03-July-07 Montreal Concert Review

The Gazette (Montreal): Van Morrison improves with age

Sam Cooke and Ray Charles covers among best received

During a dreamy version of Stranded during Van Morrison's sold-out show at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts last night, steel guitar player Sarah Jory playfully quoted the 1959 hit Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny.

It was a perfect moment of musical irony, because the mercurial Morrison refuses to sleepwalk his way through a safe set of hits, as so many of his contemporaries do.

When he last played here in 1986, some screamed betrayal when they got only Moondance from the Van 101 catalogue.

Last night, he exhumed Moondance again, but garage-band masterwork Gloria was the only other number in the 18-song set that would be known to the fairweather follower - unless you count what fans jokingly refer to as the Vegas version of Have I Told You Lately.

This time, however, it was delight - not disappointment - from a crowd that seemed completely on board with a set that was heavy on recent material and classic blues covers. In fact, Precious Time, a bouncy Sam Cooke-influenced song from the 1999 album Back On Top, was among the best received - as were superb covers of Georgia On My Mind and I Can't Stop Loving You.

If you're going to take on Ray Charles, you'd better know what you're doing - and Morrison, a truly great singer who seems to improve with age, clearly does. The man thought to be a curmudgeon even seemed to be having fun with his 10-member band, directing the soloists with a pointed finger, a meaningful glance or a fist on the downswing.

When the Belfast Cowboy began to wind things down with the Celtic-flavoured beauty, And the Healing Has Begun, he could have been referring to the audience love he missed out on last time: when the clock stopped ticking, it seems we got 15 minutes more than the 90 he's reportedly been sticking to in other cities.
-BERNARD PERUSSE

National Post:
At the midpoint of the festival, jazz fatigue can start to set in. Mindful of this, organizers legislated a day of relative rest on Tuesday, and the rest of the fest is lighter on heavy-hitting jazz cats but heavier on what should be impressive outdoor shows featuring acts from around the world.

Before venturing into the fresh air, there’s time for one hotly-tipped indoor event: a concert at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier by Van Morrison.

It’s been 21 years since the Belfast Cowboy’s last appearance at the festival, where he was apparently subject to audience hostility for playing an obscurity-laden set. This time out, he and his 10-piece band offer up some old chestnuts, although a number of them aren’t his. “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Georgia on My Mind” and Sam Cooke’s “Precious Time” are wheeled out in agreeable but drowsy versions; by the time he sings his own oft-covered “Have I Told You Lately,” Morrison might as well be a karaoke version of himself, playing someone’s wedding for an astronomical fee.

Thankfully, he is in great voice, singing with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of soul, treating us to some scat singing which makes liberal use of the syllable “blub,” and inexplicably — but amusingly — ‘baaaa’-ing like a sheep. Morrison occasionally draws out some ballsier songs, although these also tend to be covers (the blues standard “St. James Infirmary,” Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me”).

We do get an encore rendition of the famous rocker “Gloria,” but delivered at a measured pace. Onstage, the man with a reputation for being a cantankerous curmudgeon seems content, even consenting to thank the crowd after many numbers, and — gasp! — playing past the 90 minutes he regularly stipulates in his contracts. It’s a shame, then, that he doesn’t delve farther into his extensive back catalogue, and that the most recent of his own songs that he pulls out, “Playhouse,” is a bog-standard countrified blues number. At 61, Morrison isn’t yet ready for his senior citizens’ card, but artistically, it sounds as though he’s put himself out to the pasture he used to evoke on ambitious albums such as Astral Weeks and Veedon Fleece. Still, the vast majority of the crowd is smiling, and if they feel they’ve spent their $150 wisely, why complain?

Just outside the theatre, a free concert is about to begin, and Seun Kuti, leading his late father Fela’s afrobeat band Egypt 80, is determined to keep all 100,000 people who’ve gathered on the Rue St. Catherine grooving. It may not be a wonderful night for a moondance, but the rain is holding off. All the better because the festival, known for its outdoor “Grand Spectacles,” has outdone itself here: Kuti’s large and unstoppably funky band is accompanied by dancers on side stages, huge projections of animated images on buildings, and fireworks at the finale which surround the by now heaving throng.

Very few artists have managed to marry political consciousness and celebration like the Kuti clan, and with Egypt 80, the interlocking grooves and the wildly energetic dancing aren’t so much a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down as they are an inseparable part of the message. So just as Kuti sings his and his father’s songs about poverty and corruption, he’s not hectoring us or pleading, but positing a better, more communal approach to life that is echoed by the response of the huge crowd of varying ages, races, and — presumably — economic backgrounds outside.

Kuti isn’t just offering us a vision of a better life; he’s giving us one, if only for a couple of hours.

-Mike Doherty


La page à Maple Pat:
(Translated via Le Google)

It is done. I can say that I saw Van Morrison in spectacle at least once in my life and what a time! My ticket was expensive to me, but I do not regret it. In spite of about sixty, Van Morrison always sings with his trippes. Some say it cold with the public, but Van forever carried to open with the public, to fill it of merit etc, but I call not that of the coldness. If it were cold, it would not be delivered with as much energy in its songs, because it does not only make be satisfied to sing. It emanates from this man one will have quasi mystical. Van the man is like a demigod. Stubborn person, it always was it. Also reserved, but speak me about a singer as Van who does not balance us bullshit like: “You' Re the greatest crowd in the world” (say in front of all public world by certain singers). No escapades of Diva in lack of attention which requires full Perrier water the cabin or a toilet out of gold. Van delivers the goods with quasi a perfection, known as: Thank you Montreal” and then from goes away. Thank you very much good evening. No the tears as Marie-Chantal Toupin who Braille with each time it sings with the regattas of Valleyfield (but it is a woman and the women are more sensitive hahaha). At once left scene, it turns over to its life intimates and will pass in the newspapers of the following day for the quality of its service and not for stories of excess and abuse all kinds. Van Morrison is a singer who does not have anything any more to prove. It is liked or it is not liked. This type always knew well to be surrounded musicians of quality. A good chemistry, an always perfect play. In more the sound was very good. Small Difficulty: On the majority of the songs sung by Van, I knew only 7 of them… Before qualifying me false fan, let explain you to me. Van Morrison endisqué about thirty discs and writes at least a hundred songs. That does not make a long time that I discovered this singer and I was only interested that in his touts beginnings. That however did not prevent me from discovering beautiful songs. Therefore, I had a superb evening and when I listen to Van Morrison on my radio, I can finally say that I saw this man for truth!

And here's Rory's Review:

The Montreal audience was very appreciative and showed Van the love throughout the show and I think Van was feeling it. Several times in the show he was laughing and playing with the songs a bit. Bouncing on his toes during All Work And No Play, really pounding out the "no peace" during Georgia, spraying out saliva during St. James Infirmary (sounds gross, but he was into the moment.) He still has conflicts with the rhythm section and he is giving them constant feedback - they simply don't do a good job reading him.

John Allair earned his "Showboat" moniker tonight. He had the greatest number of solos and took full advantage of it giving us several one handed, up off the seat demonstrations, even giving us the Rock-n-Roll Finger during Talk Is Cheap. Sarah Jory was a treat. John Platania got plenty of play, but I think he needs to spend more time with the band in order to make a significant contribution. Tony Fitzbiggons picked at his violin for a solo during Help Me - entertaining for sure.

For performances, the highlights for me were Georgia ("No PEACE!!"), Blue & Green (was this the first time played live?), and And The Healing Has Begun (lots of backstreet jelly rolls). We got a full 102 minutes from Van tonight, even getting a second encore with Gloria. The entire crowd on its feet, singing right along with Van.

Overall rating - 7. A good, satisfied 7. Worth the trip for sure.

I shot two video clips - Blue And Green as well as And The Healing Has Begun. I'll try to get them up shortly, of course with the usual disclaimers on quality. :-)

The pre-show meetup was top notch and I finally met the Bells of Tennessee, Mary and Don (or is that Don and Mary?). Mike and his wife Judy from Maryland, Phil from Virginia, Tony from Ottawa, Bill from New Jersey, Bob's friend Ray, Bob's son Benjamin (and Benjamin's friend - sorry that is one name that escapes me at the moment), Dan, Shannon, and our host Bob.
Sorry if I forgot anyone or got a name incorrect. I need to take notes like I do at the show itself!

Best,
Rory

Le Setlist:
Train Kept A Rollin' [Ned Edwards]
All Saints Day
All Work And No Play
Magic Time
Raincheck
Back On Top
Stranded
Have I Told You Lately
Talk Is Cheap
Georgia
Playhouse
I Can't Stop Loving You
Moondance
Blue And Green
St. James Infirmary
Precious Time
And The Healing Has Begun
Help Me
Gloria