can't beat the 80s one.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 20 July 2017 13:27 (six years ago) link
that was a wonderful remark kornrulez
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 20 July 2017 13:35 (six years ago) link
Circa 1991, I taped (off the radio) a King Biscuit live show from the Wavelength era. It was among my very favorite tapes. An aging boombox ate it for lunch a few years later. Nowadays, when I chance to hear anything from that album, I mourn for that lost cassette. I don't know if it's available and I confess I haven't looked much. But I recall that "Wavelength," "Kingdom Hall," and "Checkin' It Out" were uberclassic in that performance.
― leave your emu at the door (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 20 July 2017 13:40 (six years ago) link
"Wonderful Remark" is essential imo.
so is "Cleaning Windows."
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 20 July 2017 13:41 (six years ago) link
Question for Van heads: in that lost live "Wavelength" he does this thing of calling out random numbers, to immense crowd satisfaction. I never knew what was going on.
One can hear this also in "Cleaning Windows." Does it refer, like, to specific horn breaks? Seats in the audience? WTF?
― leave your emu at the door (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 20 July 2017 13:44 (six years ago) link
Okay I figgered out that I was thinking of the long interlude in "Caravan" from this Bottom Line show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApC0ZnMpWhc
Listen at 54:20 or so. There's a bunch of ad lib and some numbers and I... still don't get it. Surely this is A Thing.
― leave your emu at the door (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 20 July 2017 14:06 (six years ago) link
I love this one, horn parts at the end are sublime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ln-H2HV6o0
― Well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Thursday, 20 July 2017 14:09 (six years ago) link
^^^ yep
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 20 July 2017 14:12 (six years ago) link
i have no idea how i'm going to do this
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 20 July 2017 15:06 (six years ago) link
Every time you find yet another '90s album in your collection, take a shot.
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 20 July 2017 15:10 (six years ago) link
hymns to the silence is wonderful if a little uneven. even a sense of wonder which imo is prob his least good '80s record has the really lovely title track
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 20 July 2017 15:26 (six years ago) link
Another 80s tune to check out: Higher Than The World.
This is going to be a fascinating poll. Prob lots of tunes that make it onto the countdown with only a few votes.
― that's not my post, Thursday, 20 July 2017 16:26 (six years ago) link
i really love this little tribute to van's san francisco of the mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxB2Gbkv-mo
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 20 July 2017 16:28 (six years ago) link
"A Period of Transition" is unfairly maligned. This tune is so classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riqzRE6St_8
― Well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Thursday, 20 July 2017 17:37 (six years ago) link
Yes. I don't think we're going to get a ton of ballots for this.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 20 July 2017 19:58 (six years ago) link
I'll just set up a few sock accounts and "want a danish" is going to run the table.
― JoeStork, Thursday, 20 July 2017 20:52 (six years ago) link
Also it's been ages since I've heard the 80's version but my recollection is that the Philosopher's Stone "Wonderful Remark" wipes the floor with the rerecording.
― JoeStork, Thursday, 20 July 2017 20:59 (six years ago) link
I can see by the look on your face.....thats you've got ring worm
― Well bissogled trotters (Michael B), Thursday, 20 July 2017 21:01 (six years ago) link
It's a very common disease.
― JoeStork, Thursday, 20 July 2017 21:08 (six years ago) link
if anyone needs a guide to the '80s and early '90s van records i wrote one a few years ago http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/astral-years-a-seekers-guide-to-van-morrison-in-the-80-1700003646🕸
Excellent piece brad
― wtev, Friday, 21 July 2017 05:57 (six years ago) link
Thanks, that's a fantastic blog. Van's 80s were better than he gets credit for. How about the 90s? The Healing Game is good, but I haven't heard much else.
I'll have to dig out the recording of his Glastonbury set in 86 which I saw. Some great performances: no guru, full force gale, iirc summertime in England
― wtev, Friday, 21 July 2017 06:01 (six years ago) link
"Have I Told You Lately" is lazy writing but I LOVE "Why Must I Always Explain."
― leave your emu at the door (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 21 July 2017 14:31 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTN06FiglEE
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Friday, 21 July 2017 18:53 (six years ago) link
sorry i thought the thread needed more high kicks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdZLTnRnHs8
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Friday, 21 July 2017 18:55 (six years ago) link
Fully intend to vote in this - I'm a fairly casual fan but I'm slowly going through Brad's '80s picks and the stuff mentioned here, already discovered some great songs (some of which are not at all what I'd expect from any era of Van Morrison).
― Gavin, Leeds, Friday, 21 July 2017 19:53 (six years ago) link
Found the 87 Glastonbury recording. Awesome.
― wtev, Friday, 21 July 2017 20:14 (six years ago) link
Lots of great live Van up on YouTube. Here are a few full concerts.
Montreaux 1980Winterland 1974Pacific High Studio 1971Ulster Hall with the Chieftains 1988
― that's not my post, Friday, 21 July 2017 23:25 (six years ago) link
Hope everyone had a great weekend listening to plenty of Van.
― kornrulez6969, Monday, 24 July 2017 16:48 (six years ago) link
A couple of 60s deep cuts to consider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRH8M-VyFHs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNaMbru1dQ0
― that's not my post, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 04:23 (six years ago) link
So how about this one off No Guru? Love the stripped down version he did for the One Irish Rover doc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtqB6JSiHNg
― that's not my post, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 04:53 (six years ago) link
i'm currently trying to figure out which live version of caravan i should vote number one
― Many men scream death (voodoo chili), Wednesday, 26 July 2017 04:57 (six years ago) link
The Bottom Line one, of course. He says "radio" as "rajjo" and it's like eight minutes long (but I still don't get the bit with calling out random numbers).
― okapi paste (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 26 July 2017 10:59 (six years ago) link
Submitted for your approval, Caledonia Soul Music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1ecN3rOoFQ&list=RDb1ecN3rOoFQ#t=825
― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 13:43 (six years ago) link
Montreux 80 is ill
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 26 July 2017 15:06 (six years ago) link
i have listened to this dude's discography to near completion a few times and i have noooo idea how to assemble this ballot
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 July 2017 11:44 (six years ago) link
gonna rep for a song he never officially recorded but played live a lot, and which finally appeared on an official van release (the it's too late box) last year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lXQn5AbNcw
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 July 2017 11:46 (six years ago) link
an amazing song that's sorta buried in the middle of tupelo honey is "you're my woman"
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 July 2017 12:07 (six years ago) link
and hard nose the highway gets a bad rep bc of it's really aimless second side but "snow in san anselmo" "warm love" and the title track is the strongest opening of... any van record, i think (moondance and veedon fleece prob rival it)
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 July 2017 12:10 (six years ago) link
"Warm Love" is on the comp, no?
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 27 July 2017 12:16 (six years ago) link
It's ever-present everywhere.
― okapi paste (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 27 July 2017 12:17 (six years ago) link
Duh.
― okapi paste (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 27 July 2017 12:18 (six years ago) link
lol
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 July 2017 13:30 (six years ago) link
my brother and i were cracking up over Van's passionate delivery of "WHO'S YOUR SPONSOR!!??" on "I Paid The Price" recently
― tylerw, Thursday, 27 July 2017 14:21 (six years ago) link
I think I'm just going to send a top 5 covers list along with my ballot. He recorded too much good stuff to cram into a top 30. I mean he even did an awesome cover of Bein' Green.
― that's not my post, Thursday, 27 July 2017 15:26 (six years ago) link
^live version that is.
― that's not my post, Thursday, 27 July 2017 15:31 (six years ago) link
falling in love with all these albums all over again.
the way that young lovers do >>>
― Many men scream death (voodoo chili), Thursday, 27 July 2017 20:08 (six years ago) link
Reminder to vote. We're on a record pace with ballots but we need to keep the momentum going.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 27 July 2017 20:19 (six years ago) link
a period of transition is still....not great. wavelength always surprises me at first though bc i loooooooove "kingdom hall"
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Friday, 28 July 2017 03:27 (six years ago) link
Sorry my earlier post was written while I was listening to summertime in England. /a man who comes through/
― wtev, Thursday, 3 August 2017 15:10 (six years ago) link
OK so we are done.
22 ballots.16 albums.154 songs.Lots of surprises to come.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 3 August 2017 15:26 (six years ago) link
Yes!
― wtev, Thursday, 3 August 2017 15:31 (six years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/fg8RYPw.jpg
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 3 August 2017 15:33 (six years ago) link
Just testing that out. Apologies for the crude art direction.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 3 August 2017 15:35 (six years ago) link
Linden Arden POLL the Highlights--ILM Van Morrison Poll Results
― sleeve, Thursday, 3 August 2017 16:11 (six years ago) link