Irish Times: Top 40 Irish Albums

Van shows up three times in this list. Below are the top 10. See link below for entire list.

The top 40 Irish albums
1 MY BLOODY VALENTINE: LOVELESS
2 U2: ACHTUNG BABY
3 A HOUSE: I AM THE GREATEST
4 THE RADIATORS: GHOSTOWN
5 VAN MORRISON: ASTRAL WEEKS
6 MICRODISNEY: THE CLOCK COMES DOWN THE STAIRS
7 ROLLERSKATE SKINNY: HORSEDRAWN WISHES
8 THE POGUES: RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH
9 THE UNDERTONES: THE UNDERTONES
10 WHIPPING BOY: HEARTWORM

5 VAN MORRISON: ASTRAL WEEKS (1968) Morrison's debut album proper (his record label had put out the mediocre Blowin' Your Mind to cash in on the success of Brown Eyed Girl) was different from everything around it, and different from anything he recorded over the following 40 years.

A pastoral, soul-jazz song cycle, Astral Weeks evoked a spirit of nostalgia for a Northern Ireland that probably only ever existed in Morrison's fevered imagination. He was already an exile, both emotionally and physically, and Astral Weeks was a sort of homecoming, taking him back to his roots in Belfast, and incongruously blending in visions of sandy beaches, California sunshine and decadent, burlesque nightlife.

Legend has it that Van didn't speak to any of the session musicians during the recording, and much of it was improvised; there's certainly a sense of a man alone amid the upright bass lines, skittering flutes and swaying violins. The album didn't sell well initially, but has grown in stature, and is now considered Morrison's inadvertent masterpiece.

What happened next? Subsequent albums Moondance, Tupelo Honey, Saint Dominic's Preview and Hard Nose the Highway established Morrison as a musical giant, but critics just keep going back to Astral Weeks.
-Kevin Courtney

26 VAN MORRISON: MOONDANCE How do you follow Astral Weeks? For Van, there was no pressure, because Astral Weeks had hardly registered with the music-buying public, and its critical canonisation was still years away. Morrison was disappointed with the album's sales, and he determined that his next release would be a more accessible affair. The title track was a sensual, romantic jazz tune, and Into The Mystic kept faith with the spiritual yearning of Astral Weeks.

What happened next? The critics finally caught up with the Belfast Cowboy, hailing him as a visionary and the finest white soul singer of his generation.
-KC

30 VAN MORRISON: IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW (1974) Recorded at 1973 shows in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and London, It's Too Late to Stop Now captures Van at a soul-jazz peak, a performer sure of what he's doing and what he's capable of producing. A lot of the panache and passion on this album can be attributed to the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, one of the finest bands the Belfast Cowboy has ever shared a stage with.

What happened next? The album was released in 1974, by which time he had also released the poorly received Hard Nose The Highway and the excellent Veedon Fleece.
-JC

Discuss this list at the On The Record blog.

Glen Hansard: Oscar Winner & Van Fan

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won an Oscar for the song Falling Slowly from the film Once.
Glen is a huge Van fan and related his story on the first time he met Van to the BBC. Listen here.

New DVD: Van Morrison - Under Review: 1964-1974

Note: This dvd is part of the Under Review series which also has included documentaries on Neil Young and Leonard Cohen. These dvds are basically rock journalists discussing the artist's albums and giving their opinion on them. There is very little in terms of concert footage.

Van Morrison - Under Review: 1964-1974 is a 2 hour documentary film which covers this extraordinary musician and performer's music during that period. From the formation of Them, through Van's classic solo period - taking in albums such as Astral Weeks, Moondance, St. Dominic's Preview, Tupelo Honey, Veedon Fleece and It's Too Late To Stop Now - this was a time of quite startling creativity in a musical career that has rarely failed to delight fans and critics alike. This program looks again at these records, and the man who made them, and in doing so provides the most enlightening, revealing and entertaining Van Morrison documentary yet to emerge. Features include rare and classic Van Morrison performances re-assessed by a panel of esteemed experts, rare interviews, seldom seen footage, and unusual photographs from the period. Also included is footage of and comment on Morrison's most notable musical influences, as well as live and studio recordings of Van Morrison classics. Run time is 109 mins.

Track Listing/Features:
* Gloria
* Brown Eyed Girl
* Cyprus Avenue
* Madame George
* Moondance
* And It Stoned Me
* Domino
* Caravan
* Jackie Wilson Said
* Tupelo Honey
* Wild Night
* + many others

Bonus Materials:
* Meet the Panel - Full Contributor Biographies
* The Interactive Van Morrison Challenge
* Extended Interviews
* Beyond DVD

Want Tickets To See Van To Play Intimate Concert in London?

Check out Van's website for information on how to apply for tickets to see Van perform new material from his new album, Keep It Simple, on Tuesday 12-Feb-08 at the intimate BBC Radio Theatre in London.

Castellón Concerts Postponed

thinkspain:
Chest cold forces Van Morrison to postpone Castellón dates

A heavy chest cold has forced Van Morrison to postpone two dates at the Auditori i Palau de Congressos in Castellón scheduled for this Thursday and Friday (31st January and 1st February).

Fans are informed that they can either apply for cash refunds or replacement tickets at point of sale once the new dates are confirmed.

Organisers have confirmed that the Irish singer-songwriter has been diagnosed with a serious chest and throat infection that also seems likely to force him to pull out of a number of other dates on his current European tour.
-thinkSPAIN

Update (from Van's website):
Van has had to postpone a couple of dates this Thurs and Friday at the Auditorio De Castellon in Spain due to a nasty chest and throat infection.
These dates are reschduled for 21 and 22 June or ticket holders contact promoter for refund.

25-Jan-08 Sheffield Concert Review

The Star (South Yorkshire):
If you walked into a painter's studio to watch him work, would you expect him to regale you with witty repartee with every brush stroke? Or would you be content to watch in silence as he focussed on finishing his latest masterpiece?

There should have been an Artist At Work sign on Van Morrison's stage last night.For that is what the audience were witnessing. An artist, not a performer, in the process of creation. For an hour and a half – exactly the amount of time we had been promised – Van and his superb band did what they do. The music. No chit-chat, no jokes.

Morrison barely spoke a word. But my, how he sang them. In a voice that is so incredible and so seemingly effortless, it sickened you with jealousy. At times, the music washed over us like the best hot bath; warm, gorgeous, relaxing. Others, you couldn't keep your feet still. He brought his unique style to a myriad of musical genres – from steel guitar-led country to blues and intimate jazz.

There was a fabulously jazzed up version of Have I told You Lately, a countryfied Bright Side Of The Road , a reworked When I'm Cleaning Windows that fazed into Be Bop A Lula and a version of I Can't Stop Loving You that brought a tear to my eye. A smattering of the biggest of his hits came at the end. But to my mind, they didn't seem to be where his heart was.

The spirit-lifting Brown-Eyed Girl and the rousing, rocky Gloria were his finales. Of sorts. Basically, at the end he simply wandered on and off stage a couple of times while his band played on. He came back to sing, and then he didn't; he was gone.

The entire 90 minutes was, to my untrained ear, perfect in both note and timing. And though the guy in the hat was the artist in charge, the masterpiece was a team effort.

So what if he didn't say goodbye.
-Jo Davison

Here is Dail's thoughts on the show:

First concert this year..so I was really looking forward to this concert...as always the concert started 8.00pm sharp with Van walking in with the Band, the first opening song I cannot recall the name (sorry!)look at Simon's wavelength...the next number up was Magic Time was sung beautifully by Van...with a great ending on the sax... this was followed by the greatest hits...Playhouse, HITYL, Stop Drinking, Stranded...Cleaning Windows....where The Crawford Bell Singers missed the cue from Van twice...I was at the front and could hardly hear them singing.

This is the part when Van picked up his guitar and started playing The Beauty of The Days Gone By ...truly wonderful...I hung on to every word wishing this song would never end.

Van sung an excellent I Can't Stop Loving You...and played the piano for a short while,another personal favorite was In The Midnight again sung with perfection...I think at this point the next song up was The Afternoon...so looking forward to hearing this again...started well... the audience was silent so no distractions... Van took it to the first line of My Name is Raincheck, when someone in the audience started slow hand clapping.....maybe because of this Van picked up his sax and played the song out missing out on any Mystic Church or Don't You Get Me High....well Van not this time! thank God we where treated to A1 version of St James ...Van was well into this song swaying from side to side.

Towards the end of the concert I was hoping for And Healing Has Begun but instead Van played a short but good version of Help Me...I'm just loving this intro...okay the last remaining minutes and Van gave us the bulk standard Gloria and then Brown Eyed Girl.

The concert was really good the Band played very well and Van was well into the
the music and clearly enjoying the moment....not much conversation between Van and the audience....a few thank-you's and no more, let's hope the Blackpool concert
will take us down to the Mystic Church.
-Regards Dail

[Image via The Star]

Setlist:
I Will Be There
Magic Time
Playhouse
Big Blue Diamonds
Stranded
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
In The Midnight
Bright Side Of The Road
Stop Drinking
Moondance
I Can't Stop Loving You
Cleaning Windows > Be Bop A Lula
The Beauty Of The Days Gone By
Precious Time
In The Afternoon > Ancient Highway > Joe Turner Sings > Raincheck
Saint James Infirmary
Help Me
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria

Big Hand For The Band!
Sarah Jory, Neal Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Crawford Bell, Karen Hamill, Katie Kissoon, Tony Fitzgibbon, Bobby Ruggiero, John Platania, Paul Moran

40th Anniversary Appreciation of Astral Weeks

Independent.ie:
Van Morrison hails from the wrong place to be recognised for the great artist that he is, believes Declan Lynch

If you've been paying very close attention, you'll be aware that it is 40 years since Van Morrison made Astral Weeks. In another 40 years, we may be celebrating this cultural landmark with the sort of frolics we see on Bloomsday. But I wouldn't be holding my breath about that.

Though he is arguably a greater artist than Joyce, Van is still coming from the wrong place as regards all that sort of carry-on. We still tend to reserve our "official" recognition for the arts of literature and drama and even painting, which are thought to belong to a higher realm than anything which emanates from the vicinity of rock 'n' roll.

There is no Van Morrison Summer School, at which learned papers are delivered, not by professors from Harvard and the Sorbonne, but by men who know men with names like Professor Longhair, professors in the New Orleans sense. Which of course is a higher sense, a higher sensibility.

And, yes, it is my contention that Van Morrison is a greater artist than Joyce, because it is my contention that Van Morrison is the greatest artist who has ever lived on this island, in any shape or form. He is greater than Joyce not just in terms of his achievement, but because his work appeals to a wider audience without sacrificing anything in terms of its rigour and complexity.

Both men were innovators, with Joyce drawing on the ancient works of the Greeks, while Van connected with the primal source of the blues. But Ulysses remains a book that few have read and appreciated in its entirety -- unlike Astral Weeks, which is loved by all decent people who have heard it.

Joyce, of course, created other perfect works of art, but then so did Morrison. The album Moondance is a perfect work of art. There are numerous individual songs -- Gloria, Here Comes the Night and Brown Eyed Girl -- that are perfect works of art, and he was only getting warmed up.

You might compare Morrison's development to that of an iconic figure such as Stevie Wonder, but Stevie was working in the musical culture of his native land. Morrison was coming from Belfast, which meant that Stevie Wonder, though blind and black, was starting from a better place in so many ways. Yet Morrison mastered the music of America while he was still a young man, and soon he was improving it.

Is he better than Yeats? Usually, I bow to no-one in my admiration for Yeats, but again, Morrison must be regarded as the greater artist, simply by virtue of

prowess as a performer. Some might argue that Yeats's words look more

impressive on paper than Morrison's, yet Morrison's magnificent voice is an essential element of his work, which ultimately gives his finest recordings the edge over anything by Yeats. They just sound more beautiful.

But I can't be too harsh on the academics here, because there was a time when I too did not fully comprehend the stature of Van Morrison. Of course I knew he was great, but I did not know how great he was. Because, as a creature of the media age, I became distracted by his appalling attitude to journalists. I could never understand why he chose to do interviews at all when they seemed to disturb him so much. I particularly recall a long and harrowing piece in the NME in which a journalist and Morrison fan called Tony Stewart felt he had been horribly humiliated by his hero. The fact that so many of his victims were ardent fans made Morrison's obnoxiousness seem especially harsh.

I realise that none of that matters. I think of William Faulkner's line about the ruthlessness of the writer: "If a writer has to rob his mother, he will not hesitate. The Ode On a Grecian Urn is worth any number of old ladies."

Likewise, Tupelo Honey is worth any number of rock journalists.

The more I understood the extent of Morrison's greatness, the more I felt at ease with the depth of his rage. Because it is so hard to make good art in this world, let alone great art.

I believe the world in general does not welcome great art, because great art tends to be disturbing in some fundamental way. So for the artist, the struggle is monumental both in terms of creating the art in itself, and creating it in the knowledge that the world will try to put him down at every turn.

In the case of Morrison, in some perverse way the world would have preferred if he had remained a journeyman on the showband circuit, rather than the awesome force which he was becoming.

But he made it through. And while the struggle for excellence didn't turn him into the sort of guy who might be sitting there with Derek Mooney chatting enthusiastically about his new album, again it needs to be stated that none of that matters a damn.

If anything, there is even less chance in 2008 than in 1968 that the true nature of Morrison's achievement might be appreciated. It's not that the junk is getting worse, it's just that there's so much more of it.

We are inundated. We hardly even bother discriminating any more between good and bad, let alone between the good and the great. Let alone between the great and the greatest of the great.

And, yes, the men who illuminated the Book of Kells will have their supporters, as will the ancients who wrought those Celtic treasures, along with the usual Irish checklist of poets and playwrights.

But there is no doubt in my mind that we are living in the time of the greatest of the great, and that most of us don't know it yet.
-Declan Lynch

18-Jan-08 London Concert Review

Here is Alan's take on the show:
Good solid show with Van in excellent voice; he played lots of sax in the early stages, more guitar later on. "Have I Told You Lately" and "Precious Time" out of the way early on. Georgie Fame guesting on "Vanlose Stairway".

The show really took off towards the end with a really excellent "In The Afternoon/Ancient Highway/Raincheck/Joe Turner Sings", then "And The Healing Has Begun" taking us up to the 90 minute mark. Van then returned to the stage for a couple of "bonus tracks", "Help Me" and "Gloria".

An enjoyable concert. While there's a chance of performances like the "In The Afternoon" medley, I'll continue to go to these shows.
-Alan L.

New Album: Keep It Simple

Van Morrison's new album, Keep It Simple, comes out March 17,2008.

On Keep It Simple

Legendary singer/songwriter Van Morrison will release Keep It Simple, his second album on Lost Highway, on March 11. The self-produced collection is Van Morrison’s first studio release since 2006 and latest collection of personal reflections.

“It’s just a song about how everything’s gotten now so complex and how things have become so complicated and nothing’s easy to do anymore,” Morrison says of the disc’s title track. “So the song’s a kind of prayer – or what have you – let’s hope we can get back to something simple, otherwise, we’re screwed.”

The album is said to be one of Van Morrison’s most direct statements in recent memory, driven by guitar, harmonica and the singer/songwriter’s touching lyrics.

“It’s not going to be the same every time – you have to go through the ups and downs,” he continues. “It’s ups and downs, death and rebirth. It’s not going to be easy -- unless you want to be doing the same thing at the same level all the time. I’m not relying on what I did years ago. I’m not a greatest hits act. That’s the difference between me and most of what’s going on in pop music.”

The album is also said to touch upon gospel, Celtic soul, jazz and country, with a unified message of “soul and healing.”

“People don’t remember what you did, or what happened, or how you got here,” he says. “I didn’t get here the easy way. It’s people who don’t know me. They don’t actually look at what this guy’s actually been through. They see the big versions of what’s supposed to be me – but they don’t know my biography really. That’s what this whole record’s about.”

Van Morrison will preview his new material on the road throughout the winter and spring. After wrapping up his current European tour, Van Morrison will celebrate Keep it Simple’s release with a SXSW performance at The Austin Music Hall on March 11. A few days later, he will perform at Nashville, TN’s Ryman Auditorium on March 13, before heading across the pond for another round of dates.

First Album of All New Material in Two Years

Lost Highway Records NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 14 — on March 17, Lost Highway will proudly release KEEP IT SIMPLE, the new album from Van Morrison. KEEP IT SIMPLE is Morrison's first album of new material since 2005, and the first in several years in which he penned all 11 songs specifically for one album. In the interim the legendary artist had a year that may be unprecedented for any living artist, having released three separate collections of his hits, with the latest, "Still On Top" entering the UK charts at #2 and selling platinum, proving the ongoing appetite for his unrivaled work.

His music has always incorporated the widely varied influences he heard and absorbed since his childhood days on the streets of Belfast- long before the bands of his youth and his initial breakthrough with Them. On KEEP IT SIMPLE, Morrison honors all those varied influences - jazz, folk, blues, Celtic, country, soul and gospel - at times melding them all together at once in his own signature sound. "I felt I had something to say with these songs ... " explains Morrison. There is a definite theme that recurs throughout the album, especially in the title track.

In keeping with that idea, KEEP IT SIMPLE does not boast the big horns or string arrangements of some of Morrison's previous work. What it does feature are gorgeous songs rich with emotion, depth and beauty. As on the poignant "Soul," where Morrison repeats the chorus, as if to subtly remind us that, "Soul is a feeling, a feeling deep within. Soul is not the color of your skin." Morrison explains his approach with the track, "Entrainment" - "Entrainment is when you connect with the music ... Entrainment is really what I'm getting at in the music ... It's kind of when you're in the present moment - you're here - with no past or future."

Whether it's the easy country gospel of "Song of Home" or the bluesy swing of "How Can A Poor Boy," throughout KEEP IT SIMPLE Morrison exudes a wisdom gained through five decades of making groundbreaking music. Few artists have successfully recorded in as many genres of music as Van Morrison, and even fewer have remained as relevant for as long (only Ray Charles, with whom Van collaborated, comes to mind). Morrison has done so by constantly moving forward and never sitting still. On the heels of a series of "Best Of" releases, this record starts fresh with what could well be a record full of all new classics.

30-Dec-07 Dallas Concert Review

Jamie reviews the 2nd Dallas show:

Great, great show for the finale of the tour tonight in Dallas. Van seemed in great voice, played lots of sax, would go to keyboards when he would wander off, and play along. Seemed in great mood. Number of asides to the audience, comments on songs, I hope someone will report all. I think he said after This Love of Mine - "Frank Sinatra did that one," and I think he said something about "here is one in the style of Louis Prima," and went in to HITYL. Comment before Moondance, something to the effect of "here's one you know, done a little differently." And then there was the intro to Tupelo Honey, saying "Here's an old one, don't do it too often, but Sarah wants to do it." Comment in mid song of another, "stole that from Lightnin Hopkins." No asking for requests.

Bobby "Blue" Bland again opened the show, and as others have posted, his band was top notch. First notes of his soulful, bluesy voice made my emotions well up. Didn't even know what he said, but it hit me. Great to hear him do Stormy Monday and the others in this tight, short 30 minute set.

Van's band seemed happy, together, as mentioned, bass player was the behind the scenes conductor. The sound mix was perfect to my ears. Audience was well behaved, quiet when needed, and enthusiastic the majority of the time. The Crawford Bell singers really meshed well with Van, and I was surprised by his trumpet playing, especially on St. James Infirmary. As much as I enjoyed Cindy Cashdollar last trip through Dallas, Sarah Jory was so great. Very in to it, with great facial jestures, head moves, like she was coaxing each note out with her whole body. John Platania - never had seen and had loved his playing on It's Too Late To Stop Now way back when, so it was a real treat to get to see him and hear his guitar wizadry. John Allair is always wonderful, and was giving it his all. Tony great, drummer, bass, percussionist, all perfect!
-Jamie A.

Setlist:
1. This Love of Mine
2. Magic Time
3. Have I Told You Lately
4. Bright Side of the Road
5. Stranded
6. Cleaning Windows
7. Rough God
8. Moondance
9. St. James Infirmary
10. Georgia
11. Tupelo Honey/Why Must I always explain
12. Playhouse
13. Precious Time
14. Little Village
15. Whinin Boy Moan
16. In The Afternoon > Raincheck
17. Help Me

Thanks to Art for photo.

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

29-Dec-07 Dallas Concert Review

Dallas Morning News:

Van Morrison cuts loose at the Meyerson Symphony Center

CONCERT REVIEW: Aloof soul legend connects with Meyerson audience

There's only one way to enjoy a Van Morrison concert:

Check your expectations at the door and accept the show on his terms.

If you went to the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on Saturday craving his hits, you probably left sulking. He played just one during the 95-minute show –"Moondance" – and he acted so bored during it he shouldn't have bothered.

But if you were willing to indulge his fancy, you got a thrilling journey through sock-hop country-soul, gritty funk-blues and wherever else he felt like taking you. Mr. Morrison has a rep for being a cold performer, but by the end of Saturday's show, he was clearly having a ball – taking requests and making up funny expletive-laced lyrics on the spot.

I'm not positive, but at one point, it almost appeared as if he cracked a smile.

Performing only his second North Texas show in 30 years, he took the stage looking awkward and aloof – his face obscured by a fedora, his body stuffed uncomfortably in a gray suit that seemed two sizes too small. Whenever he wasn't singing or playing sax, he disappeared into the shadows with his back to the crowd.

But slowly, song by song, the ice started to thaw.

He jolted "Magic Time" with a playful sax solo and scatted up a storm in "I Can't Stop Loving You." He reclaimed "Have I Told You Lately" from Rod Stewart (who had a hit with it) and transformed it into furious ska-jazz. By the time he lit into 1999's "Precious Time," he was bleating like a lamb and leading his band with an imaginary whip.

His 10-piece group was stellar – especially fiddler Tony Fitzgibbon and pedal steel player Sarah Jory, who made the stately Meyerson feel like a campfire hootenanny. During several tunes, the group swung hard like a '50s dance band. But since the Meyerson isn't built for dancing, none of the fans got the nerve to stand up and cut a rug.

As top-notch as the band was, Mr. Morrison was the unmistakable leader. At 62, his voice has grown lower and more nasal than in his "Tupelo Honey" prime. But when he started growling and scatting and ad-libbing through "Georgia on My Mind," he was still the greatest blue-eyed soul singer alive.

The unannounced show-opener, Bobby "Blue" Bland, was a welcome surprise. At 77, the blues legend is getting frail – he had to be helped onstage – and his once mighty voice has grown soft (a poor sound mix didn't help).

But he persevered, filling "Every Day I Have the Blues" with an unearthly falsetto and spicing up "Stormy Monday" with his famous guttural "love snort." Mr. Morrison has been known to emulate Mr. Bland's trademark sound, but his snort has nothing on the master's.
-By THOR CHRISTENSEN

Stare Telegram:

Morrison cedes spotlight

DALLAS -- Most of music's old lions rightfully want their moment in the spotlight.
Saturday night at Dallas' majestic Meyerson Symphony Center, Irish iconoclast Van Morrison almost pathologically avoided it, frequently ceding the stage to his mesmerizing 10-piece band.

Content to function more as a bandleader than the main attraction, Morrison nevertheless captivated an appreciative crowd with his intoxicating baritone -- as smooth and well-aged as top-shelf bourbon.

Kicking off a two-night stand, the veteran troubadour nimbly evades a signature sound, instead relying on a pungent stew of musical flavors, ranging from lilting folk and dirt-smeared country to searing jazz and supple funk.

The career-defining hits were missing in action live (no Brown Eyed Girl or Domino to sing along with, sorry) but what was offered up (reimaginings of canonical works like Georgia on My Mind or his own Have I Told You Lately) dazzled with its interpretive grace.

The airtight 90-minute set left scant room for the singer/songwriter to engage the audience verbally (he uttered perhaps three words all evening) but in letting his music do the talking, the 62-year-old Morrison spoke volumes.

As strong of voice as he's ever been, scatting and twisting verses with calculated abandon, "Van the Man" also hopped on his trademark tenor saxophone and harmonica, blending seamlessly with the polished professionals behind him.

"I don't fade away unless I choose," Morrison sang toward evening's end. He repeated the verse from 1995's Raincheck, and heedless of irony, slipped from the spotlight's soft glow and off the stage, as the audience rose to its feet and delivered a richly deserved ovation.

Frequent Morrison guest and one-time collaborator Bobby "Blue" Bland opened up, leaving a considerable impression despite his set's brevity (less than 30 minutes).

With a gripping voice that evokes the Neville Brothers, Bland provided a through line to some of Morrison's more sultry artistic impulses.

The 77-year-old Tennessee native knows his place in the pantheon: "We don't have much time, but we're gonna make Mr. Morrison wait until we do these blues," Bland said before ripping into a riveting, extended medley.
-By PRESTON JONES

Setlist:
This Love of Mine
Magic Time
Bright Side of the Road
I Can’t Stop Loving You
Talk is Cheap
Dead or Alive
Stranded
Have I Told You Lately
In the Midnight
Stop Drinking that Wine
Rough God
Moondance
Georgia
Playhouse
Precious Time
In the Afternoon
Help Me

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

28-Dec-07 San Francisco Concert Review

It was a different show from Thursday from the start. The energy on
stage, especially from the band, was palpable. I had some
trepidation as the setllist started out like the night before,
but even HITYL sounded fresh (I can still do without it,
thanks). The crowd got into the show early to, with lots of
applause at songs, good solos, all at the right time to feed a
little energy back onstage. The concert was staying at a pretty
high level, and LIttle Village launched it ever higher. Fabulous
solos, including a knockout solo by Sarah Jory, who has been just
great at every show. She is a consummate ensemble player. Every
time she enters with a solo it's a little surprise and exactly what
the song needs. Despite her virtuosity on steel guitar, dobro,
bottleneck guitar, banjo, etc, her work is all about the song and
not about her. John Platania had his best night of the three I saw,
fitting in to his role without standing out too far. Anyway, this
song was where the band reached the "Good Body Music" stage,
thinking back to Kingdom Hall. Then Van capped it off with a long,
fascinating sax solo, evoking all sorts of Celtic pipes over the
band's groove. This was a top rendition of one of his greatest
songs. The next highlight was Shana's entry for a duet. As others
have said, she really stood her own on this and pushed the whole
song higher each time she sang. Their harmony was so good it got a
separate cheer.

Surprisingly, Playhouse was another highlight. This song gets
played a lot, but not often with the energy and spirit of last
night. In the Afternoon also went really well, with Van turning
his back to audience and closing the song with a big, arms-up signal
to the band. There was actually a pretty bad screwup on Geneva, as
the band missed the quick cut to "Brand New Cadillac" , and had to
play a bunch of meaningless bars to bring the song around again and
do it over. Fortunately, that didn't seem to bring down the high
spirits on stage. Celtic New Year/Healing Game.. drinkin' wine in
the alley closed down the show.

As some pointed out, a lot of Thursday's crowd went home
happy. They just didn't know how much more there was to see and hear.

Setlist:
This Love of Mine
Magic Time
Have I Told You Lately
Stranded
Bright Side of the Road
St. James Infirmary
Moondance
Little Village (van on acoustic/electric guitar)
Whinin' Boy Moan
Beautiful Vision (duet with Shana Morrison)
Playhouse
In the Afternoon/Ancient HighwayRaincheck
Stop Drinkin'
Goin Down Geneva/Brand New Cadillac
Celtic New Year/Healing Game

Once again, thanks to Art for great photos & setlist.

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

27-Dec-07 San Francisco Concert Review

Van's set -- after a short one by Shana and her band, Caledonia --
got off to a rough start during the opening and never really
recovered. At the end of This Love of Mine, a horrible feedback from
Van's mike took over. Van said something like, "I'm not too happy
with that. You shouldn't be either." Various smaller problems seemed
to crop up the rest of the evening, maybe because Van was
hypersensitive and it made everyone else on the stand uneasy.

Van's singing voice seemed clear and strong, but he suppressed a
cough several times and broke off his vocals early sometimes. He
drank water during and between every song. He pretty much stayed in a
pretty narrow vocal and dynamic range. There was no way, for
instance, that he was going to attempt "Satchmo" during Bright Side
of the Road, and the scat at the end of Precious Time was minimal.

Other little things didn't seem to go right. Sarah Jory's chair
seemed to break in mid-tune and had to be replaced while she half-
stood and played. The band didn't seem to be picking up on all of
Van's cues either. One time he poined to John Allair to take a solo
but John Platania started up instead. The group sound often didn't
seem to quite gel and Van seemed a little frustrated with them at
times. There was also more discussion between songs than usual. Of
course, Van's normal pacing is probably a little TOO fast.

After one fan yelled something between songs, Van said "What?!"
Then, "Who the fuck let you in?" That's a line that could either
break the ice on a chilly concert or signal that it's going to
be "Mr. Grumpy" all night long. It was grumpy night.

In any event, nothing remotely meditative tonight. He finished with
both a perfunctory Brown Eyed Girl and a perfunctory Gloria (although
the latter had the novelty of Shana returning to the stage to provide
some vocals). He was thoroughly professional, though. 20 years ago,
he might have left the stage in mid-song and never returned. Tonight,
BEG and Gloria had the audience standing, howling (mildly) for more.
I heard some people behind me, attending their first Van show, remark
that it was all they expected and more. They went away happy.

Setlist:

1. This Love of Mine
2. Magic Time
3. Have I Told You Lately
4. Too Many Myths
5. They Sold Me Out
6. Playhouse
7. Talk is Cheap
8. Stop Drinking
9. In The Midnight
10. Moondance
11. Back on Top
12 Precious Time
13. Help Me
14. Baby What You Want Me To Do?
15. Don't Start Cryin' Now/Custard Pie
16. Brown Eyed Girl
17. Gloria

Thanks to Art for photo & setlist.

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

Sinéad O'Connor Discusses Veedon Fleece

Listen to Sinead O'Connor on The Dave Fanning Show.

Everyone has their favourite album and on tonight's show we're joined by Sinéad O'Connor to discuss hers: Van Morrison's 'Veedon Fleece'.

"It is far superior to Astral Weeks. This is the definitive Van album with the definitive Van song, 'Who Was That Masked Man?'

Van is a singer's singer. I listen to Veedon Fleece just before I go on stage."

Perfect Christmas Gift For Van Morrison Fans

What is the best gift for the Van Morrison fan that already has every Van CD & DVD?

Wavelength Magazine is the answer! This is the ultimate resource on Van's music and concerts.

Subscriptions can be made here. Become a Supersub and get special access to brand new SetLists, reviews & news.

As a Supersub you'll also receive a 10% discount on any item purchased from the Tripe For Sale catalogue on the website.

Wavelength is now accepting pre-orders for the VAN REMASTERS on cd.

21-Dec-07 Reno Concert Review

Reno Gazette-Journal:

Van Morrison returned to the Grand Sierra (formerly Hilton) Theater for the third time since 2000, and not much has changed about him since that post-Millennial performance. He's still a sullen performer who spends most of the show out of the spotlight, letting his band do the heavy lifting.

He may have even been wearing the same boxy gray suit.

Morrison addressed the audience exactly twice, once to reply "Oh, oh?" to a man who yelled "I love you, Van" and once to say "Thank you" to a round of applause. That was it. He wandered off stage twice during the 98-minute show. He'd sing a bit then sit behind the keyboardist as most of his superb 10-piece band took a solo turn,
working hard to put some showmanship into the show.

It was classic Van behavior, and if you expected that going in, you
probably weren't disappointed. Morrison was in full voice, scatting
and growling, working his brassy vocal instrument like the saxophone
he added to the ensemble.

If, however, you thought that for $99 to $250 a seat you were in for
more, well, it was a pretty disappointing evening.

The common complaint about Morrison live held here: He barely dipped
into his catalog of old favorites, instead pulling heavily from the
past three or four albums. Since his three most recent releases are a
couple of best of's and a collection of songs from movie soundtracks,
he has no compunction about making money off his golden oldies. But
he tends to be stingy with them in concert.

He gave up a bit of "Tupelo Honey," and "Moondance" got the biggest
response from the audience, naturally, but the band and backup
singers performed about 85 percent of it, sans Van. None of the songs
reached that transcendent state that Morrison can achieve when the
mood hits. At his Reno show in 1998, he did a version of "Send in the
Clowns" that to this day sends prickles up my arms just thinking
about. There were no prickles on Friday.

And speaking of stingy, those expensive floor seats were lashed together with not an inch of personal space on either side. It was like flying center-seat coach to Albuquerque. I spent the show pressed thigh-to-shoulder with a stranger on one side. That my husband was pressedagainst my other side didn't make it any less uncomfortable or distracting. (Note to Grand Sierra Resort: Baby Boomer audiences take up more space.) There was no drink service on the floor, that I could see, and not enough aisles built into the arrangement to let people step out without climbing over dozens of others in the row. It made me as cranky as a certain Irish singer-songwriter. Those in the "cheap" seat banquettes got a better deal.

At Morrison's show seven years ago in that same room, I sat front-row
center at a roomy table, so close I could rest my elbows on the stage. The ticket was $65. For his upcoming shows in San Francisco and Texas, those seats are selling online for as much as $650. Are they going to get 10 times the show? I'd say no.

-Peggy Santoro


Art says: I'm still sorting out my thoughts on this show. There were some sublime moments and some truly plodding songs, too.

Troy says: My thoughts about Reno. Van failed to keep mediocrity at bay.

Setlist:
This Love Of Mine
Magic Time
Whinin' Boy Moan
Too Many Myths
All Work and No Play
Rough God Goes Riding
They Sold Me Out
Playhouse
Stranded
Tupelo Honey/Why Must I Always Explain?
Stop Drinkin'
Keep Mediocrity at Bay
Precious Time
Don't Start Crying Now/Custard Pie
It's All In The Game
Baby What You Want Me To Do
In the Afternoon/Ancient Highway/Raincheck/Mystic Church

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

Thanks to Art for setlist.

20-Dec-07 Minneapolis Concert Review

Star Tribune:
Rock's Irish bard played sax and sang a lot of favorites, but the concert fell short on the passion Van the Man fans remember from the day.
Five days before Christmas, the brilliant but mercurial Van Morrison could have shown up at sold-out Northrop Auditorium as either Santa Claus (he's got the requisite physique) or Scrooge (he's notoriously cold, cantankerous and curmudgeonly in concert).

Well, rock's most confounding performer confounded once again on Thursday. He wasn't Scrooge, like he was at Northrop in 2004, but Santa didn't really
put any big presents under the tree either. It was a night of stocking stuffers. In other words, the 95-minute performance was good but never great; it was crowd-pleasing but never transcendent in the way Van the Man is at his best.

Even though he said little, as usual, to the audience, Morrison, 62, seemed in good spirits. Taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. sharp, he came out
blowing his alto saxophone on "Domino," one of his signatures from the 1970s. When he sang, he sounded a bit stuffed up but there was still undeniable passion in his voice.

But with Morrison, you want fire in his belly, you want him to rock your gypsy soul, you want him to take you into the mystic. That's what Van the Man did back in the day. On Thursday, however, he mostly came across as a mellow lounge act, with one foot in jazz-blues and the other in country-soul.

Half of the songs came from albums recorded since 1999. But even oldies were recast to fit the lounge vibe. "Moondance" was sophisticatedly soulful
late-night jazz, and "Jackie Wilson Said" was perfunctory hep-cat swing.

The tune that perhaps best typified the night was the slow jam "In the Afternoon," which started as more sleepy than seductive (it's about daytime
loving) but Morrison woke up near the end, riffing sexily about rocking on a golden autumn day in a mystic church.

The Irish bard's 10-member band was consistently strong, following cues from the bandleader, either with a nod, a pointed finger or a verbal shout.
Things felt alluring, organic and spontaneous, and all the instrumentalists (save for trumpeter/backup singer Crawford Bell) got solo opportunities, with standout turns taken by guitarist John Platania,
fiddler/mandolinist Tony Fitzgibbon and organist John Allair, who danced delightedly on his stool.

Morrison himself played more saxophone than usual, showing expansive expressiveness. But the 4,600 fans wanted to hear the expressiveness in his
voice. To be sure, there was a bit of a Dylan-like growl, an emphatic R&B shout and some fine riffing at the end of songs, including one about "Paul
McCartney singing money can't buy you love." But the Rock Hall of Famer never reached those fantabulous heights in which he got lost in his
song with his impassioned, involving and invigorating voice.

Well, Santa doesn't always deliver all the things on your wish list.
-Jon Bream

Pioneer Press:
Once, a Van Morrison concert was a rare event in these parts. But the veteran of four decades of musical and spiritual wandering has become a fairly frequent visitor in recent years. Does that mean that tickets to his shows aren't as valued as they once were? Well, Thursday night's concert at
Minneapolis' Northrop Auditorium argues otherwise. Despite tickets ranging from $86 to an eye-popping $211, there were still 4,574 eager buyers filling the hall.

What the enthusiastic crowd received for its investment was a frontman in fine voice and a well-rehearsed band that could nevertheless change gears at the bidding of the boss. Morrison seems to be having more fun playing his music than he has in some time, but Thursday's concert was merely a
pleasant performance that could have been considerably more exciting.

If you go to a concert wanting to hear the artist's songs performed as you remember them from the original album, then Van's not your man. He and his
current 10-piece band changed up the styles on almost every song on the call-it-as-he-goes set list, fashioning hybrids of multiple genres, sometimes a few within the same song.

When Morrison emerged with an alto sax in hand, it may have hinted that he would lend the show the kind of big-band flavor he favored a few years ago.
But strains of fiddle, dobro and pedal steel made this swing more of the Texas variety pioneered by Bob Wills. Roots reggae morphed into sunny CW on
"Bright Side of the Road." "Jackie Wilson Said" became a breezy blues shuffle. "Stop Drinking" was boogie-woogie Bakersfield country.

The challenge of these changeups seemed to keep everyone on stage engaged, as did arrangements that allowed each member of the band to shine on solos.
Standouts among them were organist John Allair, stylistically flexible fiddler Tony Fitzgibbon, and pedal steel and dobro diva Sarah Jory.

Clad in a gray suit and fedora, Morrison seemed at his most comfortable when assuming the persona of an old-fashioned bluesman on "Too Many Myths" and "Help Me." His growling voice was admirably expressive all evening, especially when he used extended quiet jams at the end of "In the
Afternoon" and "I'm Not Feeling It Anymore" to improvise lyrics, tossing in snatches of songs from throughout his expansive canon.

But Morrison and company still only played for a little over 90 minutes, doubtless leaving some wondering if the exorbitant outlay was money well
spent.
-Rob Hubbard

Setlist:
Domino
Magic Time
Playhouse
Stranded
Have I Told You Lately
In The Midnight
Moondance
Bright Side of the Road
Too Many Myths
Jackie Wilson Said
In the Afternoon/Raincheck
Precious Time
Stop Drinking
Little Village
I’m Not Feeling It Anymore
Help Me
Encore
Celtic New Year

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

19-Dec-07 Providence Concert Review

Providence Journal:

Audience treated to eclectic, spiritual mix
The words “spiritual” and “mystical” get tossed around way too much in discussions of Van Morrison’s work, but there’s a generosity of spirit in his best stuff that you don’t get many other places, and last night at the Providence Performing Arts Center it was on full display.


Sure, he came out swinging with his 1970 hit “Domino,” and they probably wouldn’t have let him go home without “Moondance,” but in between Morrison covered the bases from various eras in his long career, and overall the mood was soothing. Only on the finale, the blues classic “Help Me,” did Morrison’s excellent 10-piece band kick up any real clangor, but that wasn’t the aim.

The band included trumpet, fiddle, steel guitar, electric guitar, electric and acoustic bass, drums and percussion, with Morrison taking turns on sax, keys, guitar and harmonica — enough variety to cover almost anything. And while the bodhran on stage never got used, and Celtic references were few, Morrison and band went through a trademark mix of soul, R&B and country that represented his best.

The lush soul-pop balladry of “Magic Time,” with the excellent Sara Jordan’s seemingly incongruous steel guitar like a sigh, set the tone early on — the usual musical categories don’t apply. Whether it was the soul-with-fiddle of “In the Afternoon,” the laid-back Stax of “Cleaning Windows” or the mix of country shuffle with elegant Hammond organ on “Bright Side of the Road,” it all ended up in the same place when Morrison was through with it.

It’s a fine line between hypnotizing and boring, and you wouldn’t have wanted the show to go on much longer than its hour and 45 minutes, but it was a show of warmth and coolness rather than high heat and icy cold, and with the help of the excellent, muted sound mix the emphasis was on the songs and the singer, who more than held his own with his distinctive blend of power, swoops up to and down from the melody, occasionally ridiculous scatting and more.

Morrison’s voice ranged from the hornlike blare on “Stranded” to the breathiness of “In the Afternoon” to the romance of “Meet Me in the Indian Summer,” from 2002’s Down the Road album, and just when you thought he maybe didn’t have the steam on the old fastball, he cut loose with serious power on his cover of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” the song of course made famous by Ray Charles, also known for his ability to slip between genres and still sound like himself.


But the highlights were the simplest moments, such as the quiet, forlorn “In the Midnight,” from 1999’s Back on Top album, and the mantra-like “And the Healing Has Begun,” with its simple, ascending chord pattern, its lyrics about drinking wine in the alley and the mantra-like repetition of the title. Spiritual? Can’t think of a better word, actually.
-Rick Massimo

Setlist:
Domino
Magic Time
Have I Told You Lately
It Once Was My Life
In the Midnight
Cleaning Windows
Stranded
Talk Is Cheap
In the Afternoon>Ancient Highway>Joe Turner Sings
Choppin' Wood
Moondance
St James Infirmary
I Can't Stop Loving You
Bright Side of the Road
Celtic New Year>Crazy About You
And the Healing Has Begun
Help Me

Big Hand For The Band!
Crawford Bell, Janeen Daly, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sara Jory, John Platania, Neil Wilkinson, Paul Moore, Bobby Ruggerio, John Allair

07-Dec-07 Inverness Concert Review

Highland News:
A FROSTY Friday and a marvellous night for a moondance, something almost pagan about the way we lifted our faces up to worship legend Van Morrison as he started bang on the minute of eight, as threatened.

The Ironworks bar had been shut, the late were barred until a suitable break in the music and drinkers had been herded behind a yellow and black emergency tape on the floor of the Ironworks.

Van the Man had gone all diva on us, laying down the law and not being daft. Of course it all added to the feeling that this gig was something special and we just had to behave to deserve it.

The venue was full to the rafters with your more mature fan, as excited as a busload of teens on a school trip. And throughout the 90-minute set, there were constant pinch-me moments as you looked up into the blank mask under the hat and the closed eyes behind the tinted specs and said to yourself: "That's Van Morrison, here in Inverness. Van the Man. The real one. Here."

A stage bristling with the world's finest musicians added to the sense of occasion, though truthfully, the musicians veered from looking as if they were having a great time playing with the honoured genius or dreading that they were going to fail to please him.

Trombonist Chris Barber, a band leader and veteran maestro in his own right, was caught on the hop a couple of times when Van pointed the "your solo now!" finger. And you felt the pain of the guitarist who muffed a couple of notes, as we all looked at Van to see if he'd get mad.

He didn't. Nor did he get wild or smiley or crazy or sentimental or emotional or animated – or grumpy. He blinked, breathed, sipped from a constantly-replenished cup and did a lot of pointing at his band members when he wanted a solo or up to the soundmen when he wanted more volume.

But he did play a mean sax, a fired-up moothie and played havoc with your sense of reality, as that voice – the one you know so well from pub jukeboxes, bedroom record-players and iPod playlists – came at you, live.

As predicted, the set majored on the 37 tracks compiled by the man himself for Still On Top, his third greatest hits collection. Back On Top opened the show.

And with everything from the classics such as Have I Told You Lately, Moondance, Days Like This, Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile), Brown-eyed Girl, Tear Your Playhouse Down and Gloria, to slightly more obscure ones such as Magic Time and Sold Me Out for the real fan, it was a set packed with treats.

But we didn't get much light and shade or much of a change of pace. The whole thing rattled along with barely a break between songs, the musicians swiftly turning to the right page in their music before the next one began.

From a bluesy beginning, it was on to a jazzy treatment for the rest of the numbers. Even the aching love ballad, Have I Told You Lately, was turned into a trotting style workout and drew a testy order "Shuffle!" from Van, as the keyboard player failed to get the feel just right.

With no communication whatsoever between Van and the crowd, you felt ridiculously grateful when he rewarded our singing on Jackie Wilson... Heaven When You Smile with "You did really well!".

And when we joined in on Brown-Eyed Girl, he gave us a quiet "Just like that!", to show we'd met his approval.

There was little dancing, even down the front, as though none of us wanted to break the spell – or make fools of ourselves in front of the great man.

One tanked-up bloke with a blissful smile pushed down the front to take some camera phone pix and make us all wince at his irreverence – and got yanked out for his trouble.

By finisher Gloria, Van had turned in a value-for-money set, no sign of the dreaded huffy walk-off, band-slagging cringer or failure to play everybody's favourites. He did forget to introduce his band, something he apparently rectified on Saturday, his second sell-out night.

As he waddled off like The Penguin off Batman, probably with the tired bones of a sixtysomething man who had turned in a marathon, non-stop performance, there's no doubt his fans were happy.

But as someone who had never seen Van before and had hoped to be touched by the live magic so many of his fans had promised me, the legend left me cold.

The gig was one of the most soulless experiences I have ever had.

The night before, in a warm, intimate gig a few minutes away in Hootanannys, Scotland's own answer to Van, Jackie Leven, had taken the simple man and guitar format to perform stunning songs, witty stories for a gig with a heart and a guaranteed place in the memory forever.

Though I could have listened to the delights of Van's ace musicians forever – the emotional pull of Sarah Jory's pedal steel just one – for me the mystery of Van's live genius remains just that.
-Margaret Chrystall

Press & Journal:
Hundreds of fans packed into an Inverness venue to see legendary singer Van Morrison perform at a charity concert at the weekend.

The multi-award winning singer performed two sell-out shows at the Ironworks, on Academy Street.

All the profits from the shows are going to Cancer Research UK. The charity's Black Isles branch was closely involved in organising the concerts.

Originally the Grammy award-winning artist was lined up to play just one gig in the Highland capital.

But after tickets sold out in just over 24 hours, another concert was organised for the fans who had missed out.

And on Friday and Saturday night "Van the Man" did not disappoint, belting out some of his best-loved hits to audiences of around 750 people.

Van Morrison's career has spanned five decades. He first became known as the lead singer in Northern Irish band Them and wrote their most famous hit, Gloria. He is due to return to Britain early next year where he will perform gigs in England, including London and Manchester.

Robert & Norm gives a brief take on the show:
Van Morrison at his most charming. Rapport with the audience impeccable. A set list packed with greatest hits from his recently released best of cd. The place was one huge party. The bar has never been busier.... actually, not a word of that is true!!!!

No artist/audience interaction. The hits that were featured had a jazz arrangement that's not to everyones taste. No refuge at the bar... it was closed "at the artists request" and heaven help you if you needed the toilet. Allowed out or in between songs. Just like being back at school!!!

The show WAS for a terrific cause but the money raised was the only plus for me.
-Robert U.

Both nights pretty average. The highlight of the Friday was "Irish Heartbeat" and also a nice "Georgia On My Mind" - otherwise it was the usual stuff Van peddles these days. Saturday had an amazing "St James Infirmary" and was the better of the two nights, I thought - if for no other reason than the Friday had more lows. Chris Barber was a guest. In such an intimate venue, I was expecting a lot more - always a problem on the Van front this century, I've found.
-Norm

Setlist:
Back On Top
Goin' Home
All Work And No Play
Talk Is Cheap
Playhouse
Moondance
Days Like This
They Sold Me Out
Magic Time
Have I Told You Lately [Las Vegas version]
Georgia On My Mind
Stop Drinking
My Bucket's Got A Hole In It
Don't Start Crying >Custard Pie
Jackie Wilson Said
Precious Time
Irish Heartbeat
Brown Eyed Girl
Gloria

01-Dec-07 Harrogate Concert Review

York Press:
NOW into his 60s, music legend Van Morrison shows no sign of slowing down, with his current tour schedule taking in Britain, Europe and America.

He is one of the most prolific and eclectic artists of his generation, being inspired by his Celtic roots, jazz, blues and soul.

On Saturday, his excellent band played their first note at 8pm, while their last note rang out with Morrison walking off the stage at 9.30pm sharp after performing a show-stopping trio of Bright Side Of The Road, Moondance and Brown Eyed Girl.

Some of his fans in the capacity audience tried to get him back on stage for an encore.

But, knowing Van as they do, it was a half-hearted attempt and many were already heading for the exits as the lights went up. Morrison knows his mind.

His band hardly paused between numbers as they worked hard to pack as many songs into the 90 minutes as possible.

Morrison's saxophone playing was strong and clear - his dialogues with the trumpet player were delicious. To add variety, he also played harmonica and acoustic guitar.

A marvellous mix of fiddle, mandolin, steel guitar, banjo, keyboards, percussion and electric guitar decorated the songs.

Even more sound textures were created when the electric bass player switched to double bass and the keyboard player moved from organ to piano.

Morrison's voice was as soulful as ever, his singing lifted to another level by the wonderful ensemble playing of his band who responded to their leader's every instruction. Great stuff.
-Richard Foster

Setlist:
This Love Of Mine
Magic Time
Talk Is Cheap
Reminds Me Of You
Playhouse
Beautiful Vision
It Once Was My Life
There Stands The Glass
Goin’ Down Geneva > Brand New Cadillac
Little Village
Have I Told You Lately [Las Vegas version]
Saint James Infirmary
Wild Night
Precious Time [scat ending]
Vanlose Stairway
Bright Side Of The Road
Days Like This
Moondance
Brown Eyed Girl

Big hand for the band!
Paul Moran, Crawford Bell, Katie Kissoon, Karen Hamill, Tony Fitzgibbon, Sarah Jory, Paul Moore, Neal Wilkinson, John Platania, Bobby Ruggerio