Van Interview With The Daily Californian

The Daily Californian
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Van Morrison, of "Brown Eyed Girl" fame, will play the Greek Theatre on May 2 and 3. The Daily Californian interviewed Morrison via e-mail to discuss set lists, songs, CDs and more.

Daily Californian: What do you enjoy most about performing your newer albums, like Pay the Devil and Keep It Simple?

Van Morrison: I enjoy whatever music I am playing at any given time. Sometimes I play certain things because it can get too serious; other times require a serious message. Some (songs) are played for no particular reason other than I might like the tune, the melody (or) the timbre; others are because of the lyrics or the mood. It varies-it has to keep it all flowing.

DC: How do you decide the balance between old and new songs in a set list?

VM: It depends on a couple of factors. One is if you feel like the audience can go with you, you know, then I can stretch out more. There might be key songs that can be stretched out more ... finding key songs where I can get these particular musicians to go along with me, because ... every band combination can be quite different. A lot of times, you can get musicians, but they don't have a rapport together, so you sometimes have to build the set around where we can go. Some bands ... can do anything, go anywhere, you know? Other bands can only go on certain songs in a certain way. It just depends.

DC: What's your favorite venue to play?

VM: I like symphony halls that are built acoustically for music-musician's best friend(s). Good acoustics (equals) walls and surroundings built for subtleties and good ambient sound.

DC: Do you have any memories of the Bay Area or of the Greek Theatre in Berkeley that you might share?

VM: Just that the audience really seems to get what the music is about. They understand where this music fits in and what it's for: the soul. It's all soul.

DC: You have a lot of fans who have been loyal to you since the '60s. How do you keep them coming back while also attracting newer fans of younger generations?

VM: It's like what Jung said about the creative process: What is unconscious or subconscious becomes more conscious. And I suppose when you become more conscious of the process then, you know, it's different than, say, Astral Weeks, which was mainly channeling something from the unconscious, you know? My latter stuff is more like coming from where there's more kind of thought going into it, there's more editing going into it; it's different in that way. But that's just because I changed. I think the fact (that) my music comes from the collective unconscious, the soul-and that it has soul and is soul-is a reason people may stay in tune with certain music. I know soul grabs my attention.

DC: You stated in another interview that you have no intention of renewing your contract with iTunes. How do you think this decision will affect your younger fanbase, who rely almost completely on downloadable music?

VM: I'm not into downloading because I'm not a download artist. Maybe some people are, but I prefer something I can hold, with sleeve notes and lyrics I can read. I think, no matter (their) age, people will understand that the hard copy CD is the very best dollar value entertainment on the planet Earth. And the best part is you can keep it for ever and more. I like the old-fashioned way of making music. I am not into disposable music-I still like LP vinyl records best. Nowhere else but the LP can (give) you a true-to-life, uncompressed, real sound. People may think the download sounds right but if you heard the music before it is compressed 100 times, you would think I may be onto something here.

San Francisco Chronicle Interview With Van

San Francisco Chronicle
Van Morrison finds magic in 'Astral' songs

Van Morrison, who begins the final dates in his current tour Saturday and Sunday at UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre playing his classic album, "Astral Weeks," has long had a wary relationship with the press, which made it somewhat surprising that he was willing to talk about his tour.

But when transatlantic time changes and hectic schedules added up to missed phone connections, who would have expected that the notoriously taciturn character, who has always maintained that he wanted his music to speak for itself, would sit down and type out e-mail answers to a list of questions submitted in advance? Morrison first performed this "Astral Weeks" concert - a Morrison fan's dream come true - with a band featuring many of the musicians from the original sessions last November at the Hollywood Bowl. Both live DVD and CD have been released. He took the show to New York in March and earlier this month to London's Royal Albert Hall. He closes out the historic run with two dates next month back in Los Angeles.

Q: What made you decide to do these "Astral Weeks" shows?

A: I wanted to do these songs the way I have always heard them in my head, with strings section, flutes and full orchestration. We initially were doing just the two shows in Hollywood in order to get these live and raw, straight-from-the-stage recordings, but demand from New York and London and now Bay Area and Los Angeles to finish up the series of shows where it all began - where I started out my career as a soloist - Los Angeles. I have a history as a musician in the '60s there, so it seemed the fitting place to end up.

Q: How have the shows been going?

A: I went into this to just record the songs live in Hollywood and that was it - no expectations whatsoever. I only wanted to get the 2009 live version recorded, but it went from there, the demand. There has been a strong magic from each and every audience which has been tangible. I have felt it each show. There is definitely something magical and "astral" going on every time the songs have been played live before the audiences.

Q: What was so special about "Astral Weeks" in retrospect?

A: It depends on what special means - but there is nothing else like the "Astral Weeks" songs. They are poetry - movie-like stories woven into music. There are a lot of dynamics to find in these songs, a lot of nuance that goes on, and a lot of subtlety going on. That is what I like about them. They are complex - it's me doing me, my kind of music, my signature sound - all me.

Q: Why "Astral Weeks"? Is there another album you considered doing?

A: I am in the moment and I choose music I do by what I want to work with at any given time. The ... albums [that have been] been requested a lot [have] been "Hymns to the Silence" and "Hard Nose the Highway" and "No Guru No Method No Teacher," but I have not really thought about doing "albums" per se, though I would like to hear what my songs on those albums sound like raw, as I have noticed the engineers lost a lot of sound that I know was there when it was recorded. That is why I am doing raw music from now on; the production thing is a myth and ruins my songs, I find.

Q: "Astral Weeks" was made at a very stressful time in your career - what do you recollect of its creation?

A: As people, we all have stressful times - some are worse because it happens when we are younger and do not know quite how to deal, so the trauma is or could be worse, but that is a loaded subject. "Astral Weeks" was made with intention of getting it right, just like the 2009 live version. I just went in and did it - same with the live 2009 record of "Astral Weeks." No matter what any band member was doing, I had the intention and mind-set of getting it recorded like I wanted it and that is what I did - one short and not so good rehearsal after 40 years and I just took the stage and did what I do - played it and made it go right.

Q: How did you put the band together for these dates? Have you stayed in touch all these years? Were they hard to find?

A: I had not stayed in touch with anyone. I just chose some of the band I had before this and, as I thought back, I just started calling people - some for no particular reason other than I thought they might "get it." There was not a real plan to it, really, just step by step.

Van Morrison: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley campus. Tickets $50-$350 at ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000, at APEConcerts.com. Tickets may be purchased without a service charge in person at the Cal Performances box office.
-Joel Selvin

Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl DVD Available May 19th On Amazon.com

Van Morrison's DVD Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl Press Release:

AMAZON EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE RELEASE On Heels of Critical Acclaim at London's Royal Albert Hall

Following Van Morrison's two critically-acclaimed sold out nights bringing his groundbreaking, signature album, Astral Weeks to brilliant life at London's Royal Albert Hall, the anticipation builds for the May 19 Amazon exclusive DVD release, Astral Weeks: Live at The Hollywood Bowl.

Five-star reviews heralded Mr. Morrison's revisiting of his 1968 studio masterpiece, performed on stage for the first time in its entirety outside of the U.S. And soon multitudes of fans around the world will be able to invite multi-award-winning soul singer Van Morrison into their living rooms through the DVD release of Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl, an in-concert reworking of the musical legend's historic 1968 gold-certified solo album. Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl was recorded live over two nights at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in November 2008 and is available as a concert film for purchase exclusively on Amazon.com beginning May 19 for an SRP of $29.99.

The London papers exclaimed about the music legend's pivotal performances:

* "Encircled by his own musicians, in thrall to the jazz-folk sub-genre single-handedly invented and, many would say, never bettered by these songs, two eyebrows rose plaintively above Morrison's shades. "I believe I've transcended," he averred. If the five-minute ovation encompassing all of a seismic, valedictory Gloria was anything to go by, he wasn't the only one who thought so. FIVE STARS!" The London Times
* And from London's Daily Express, "What we saw this weekend was dynamic creation...this was no evening of nostalgia. This was music making on the hoof-improvised, intense. FIVE STARS!"
* The U.K.'s Telegraph remarked, "Morrison showed off by playing piano, harmonica, saxophone, organ and guitar. I also noticed the vocal tic of repeating words and syllables which often has the exultant effect of making him sound (as Lester Bangs once said) like a man running downhill into a lover's arms...FIVE STARS!"

Van Morrison first released Astral Weeks when he was only 22. The recording immediately became a critically-acclaimed classic and is still considered one of the greatest albums of the rock era. The fall 2008 shows captured for the DVD marked the first time Mr. Morrison ever performed Astral Weeks in one complete concert set. Joining him was an orchestral string section and a band composed of world-class musicians, some of whom played with Van on the original Astral Weeks sessions 40 years ago. During the first half, the artist performed a number of the timeless classics he is famous for while the second half was an awe-inspiring performance of the Astral Weeks album. Among the songs included on the concert DVD are: "Astral Weeks/I Believe I've Transcended," "Beside You," "Slim Slow Slider/I Start Breaking Down," "Sweet Thing," "The Way Young Lovers Do," "Cyprus Avenue/You Came Walking Down," "Ballerina," and "Madame George."

The Astral Weeks DVD also features special bonus songs, including a live version of "Gloria," and unprecedented behind-the-scenes footage as well as a candid conversation with the artist himself talking about the meaning behind Astral Weeks, his decision to revisit the pivotal project, and his impressions of the music business. To rework Astral Weeks, Mr. Morrison added his signature stretching of songs in a manner unlike any before by creating new sections of songs live on stage. As producer of the record, Mr. Morrison insisted there be no post-production engineering. It is straight up raw from the Hollywood Bowl stage - pure resonant sound.

As Mr. Morrison said, "I'm not just a singer. I am a soul singer." His Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl proves exactly that, over and over again.

19-Apr-09 Royal Albert Hall London Concert Review

Nosey has this review:

Van came on about and went straight into Northern Muse (which was better than last night), come to think of it, it was quite a good rendition, followed by Troubadours (again, much better than last night). And it Stoned Me and Wild Night were next. Then came the proper version of Have I Told You Lately with Van playing sax for the first time this evening.

The next 3 songs were GREAT, Caravan, All In The Game and Healing Has Begun. BUT Common One was absolutely stunning, Van and Richie (as echo) were brilliant, the line where Van says "Going for a long long long drive" must have had about 40 "longs" in it, the audience even started to applaud part way through, but they just carried on regardless, just terrific. A much better 1st set than last night.


Now, the 2nd set (IMHO) was probably THE BEST 2nd SET so far. Van just kept playing guitar at the end of Astral Weeks, as if he was almost rehearsing by himself with the band just following him. Beside You had haunting violin pieces that just made my spine tingle. Slim Slow Slider was great with Van doing that heavy strumming thing that he does lately. Sweet Thing (Misty you missed a stunner) - this was an outstanding version, Van was virtually dancing at the end of this, then just seemed to be staring upwards (to heaven?) at the very end. Cyprus Avenue, we got a change of white guitars, this version was relatively short, but still very good. Ballerina, When Van sang "Here comes the Man" he actually Jumped forward (with both feet at the same time), Young Lovers Do was another shortish version, Madame George, we got an introduction Van said something about part of the song was around here somewhere (meaning West London, I guess) then he went on to say that he was offered some Heroin!!!!

The second white guitar was now "out of tune" so we got the 1st one back (or are ther 3 ?). This was probably one of the best ever versions I've heard and at the end Van sang "This is a Train" so many different ways, it sounded like he wasn't sure if he was on a train, or if a train actually existed, Tremendous, absolutely tremendous.
Listen To The Lion - WHEW, just about all I can say about it just another stunning version.
Finishing up with Mystic Eyes into Gloria and no encore.

Setlist:
set 1
Northern muse
Troubadours
And it Stoned Me
Have I Told You Lately
Caravan
Its all in the game
The Healing has begun
Common One

set 2
Astral Weeks
Ballerina
The Way Young Lovers Do
Beside You
Sweet Thing
Cyprus Avenue
Madame George
Slim Slow Slider
Listen to the Lion
Mystic eyes/Gloria

Big Hand For The Band(s)!
Tony Fitzgibbon
Bobby Ruggiero
Sarah Jory
Jay Berliner
Paul Moran
Liam Bradley
Richie Buckley
Bianca Thornton
David Hayes
John Platania
Terry Adams
Nancy Ellis
Rick Schlosser
Pauline Lozano

18-Apr-09 Royal Albert Hall London Concert Review

Times Online: Although it has long been regarded as one of the greatest records of all time, interviewers who have, over the decades, ventured to broach the topic of Astral Weeks with Van Morrison have often met with a rather frosty response.

It may, according to no less a fan than Elvis Costello, rank as “the most adventurous album made in the rock medium” but Morrison says Warner Brothers barely promoted it at the time, with the result that sales left him hardly enough money to pay the bills.

One suspects that Morrison’s reluctance to glory in his febrile jazz-folk masterpiece, which he recorded at the age of just 22, may also stem from the serendipitous circumstances that produced it. Two sessions recorded with American musicians, barely known to him at the time, established an artistic high water mark that, in recent years especially, Morrison has struggled to match.

It would be naïve to think that the volte-face represented by this beginning-to-end recital of the album was undertaken in a spirit of smiling rapprochement. In Morrison’s world, for a start, little is done smilingly, and besides, the posters in the foyer advertising a new album on his own imprint Astral Weeks — Live (recorded last year at the Hollywood Bowl) underscored that this was good business.

Whatever Morrison’s motives, however, the singer’s famously exacting levels of perfectionism meant this was a task undertaken anything but lightly. The fact that the 64-year-old singer had gone to the trouble of locating guitarist Jay Berliner — sometime sideman to Charles Mingus and present on the original Astral Weeks sessions — suggested as much. A vital presence here, the New Yorker hunched over his guitar and embroidered his way around the iconic tap of the song’s title track with an arresting fluency that obliterated the intervening years.

Inevitably though, it was hard to avert your gaze from a surprisingly trim-looking Morrison, who seems set on revealing surprisingly little of himself these days. As a result, the ever-present shades and hat seemed to accentuate the incongruously orange sheen of his hair.


After the death of James Brown, it’s hard to think of another band leader who elicits such deference from the musicians around him. Initiated via a repertoire of bewilderingly complex hand signals, songs long since etched in the memory of fans revealed magnificent new depths. The love-drunk rapture of Sweet Thing and The Way Young Lovers Do burst to life with new colour amid the ornate soloing of violinist Tony Fitzgibbons. Locked into each other with almost telepathic empathy, rhythm section Robbie Ruggiero and David Hayes lent a purposeful, celebratory zip to an extended Ballerina.

The longer Morrison mapped out the verdant, mystical postwar Belfast so vividly depicted in songs like Cyprus Avenue and Madame George, the more fascinating it became to watch the behaviour they inspired in their creator.

In the one-hour “warm-up” of old hits that preceded this set, Morrison had remained relatively aloof from his band, even when turning in soaring reconfigurations of It’s All in the Game and Caravan. In keeping with the semi-improvisational nature of the Astral Weeks songs, however, Morrison’s body language was gradually transformed. The hand-signals may have persisted, but increasingly, Morrison the band leader seemed no less happy to be led by the joyful noise that surrounded him.

Encircled by his own musicians, in thrall to the jazz-folk sub-genre singlehandedly invented and, many would say, never bettered by these songs, two eyebrows rose plaintively above Morrison’s shades. “I believe I’ve transcended,” he averred.

If the five-minute ovation encompassing all of a seismic, valedictory Gloria was anything to go by, he wasn’t the only one who thought so.
-Pete Paphides

Word Blog: Anyone out there go to see Van the Man last night? What a night. I've seen him many times including both of the last two shows at Hampton Court, but last night was exceptional. Not only did we get, as billed, Astral Weeks in its entirety in the second half plus two (yes two) encores of Listen for for the Lion and Gloria (including a snippet of 'Who do you love' in the middle), but a first half of sheer joy. He was clearly having fun, he even spoke to us...it was brief, but amusing: "This is the bit where I hide behind the guitar', as he strapped it on for the first time and played some typically brilliant, restrained lead guitar.

It seemed as though it had suddenly dawned on him that he has an amazing back catalogue that the fans want to hear him play. The 'back and forth' in Common One was worth the entry price alone, as was the two minute strings interlude in Listen for the Lion.

The band were stupendous. Violin playing to die for. Van on harmonica and singing (or should I say growling) at the same time. Brilliant guitar playing. Wonderful backing singers....etc


I've been to many concerts at The Albert Hall...I think it's a terrible venue for a 'rock' concert but Van filled every corner of it. He touched everyone in the crowd. People were buzzing as they left, smiling from ear to ear. He's on again tonight. It wasn't sold out and there were plenty of fans trying to sell spare tickets at much less than the horrific box office price. If you're a fan and can get there I'd highly recommend it.

Oh..and by the way...if you were there last night and you noted down the set list, would you be kind enough to post it? Thanks
-Barnes

Setlist:
Northern Muse
Troubadour
Baby Please Don't Go
And It Stoned Me
I Can't Stop Loving You
Wild Night
It's All In The Game
Moondance
Queen of the Slipstream
Have I Told You Lately?
Caravan
And The Healing Has Begun
Common One
Astral Weeks
Beside You
Sweet Thing
Cyprus Avenue
The Way Young Lovers Do
Madame George
Ballerina
Slim Slow Slider
Listen To The Lion
Mystic Eyes/Gloria

Big Hand For The Band(s)!
Tony Fitzgibbon
Bobby Ruggiero
Sarah Jory
Jay Berliner
Paul Moran
Liam Bradley
Richie Buckley
Bianca Thornton
David Hayes
John Platania
Terry Adams
Nancy Ellis
Rick Schlosser
Pauline Lozano

Brown Eyed Girl Recorded 42 Years Ago Today

"I didn't perform (Brown Eyed Girl) for a long time because for me it was like a throwaway song. I've got about 300 other songs I think are better than that."
-Van Morrison

Van recorded Brown Eyed Girl on March 28, 1967 at A & R Studios in New York City. It was first released in May 1967, reaching number ten on the Billboard charts. It was Van's first solo hit after he left the band Them in 1966.

Today, it is listed as the #4 most played song by DJs. In 2007, Van was awarded a Million-Air certificate by BMI for 8 million air plays of "Brown Eyed Girl".

MSN Interview: Out on the Slipstream

MSN: Out on the Slipstream:
'Astral Weeks': Revisiting a Classic

Van Morrison revisits the genesis for his classic 1968 album, "Astral Weeks,' and its 2008 rebirth in a live concert setting.

MSN: The Hollywood Bowl concerts marked the 40th anniversary for the original release of "Astral Weeks," but you've emphasized that you view these new live concert settings as an entirely new project. How are you approaching this material anew?

Van Morrison: These songs were mostly written before '68 over a long period of time -- and it was a lot of really hard work, structuring and forming the story lines. The songwriting is complex. This material has been heralded in over 200 publications as the "Best This" and "Top Album That" and I thought I would finally get around to doing the album like I had always wanted to do [it], but never did 'cause I did not have the money to -- with full orchestration.

I had written some string arrangements I wanted utilized onstage in a live situation. I approach this music like every other piece of music: It's fresh and I make it new with a tweak here and a tweak there. The dynamics of the compositions allow for this music to have something added here and there and they become all new in approach and meaning, as the meaning is with the listener, it means whatever they want it to mean. The lyrics are movielike and fictional stories, so it can all be changed around to create [a] multidimensional listening experience, which is one thing for one person and another thing for another person and something diametrically different to me. This is what song craft is -- to take something and go where it takes you.


When did you decide you would revisit the album? You've mentioned the passing of the great Connie Kay, the Modern Jazz Quartet drummer that anchored the rhythm section in the studio sessions, as one catalyst. Had you thought about revisiting the album earlier?

Not really, but the dynamics of the music are really challenging, complex and interesting and I thought I probably should go ahead and do this record right like I had wanted it from the beginning. The arrangements had a lot of room for me to do what I do with them and create a fuller sound. Live is the very best way for these songs to come alive. I did not want any engineer messing with the raw, in-the-moment sound from the stage, and that is why this "Astral Weeks Live" record has a lot of alchemy going on. The life of it, the heartbeat of it, is in the moment -- it comes alive. On this record, I was not going to let some engineer come in and mess with the original sound. I wanted this live, raw and alive. I think I accomplished what I wanted with this record. It comes alive in a big way for me. I hope this translates to the listeners.

After 40 years of not doing most of these songs, I only held one rehearsal before the Hollywood Bowl shows. I think a lot of people do not realize there was only one short rehearsal for the band before I hit the stage. I think this gave me a bit of an edge this music required to come out like it did.


For the original sessions, you enlisted jazz masters such as Kay, bassist Richard Davis and guitarist Jay Berliner and encouraged them to embark on extended improvisations. By all accounts, the core of those tracks -- rhythm section, vibes, guitars and flute -- was cut live. How did you balance that spontaneity with your underlying goals as a songwriter?

On the original, just like the new one, we all just went in and did it. That is why there is a presence in both records that is hard to explain. On the original session, I was this 22 year old and we were just all thrown in a room and the "record" button was pushed and we went with it, just like at the Hollywood Bowl.

But the original sessions were basically just jam sessions and I worked my voice around all the jamming going on with my own voice in sort of its own jam session to make it work. The only one who actually somewhat followed my vision and arrangements on both records was Jay Berliner. He is a brilliant guitarist with an ear and aptitude to actually follow what I am doing, unlike most others who have to literally wing it.

"Astral Weeks" was received by many listeners as a song cycle. Yet you've also stressed that the material was written during the course of several years, and that a key force here was allowing stream of consciousness to shape much of the writing, especially on the title song: The very opening line points toward that "channeling" that you've discussed over the years. Can you tell us how you discovered and nurtured that instinct?

It's the organic, natural process for me. I think it's essential to have a channeling process to be a songwriter. It's an instinct for the correlations and dynamic and the telling of a storybook melody that will take some people one place and others somewhere else. And sometimes it is too sophisticated for others who simply do not have the aptitude to "get it," so they will not have the experience of being on a mystical journey with it.

I guess it is instinct. How does one hone in on instinct rather than by knowing how to be, how to see, how to absorb impressions around one, filter it through the subconscious into writing, putting the impressions to paper? It's knowing and hearing how to craft structure and how to create space. This is the place where one can feel the silence, and hear what may or may not be there. Some people have called it magic. I call it the alchemy, essential for a songwriter and a wordsmith who is swirling and driving. And then sometimes a subtle melody driving the song home, wherever that may or may not be.
Your studio recordings with the group Them and on your own up to that point were dominated more by blues and R&B, leading some listeners to regard the jazz elements of "Astral Weeks" as a new direction for you. Was that a fair assessment? Or was jazz already part of your vocabulary?

No, that is not accurate. I just do what I do and I play what I feel like playing, where I am led to go. I do not require a label or an adjective to describe any place I go musically. Those are just useless labels that serve no purpose to my music. It is what it is and it is not predetermined by me like 'Oh, I think I want this blues' or 'Oh, this is jazz'. Actually most times, it's all of the styles combined! And there are a lot of classical elements to "Astral Weeks" and no one seems to want to click in to that fact.

The studio version of "Astral Weeks" received only checkered commercial acceptance here in the United States on its first release but has since achieved legendary stature. Given that the album was reportedly cut in just a handful of sessions, did you know when you finished that you had, in fact, realized a classic?

Actually the original [and] this new live version were both cut in one take, one session, one shot.

I did not know I had done anything but a lot of hard work in both regards. As a serious writer and songsmith, I never worry about whether what I have done or created meets any expectation but my own. How could I and be genuine or authentic? Otherwise, it would ruin whatever magic streams come in and out of my consciousness. Channeling has to be an organic process not contrived or forced.

At the Bowl, you not only combined the classics from "Astral Weeks" with signature songs from other periods in your career but also changed the set list order on both nights. Were this tied to the goal of treating the songs as living things and not museum pieces?

I did not have such a set goal. I subconsciously chose the order as I see that it created a story line that ended with "Listen to the Lion." I guess the lion is me. I require an audience that follows with sophistication and an audience that knows how to listen.

You've documented the Holllywood Bowl shows on both CDs and DVD. Given your long-standing passion for live shows, as well as the now substantial catalog of live Morrison recordings, can we expect any more projects that use a specific album as a touchstone?

No. As I said, this was not a wholly conceived or predetermined. It's just what I wanted to do and then I thought, let's film and see what it looks like. I liked what I saw for a change, so I am releasing the concert film. It's shot like a major motion picture, not just a hokey, cut-rate DVD. We added some interview footage. ... Since I do not like interviews and have shunned the press, I thought this is now the time I give my word. My word, I think, should trump all the false books that have been written as none even wanted myY participation about me. I thought this music is sophisticated and maybe the weary world might like to have something complex to listen to that brings them back from the place that a brainwashed society has perhaps lead them into while they were too busy working and making ends meet and worrying about the inevitable. This music can take you wherever the listener chooses to go with it, if that part people can find.

If you were going into a studio tomorrow to cut the "Astral Weeks" songs for the first time, and you could tap any musician, past or present, to be in that band, who would you pick?

Me, God and hopefully intuitive direction.

You've cited one reason for revisiting these songs as the relative neglect that Warner Bros. Records gave the studio release of "Astral Weeks." Is that accurate?

I do not really care what Warner Bros. does or did not do. Why should I? They had a chance to do something and to make something of it. But like all record companies and people with bad intentions or tunnel vision, they choose to neglect and take advantage of people, particularly young people who do not understand the machinations of the con. The music business is not about music. It's a con and will always be a con that gets worse. The music business ... could care less for the most part about authentic creativity and music. It's set up to kill every ounce of magic just with the endless con games played over and over on the artists. It was a bad joke then and a bad joke still. It just gets more obvious. Their business models are set to fail until they realize quality is really important -- omnipotent, in fact.

You've long been a proud, even stubborn, iconoclast willing to steer outside the safe margins of radio and fashion. On the evidence of your catalog, it seems you've had the last laugh: Your entire output has remained in print. What could young artists take away from that?

What do you mean "outside of fashion"? My suits are made by the tailor for the Sultan of Brunei!

I will always have the last laugh, because I do not have to follow the social conformity that most people compromise and do. And I do not listen to any ideas but my own. That is the only way to stay true to your music. It's a long fight. You must hold your ground because the business is built so that every part of your ground can be stolen from you right in front of your very eyes. Do not comply. Do not conform. Stay true to your own instinct. No deal is a good deal. There are always snakes and vipers in every area of the music business. From selling your T-shirt, to selling your record, to the agents, who are all highway robbers, who want what you earn for doing next to nothing, to show people who will take the hat off your head ... if you do not have it nailed on. Keep your eyes open and if it sounds too good to be true -- it is. Everyone is a fast talker, and like I wrote in my song, "Talk Is Cheap."


Starting in the early '70s, you took steps to own your recordings. This was at a time when only a handful of popular musicians were willing to gamble on their futures by insisting on that level of control -- a short list that included Ray Charles and James Brown on the R&B side, and Paul McCartney and Steve Miller in the rock world. Did record company execs or managers try to talk you out of that?

Of course, they are all so trained in doublespeak to the point it would sound like they were giving you something when actually they were giving it all to themselves. That is why artists of my generation tend to feel stolen from -- we were. These people were controlled by the record companies, who never care for the artist. It's what they can make off the back of the artist. Anyone thinking of a career in music needs to heed this. Anyone already in it, read your contracts 100 times in different ways and see what it says rather than what someone else tells you it says. Even your lawyer, got to watch them too, because a lot of them are buddies with the very record company that seeks to own you and your work product under lock, stock and barrel.

If you are lucky, you will come out on the other end.

At a time when the "record business," as it existed when you were forging your career, is crumbling and conventional wisdom forecasts the end of physical records and the decline of the album, what's your sense of the future? You've continued to sell albums despite those gloomy prophesies. And your catalog is built on albums that would appear to draw strength from strong thematic and musical pillars.

Well, that is a loaded question. The music business is not the music business. They do not care about music, never will. The days of [executives such as Atlantic Records co-founder] Ahmet Ertegun are gone and there is no one there to take his place. ... They try to brainwash people into digital. The younger kids are fine with downloads, but there is ... a world of people out there who know the value of a CD. It's the very best value for money entertainment there is.

The record companies are too lazy to manufacture CDs. That is their problem. And they have signed too many people who cannot sing and do not understand music in the least and this is the way record companies have caused their own demise.

To the young people: Be your own boss, be your own agent and be your own manager. This way you cannot lose. Oh, and be your own producer lest you fall for the fad of a big-shot producer who could change your song according to his vision, not yours. How could they possibly know what your intuitive vision is?
-Sam Sutherland

New Concerts In Berkeley & Los Angeles In May

From vanmorrison.com:
Concerts announced today!!

May 2nd and 3rd Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA

May 7th, 8th & 9th Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles.

All shows will have American Express exclusive cardholder pre-sales from March 25th 10am PST to March 28th 10pm

Tickets are on sale to the public March 29 (time: tba)

American Express presale on Wednesday, March 25th at 10am.

Imus In The Morning Radio Show Interview

Listen (audio) to Van's interview with Imus.

Van was interviewed by the I-Man on the Imus In The Morning radio show February 26th.

Imus has been fan of Van's music for many years and has been playing a lot of his music on his morning radio show. Get well soon, I-Man!


Interview Summary:

Imus welcomed the one and only Van Morrison to the show today. Morrison, in town for several live performances of his seminal Astral Weeks album, shared some stories from his early days in the music industry, his thoughts on Astral Weeks, and revealed why he has zero interest in Bono.

Morrison admitted that he hates watching footage of old performances, like The Last Waltz film about The Band's final concert, because he quickly moves on. "I am where I am now, and what I'm into is what I'm doing now," he said.

He was, however, willing to discuss past events, like his relationship with infamous producer and songwriter Bert Berns, whom he met in 1965. "I'd actually heard of him because one of my favorite songs was a b-side of a Drifters hit," said Morrison. "Later on, I signed with his record company, Bang Records."

To Morrison's surprise, Imus confessed that years ago he had made a comedy album for Bang Records. "Did you get the money?" Morrison wondered.

"Of course not!" said Imus. "I got no money."

"That was their policy," Morrison said, laughing. "Neither did I."

Following his time at Bang and what he called "a series of ripoffs" at Warner Brothers Records, Morrison recorded Astral Weeks for Warner Brothers at the tender age of 22. He had previously recorded some of the tracks with Berns, but said, "it wasn't going anywhere."

"The way he wanted to produce it was nothing like the way I wanted to do it," Morrison said about the album.

Imus surmised that Warner Brothers had probably been expecting tracks similar to Morrison's monster hit "Brown Eyed Girl," yet Astral Weeks has a distinctively different sound with more of a jazz approach. Asked for the record label's reaction to Astral Weeks, Morrison recalled, "They said what they always say: 'We love you and we love it and we're your biggest fans.'" Then, he said, they totally forgot about it.

During the 1968 recording of the original Astral Weeks Morrison recalled the hands-off approach he took with the musicians. "They were jazz musicians and the approach was jazz," he said. "They were able to follow me. I'd tell them, 'Just follow where I'm going...follow my vocal, and follow the best way you can, and don't get in the way.'"
In the 40 years since Astral Weeks was released, there has been much speculation about the basis for the song lyrics. Morrison insists they are all fictional.

"So, if I think 'Madame George' is Elton John, that's just my problem?" Imus asked.

Morrison agreed that it was, like most things, Imus's problem.

Morrison is baffled that Astral Weeks is considered a rock classic. "The whole thing was anti-rock!" he said. "It was jazz." A live version of Astral Weeks, recorded during a performance Morrison did last year at the Hollywood Bowl, was released Tuesday.

"I didn't really know what the 'F' I was doing until I was actually on the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, and it clicked," said Morrison, who struggled with the decision to perform Astral Weeks live. "But it felt like the right thing to do. As soon as I got on stage, I said, 'Yeah, this is obviously what I'm supposed to be doing.'"

Imus spent last weekend listening to both versions of Astral Weeks, and said he understands how people get caught up in it. He asked Morrison about the experience of singing the album. "Is is always the same?" Imus wondered.

Morrison answered with a quote from Louie Armstrong: "You never sing a thing the same way twice."

As for "Brown Eyed Girl," Morrison called it both a bad experience, and not one of his best songs. "It's not a very in-depth song," he said. "To me, it was a throwaway." While it has appeared in many films, Morrison does not own the rights. "Where's the money?" he joked.

Morrison added that he is not a digital artist. "My people want hard copies," he said. He does not listen to any current music and recoiled in horror when Imus asked him if he likes Bono. "His rock don't have no roll," said Morrison.

Speaking of rock and roll, Morrison did not show up at his 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "It felt to me like a propagandized organization," he said. "There's a lot of people I felt should have been in it who weren't, and it took a long time to get them in." On the other hand, he was proud to accept induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame just last year.

Before Morrison left, Imus asked how his upcoming shows would be structured. "I haven't worked out yet what I'm doing this time around," Morrison divulged, to which Imus replied, "I didn't mean to tell you this, but the concert is tomorrow night."

Imus thanked his normally interview-averse guest, and pointed out that he had not grilled Morrison about "Madame George," or asked him any annoying personal questions.

Said Morrison, laughing, "This was the perfect interview!"

-Julie Kanfer

Watch Van's Profile on CBS Sunday Morning

Part I


Part II

Van's profile on CBS Sunday Morning. March 8, 2009

Astral Weeks Live At #1 Of Top Internet Albums

Billboard

Top Internet Albums

#1 This Week

Van Morrison Astral Weeks: Live At The Hollywood Bowl

Van To Be Interviewed On CBS' Sunday Morning

Imus.com: CBS News's Anthony Mason on "Astral Weeks"

Broadcast is Sunday March 8th.

CBS News's Business Correspondent Anthony Mason took some time to discuss with Imus the business of Van Morrison. Reporting for CBS's Sunday Morning show, Mason taped an interview with the legendary Morrison.

"He was saying wonderful things about you!" Mason told Imus. "He said when his country album came out a few years ago, one of the only people to play it was Imus."

Imus remarked on the stunning fact that Morrison recorded the original Astral Weeks album at the young age of 23. A live version of Astral Weeks, recorded just last year at the Hollywood Bowl, was released yesterday.

"Every time I hear, it I feel something different from it," Mason said about Astral Weeks. "It's like a really great painting-everytime you look at it, you see something new."

04-Mar-09 Beacon, New York Concert Review

Once again Dan's review:

The final NYC gig at the Beacon tonight was the butter cream icing on the Astral Weeks cake. Van adorned the music with a palpable sense of joy, and his voice was as clear and pure and true as it has been all week.

There was a sense of euphoria on the stage and in the audience as Morrison performed highly emotional versions of Northern Muse, All In The Game, Slipstream, Caravan, and And the Healing has Begun. Healing was the final song of the first set, and it built to a thrilling release. Other first set songs included Wild Night, Moondance, St. James Infirmary, I Can't Stop Loving, BEG, and Comfortably Numb.

The Astral Weeks songs were not extended as far as in past shows, but they still shone with great clarity and purpose and bursts of brilliance. Van bathed much of the music in pure vocal beauty tonight, filling the show with a rush of lyrical and lovely moments. The band was completely relaxed, and Jay Berliner made jaw dropping guitar runs filled with exquisite delicate feeling.

Van finished up with a fabulous Common One that built to a ferocious gospel chorus with the souls in wonder flying way up in the clouds.

The audience went home exhilarated and satisfied with another ripping Mystic Eyes into Gloria.
and now it's time for slumber.

There is much more to say about these gigs. I am sure there are some great overviews still to be written. Looking forward to them.

It was great to see so many jubilant faces of fans and friends.

Setlist:
Northern Muse(Solid Ground)
Wild Night
It's All in the Game
Moondance
St. James Infirmary
Queen of the Slipstream
I Can't Stop Loving You
Caravan
Comfortably Numb
Brown Eyed Girl
And the Healing has Begun
Astral Weeks
Beside You
Slim Slow Slider
Sweet Thing
The Way Young Lovers Do
Cyprus Avenue
Ballerina
Madame George
Common One
Mystic Eyes/Gloria

Big Hand For The Band(s)!
Tony Fitzgibbon
Bobby Ruggiero
Sarah Jory
Jay Berliner
Paul Moran
Liam Bradley
Richie Buckley
Bianca Thornton
David Hayes
John Platania
Terry Adams
Nancy Ellis
Rick Schlosser
Pauline Lozano

03-Mar-09 Beacon, New York Concert Review

Here's Dan's review:

Another killer Astral Weeks set tonight, this time at the Beacon of hope on Broadway at 74th.

Van was anchored in his own special place and time, rock solid at the microphone with waves of energy flowing from the stage and then back again into the singer's implosive core. Sometimes you'd think van has a little artistic nuclear reactor racing in that heart of his, His art was in full flight, transforming the personal into a universal emotional motherlode that the audience savored. Slim slow slider was memory made flesh. As John Gilligan said afterward: "I'm speechless. I just don't know what to say."

Slim slow was overflowing with drive and passion, Morrison going back in time to when the "doctor gave me railway carriage charms." Van was channeling something indescribable tonight during the Astral Weeks suite. The band knew it; the audience knew it. rain-a-bow rain-a-bow rain-a-bow ribbons in her hair.

The opening set was a warm up for the main event, but it contained some nice treats. Another sweet Northern Muse; a stronger Spirit; Wild Night; Moondance; a soulful Jackie Wilson; All in the Game; And The Healing Has Begun, with Van moaning and singing into the harmonica microphone; Have I Told You Lately, the slow lover man version; Queen Of The Slipstream was ecstatic; Comfortably Numb; And It Stoned Me; I Can't Stop Loving You.

The muse settled in for good during Beside You, and Morrison's voice opened up like a flower for the remainder of the evening. The performance concluded with a ripping mystic eyes into a pulverizing Gloria.

No Listen To The Lion tonight. The Lion had already roared.

Anthony shares his thoughts:

The first half of this show found Van a little fussy, changing arrangements mid-song (!) and apparently catching the band by surprise throughout. He didn't play as much harmonica as last Friday, and seemed to be constantly taking sips from several cups behind him. I wonder if the 2+ hour shows have been a little strain on his voice? But except for a few gravel-voiced tones in one song from the Astral Weeks set, I could hear no difference. The vocals were excellent all night. And his fussy behavior was gone during the Astral Weeks set. I do not mean, in any way, that the first set wasn't less than excellent... just that Van seemed to be experimenting and fussing.

There were a few other subtle differences from the Friday WaMu show: Guitarist Jay Berliner skipped the first half last night, there was a steel guitar added to the instrumental mix, and the bass player used an electric bass during the first set before returning to stand-up in the second set.

Friday, Astral Weeks was in the same order as the album. Not so last night.

Setlist:

Solid Ground
Spirit
Wild Night - During this song, he skipped singing some of the lyrics and substituted dah-dah-dah in their place. It was pretty funny.
And It Stoned Me
I Can't Stop Loving You - He let the back-up singers handle the last third of the song while he chimed in vocally from time-to-time... and they can sing!
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)
It's All In The Game/You Know What They're Writing About
Queen of the Slipstream
Moondance - Started with a long sax solo by Van let the back-ups handle the last third (as above) and the bass player got a solo.
Have I Told You Lately?
Comfortably Numb
And The Healing Has Begun

INTERMISSION

Astral Weeks
Beside You
Slim Slow Slider - This was stretched out a bit during this concert, to amazing effect. The band rattled on, the arrangement got looser and more primitive, the bass player alternated between plucking the strings and simply banging on his stand-up, Van was clawing at his guitar, the energy built and built, until Van cut them all back to a quiet shuffle as he brought the song to a close. Stunning performance.
Sweet Thing - Much like the previous song, this too was stretched out in a similar manner, though not as manic sounding.
Cyprus Avenue
Young Lovers Do
Ballerina
Madame George
Common One - Also stretched out more than Friday, with the usual fun of the call-and-response challenge between Van & the sax player but as the song progressed, Van started a separate alternating call-and-response with the back-up singers... so he would sing one line for the sax player, who repeated it, and then the next line for the singers, then the sax player, etc. Van was playful and playing around.
Mystic Eyes/Gloria

Instead of a "real" encore, they just kind of kept playing. Van very briefly exited the stage between Common One & Mystic Eyes/Gloria, but it was for less than 30 seconds.

The Astral Weeks set has obviously grown and evolved since Friday. Friday night sounded a little sharper and spikier, like a brittle music box and last night it was warmer, but both versions were mesmerizing and inspiring. I would love to be at the concerts in the UK in a couple of months to see how the second half of the show keeps evolving, but... no such luck.

Van is better than ever.

Big Hand For The Band(s)!
Tony Fitzgibbon
Bobby Ruggiero
Sarah Jory
Jay Berliner
Paul Moran
Liam Bradley
Richie Buckley
Bianca Thornton
David Hayes
John Platania
Terry Adams
Nancy Ellis
Rick Schlosser
Pauline Lozano

New Yorker Magazine Interview With Van

New Yorker: Listening Party

Lakeside Lounge, on Avenue B, is known for many things: close quarters, cheap drinks, a photo booth, but most of all for its jukebox, which is full of raw R. & B., country, and early rock and roll. Last Monday afternoon, a short man in his sixties wearing oversized sunglasses and a black fedora cocked his ear toward the speaker overhead. “Joe Turner,” he said. “Big Joe.”

The song was “Honey Hush,” a No. 1 R. & B. hit in 1953 for the Kansas City blues shouter. The man was Van Morrison, the Irish singer and songwriter, who was in town to play a pair of shows that week at the WaMu Theatre, at Madison Square Garden. The concerts were recitals of an old record, the 1968 album “Astral Weeks.” But Morrison wanted to talk about even older records. “There was a place in Belfast called Atlantic Records,” he said, his accent strong, his speaking voice lighter than his singing voice. “They imported the stuff from here, actually: jazz records and blues records. I’d go with my father from when I was three.”

Joe Turner had stopped coming out of the jukebox. Now it was the founding fathers of rock and roll, in quick succession: Jerry Lee Lewis singing “Sixty Minute Man,” Chuck Berry with “Tulane,” Bo Diddley’s “Dearest Darling,” Little Richard on “Rip It Up.” Morrison acknowledged each song with a nod. He looked slimmer than he has in the past, and he had long red hair of a hue reminiscent of Sumner Redstone. He sipped tea from a mug, and his press agent brought him a bagel with tuna salad. “The first Little Richard song I heard was ‘Tutti Frutti,’ ” he said. “No, it was the one from the movie ‘The Girl Can’t Help It.’ Little Richard was doing rhythm and blues, but with horns,” Morrison went on. “It was different than Elvis Presley, and so I preferred it. Why would you like Elvis if you had the real stuff? I also preferred Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent. Vincent was different. He was rock and roll, dangerous.”

Morrison mentioned Wynonie Harris, the ribald singer of the late forties and early fifties known as Mr. Blues: “I heard one of his on the radio, on a daytime show. Someone probably played it by accident.” He held forth on Leadbelly: “He did everything from children’s songs to cowboy songs to show tunes.” He talked about the blind harpist Sonny Terry (the first record he ever bought was one of Terry’s), the powerhouse vocalist Bobby Bland, and the skiffle pioneer Lonnie Donegan. When someone grouped Donegan with other practitioners of “pre-Beatles rock and roll,” Morrison pulled up short.

“That’s a cliché,” he said, adjusting his sunglasses. “I don’t think ‘pre-Beatles’ means anything, because there was stuff before them. Over here, you have a different slant. You measure things in terms of the Beatles. We don’t think music started there. Rolling Stone magazine does, because it’s their mythology. The Beatles were peripheral. If you had more knowledge about music, it didn’t really mean anything. To me, it was meaningless.”

Behind Morrison, the press agent was miming a “cut” signal, slicing the air in front of his throat with his hand. He was worried about rush-hour traffic—more specifically, about asking Morrison to sit in the car in rush-hour traffic. “I’m good for more,” Morrison told him, and additional bills were fed into the jukebox. Fats Domino, the subject of Morrison’s highest-charting single, “Domino,” came on with “Careless Love,” his trademark rolling piano already in place in 1951. “I never played piano myself,” Morrison said. “There was a small organ that I used to play in the early sixties, but I don’t think we could afford a piano.”

Morrison—now forty years and nearly forty albums into a solo career—said that he rarely goes to see young bands. “I’ve seen all the people I wanted to see,” he said. “Ray Charles loads of times, James Brown lots of times, Mose Allison, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf. Why do I need to keep finding new bands when I have the originals?”

On Monday night, Morrison will be the musical guest for the première of Jimmy Fallon’s late-night TV program. He had not previously heard of Fallon, whose inexperience as a talk-show host he found appealing. “I wouldn’t think he would be so in-a-box,” Morrison said. The music wound down. Sam Cooke sang “Mean Old World.” Morrison stood and went out past the jukebox.
-Ben Greenman

Van On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon had Van as musical guest for debut show. Van performed Sweet Thing. When song was over Fallon came over with Justin Timberlake & Robert DeNiro - Van hugged Deniro and then left.

Watch Van's Interview With Time Magazine

Time Magazine (video) taped an interview with Van.
10 Questions for Van Morrison
The rock legend returns with a live version of the 1968 classic album 'Astral Weeks.' Van Morrison will now take your questions.

28-Feb-09 Wamu, New York Concert Review

WFUV:
Van Morrison played two sensational sets at the Wamu Theater last night in the second of two nights at the 5600 person capacity MSG venue. Van put together a crowd pleasing song list for the first set that many fans have been waiting his whole career to hear. It could only be characterized as a ‘greatest hits’ set and which varied from the ones he played in November at the Hollywood Bowl. He was in great voice and played sax, guitar, and harp on top of leading a 14 piece band (2 cellos, 2 violins, gtr, bass, sax, trumpet, pedal steel, 3 backup singers, drums, and keyboards/flute) with hand gestures and occasional verbal commands. The Astral Weeks set was glorious. He changed the order of songs slightly by moving Slim Slow Slider towards the beginning and ending with Madame George which was indicative of his attitude toward the material. It’s his so he enhanced and accentuated what he felt like while bringing the seminal album to life.

No Depression:
Van Morrison relishes being a musical enigma. There is no other way to explain Saturday night's once-in-a-lifetime concert at the FailedBank Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The show was billed as one of a handful where Morrison would perform, in its entirety, his brilliantly abstract 1968 masterpiece Astral Weeks – an album that, for many reasons, including lingering legal tangles, never enjoyed a fitful tour when it was released. (Last year's shows in Los Angeles were recorded for the CD release Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl, which came out this past week, and for an upcoming DVD.) Though in recent years a few tunes from the critically beloved album have found their way into Morrison's live sets, he has largely stayed away from most of the material in concert. So, there was a heightened sense of wonder and expectation.

But Morrison also promised a second set of songs he rarely performs live. The details here, as usual, were shadowy. Most who have seen Morrison live in the past expected this meant deep tracks from revered but largely forgotten collections. While he partially delivered that on this night, he also reached back for a stunningly rare onslaught of his tier-one hits in the first half of the nearly two-and-a-half-hour concert.

Starting the first set at the piano, Morrison – backed by an elegant fourteen-piece band with horns, strings, and three backing vocalists – launched into "Northern Muse (Solid Ground)" and moved to center stage midway through the song. The lovely midtempo ballad, along with other selections such as "Queen Of The Slipstream", "Spirit" and "The Healing Has Begun", showed spiritual and pastoral sides of Morrison that didn't tip the hand of what was to come.

A few songs later, Morrison (who played guitar, piano, sax and harmonica at various points during the show) dipped into a schmaltzy version of "Moondance" that was the biggest disappointment of the otherwise perfect night. The song started a string of his biggest hits, including "Wild Night", "Jackie Wilson Said", "And It Stoned Me", "Domino" and "Brown-Eyed Girl". This was the kind of single-fat set that less-vested Morrison concertgoers had been seeking for all these years, only to go home disappointed; but on this night, Morrison appeared to be enjoying himself and soaking in the appreciative crowd's roaring approval. A renowned musical deconstructionist, Morrison even delivered good chunks of the original melody lines from those signature songs intact.

After a ten-minute intermission, a slightly revamped and smaller band took the stage to tackle Astral Weeks – sort of like the main course being served after the dessert. From the initial acoustic-guitar notes of the opening title track, it was instantly clear this was going to be something special.

Aided largely by original Astral Weeks session player Jay Berliner's classical guitar romps, Morrison and band attacked the songs with a palpable joy, and a zest that dusted off these 40-year-old songs and made them shine anew. While original session double bassist Richard Davis was somewhat missed, this dynamic band with a powerfully voiced Morrison captivated the sellout crowd of 5,600, who paid between $90 and $350 to witness the spectacle.

There is something transcendent about a songwriter revisiting lyrics he wrote as a young man and interpreting them through a matured yet not cynical voice. The whimsy may have been gone, but the wonder was not. The title track, "Ballerina" and "Cypress Avenue" captured the curious spirit of the soaring original versions, while Morrison and band took liberties, including stretched-out violin and viola parts from the creative Tony Fitzgibbon, that significantly elevated the songs. Morrison, now 63, was in good spirits most of the night; guitar malfunctions and other small technical glitches did not throw him off.

On "Cypress Avenue", a playful Morrison exaggerated his class-jumping tongue-tiedness as he spied his rainbow-ribboned lady returning to her mansion. In the middle of other tunes, Morrison used an Elmer Fudd-like laugh as a vocal scat, which appeared to be an inside joke among the band. He even stopped songs to laugh a few times during the night.

Other numbers from Astral Weeks took on a new, weightier dimension. On "Slim Slow Slider", rather than stopping at the lyrics that talk about the title character dying, Morrison extended it to chronicle his own breaking down. There were other poignant moments which documented the inevitable march of aging. When Morrison sang about how he will "never grow so old again" (in "Sweet Thing"), or how he and his lover sat on a star and "dreamed of the way that we were and the way that we wanted to be" (in "The Way Young Lovers Do"), the naive innocence of an earlier time gave way to a knowing bemusement that comes with experience.

"Madame George", one of the most puzzling and lyrically debated songs from Morrison' s expansive oeuvre, closed the set of songs from the rich and timeless album. This night's rendition was far more celebratory than the album version, which painted a sadder, lonelier picture of the blurry title character. As Morrison sang over and over about "the love that loves to love the loves," it became a jocund, vivacious nursery rhyme. Further, rather than being focused on the meandering goodbye, the song was more colored by nostalgia, with Morrison recalling the back streets of his former home in Belfast. As he riffed repeatedly on the phrase "in the back street," Morrison cheerfully ad-libbed, "That's where I come from." It represented a figurative and a musical homecoming that was both memorable and touching.

An obviously engaged Morrison came back out one last time to play a hymn-like version of "Listen To The Lion" and a raucously imperfect "Gloria" to cap the amazing night of music.
-Scott Brodeur

Setlist:

Set One:
Northern Muse
Spirit
Moondance
Wild Night
Jackie Wilson Said
Baby Please Don’t Go
I Can’t Stop Lovin’ You
And it Stoned Me
Comfortably Numb
Queen of the Slipstream
And the Healing has Begun
Domino
Brown Eyed Girl
Common One

Set Two:
Astral Weeks
Beside You
Slim Slow Slider
Sweet Thing
Cyprus Avenue
The Way Young Lovers Do
Ballerina
Madame George
Listen to the Lion
Mystic Eyes>Gloria

Big Hand For The Band(s)!
Tony Fitzgibbon
Bobby Ruggiero
Sarah Jory
Jay Berliner
Paul Moran
Liam Bradley
Richie Buckley
Bianca Thornton
David Hayes
John Platania
Terry Adams
Nancy Ellis
Rick Schlosser
Pauline Lozano

27-Feb-09 Wamu, New York Concert Review

Here is Anthony's review:
I know Van Morrison has a mixed reputation for his concerts. He has deserved it, but over the past three years he has been fairly consistent, always delivering an evening of great singing with a top notch in-the-groove band.

Last night, Friday Feb 27th, at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in NYC, was one of the best Van Morrison concerts I have ever seen. He played for a little over 2 hours, and his voice is, amazingly, better than ever. And the WaMu Theater (which was originally the old Felt Forum) is a pretty decent venue. Large, but the sightlines are all good and all on one level, no balconies. Even though we were in the last eight rows, we felt a part of the night, not lost in the bleachers.

For those who do not know, these shows have been touting two distinct sections: a complete run through of the Astral Weeks album, with as many of the original musicians as possible, and a second set of “Van Rarities,” whatever that meant.

He started exactly at 8pm.

Solid Ground - He began this song sitting at the piano, but got up half way through. Throughout the evening he sang, played sax, harmonica and two different guitars.
Glad Tidings
TB Sheets
Who Drove the Red Sports Car?
And It Stoned Me
So Quiet In Here
St. James Infirmary - He began on sax for the first couple of minutes, then switched to vocals, for one of the chillingest versions of this old classic I have ever heard him do. This is one song he always takes to new heights.
Caravan
Comfortable Numb - This was a great version of the Pink Floyd song. He introduced it by saying he didn’t write it, but they asked him to sing it for a movie, so he did.
Mystic Eyes/Gloria - Mystic Eyes is a harmonica rave-up from back in the days of Them, which segued into Gloria, which the Boomer crowd happily sang & spelled along with.
Summertime in England/A Town Called Paradise - This is an odd mashup of pieces from both these two songs, and most of this performance was given over to the call-and-response with the sax player. For those not familiar with it, Van will sing a short phrase and the sax player has to repeat it exactly a second later, almost like a human echo. It’s a lot of fun musically, and Van was doing his best to try and trip up the sax player. He was laughing at one point, until finally the sax player was allowed to rip into a solo.

INTERMISSION

Astral Weeks
Beside You
Sweet Thing
Cyprus Avenue - At the start of this song, Van had one guitar, started calling to the technicians offstage to turn it up ‘cause he couldn’t hear himself. A techie ran out with another guitar, which wasn’t tuned to Van’s liking, so he put the guitar down and sang solo. In the past, this is the kind of thing that would have pissed him of and ruined the evening, but he rolled with it, it didn’t seem to faze him, and he sang as well as ever.
The Way Young Lovers Do
Madame George
Ballerina
Slim Slow Slider
Through all of the above Astral Weeks songs, the band was sort of clattering & shamboling along, almost sounding like it could breakdown at any point, yet it kept rattling on, and I mean this in the best possible way.

ENCORE
Listen To The Lion

It was a large band. Two back up singers, a three-piece string section plus an incredible violinist (his solos were some of the highlights of the sets), a percussionist, a drummer, stand-up acoustic bass player, an organ & piano player who also filled in on trumpet (it might have been Georgie Fame), the sax/flute player, an acoustic guitar player who sat in a chair throughout the show (Jay Berliner), and two additional guitar players. The band was all configured in close proximity to Van, and the bass player and Jay Berliner were actually facing Van instead of the audience. For that matter, all the musicians were watching Van, so they could catch any of his hand signals.

During the Astral Weeks section, the back up singers and the two additional guitarists were not on stage, but they came back out for the encore.

Van’s singing... was great. It is stronger than ever, and he played with it all night, singing through the harmonica, growling, throat-singing... and some of the Astral Weeks songs, particularly Beside You, are pretty taxing vocally, but he kept rolling along. And he was in a good, playful mood, enjoying himself. Some of the Astral Weeks songs came off better than others, but none of the night’s performances were weak.

The one odd note: at every concert I have ever seen, Van makes a point of introducing each member of the band, usually towards the end of an extended song and to my surprise, he did not do that last night.

And finally, I have tickets for this upcoming Tuesday when he does two nights at The Beacon Theater. I will report back then.
-Anthony P.













NJ Star Ledger:

NEW YORK -- It's about the last thing you would expect Van Morrison to do.

In November, he played his classic 1968 album "Astral Weeks" in its entirety at two concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. He did the same thing Friday and Saturday at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, and will do so again tomorrow and Wednesday at another Manhattan venue, The Beacon Theatre. Another two "Astral Weeks" shows are planned for April, at London's Royal Albert Hall.

This is unlike Morrison because throughout his long career he has been an unpredictable figure, restlessly trying out new musical styles, and refusing to crank out his old hits in concert. Onstage, he comes off more like a jazz artist, willing to go wherever the music leads him, than a typical pop star or classic-rocker. One wouldn't expect him to put any kind of limit on a show.

This new chapter in his career -- which has already been documented by a CD, "Astral Weeks: Live At The Hollywood Bowl," with a DVD to follow -- makes a certain amount of sense, though, if you consider the nature of "Astral Weeks." One of the reasons it had such an impact, in '68, was that it seemed limitless. Traditional song structure went out the window; instead, these songs ebbed and flowed, with long, meditative passages coming between the emotional peaks. Morrison and his band seemed to be discovering the songs, and all their nuances, as they played them.

"Astral Weeks" did not make the Top 40 or yield any hit singles. But it helped expand the boundaries of what a rock album could be, and its influence was felt by future generations of jazz-rockers, prog-rockers and jam bands.

Morrison played the album's songs in order Friday night, and didn't drastically overhaul them. But by subtly altering tempos, and adding riffs and solos, he gave the impression of discovering them once again.

He was most animated on "Ballerina," while "The Way Young Lovers Do," with its loose, swinging beat, was the most rhythmically compelling number, and there were some explosive moments in "Sweet Thing" and "Madame George."

Ten musicians, including a three-piece string section, backed Morrison for this part of the show, gamely following where Morrison led: they frequently altered their playing in response to Morrison's hand gestures and head nods. This is not the way you expect a classic album to be played. But this classic album is "Astral Weeks."

The "Astral Weeks" songs constituted the show's second set. The band was even larger -- 15 pieces -- for lone encore "Listen to the Lion" and the opening set, which offered an unpredictable survey of Morrison's past.


He went back even further than "Astral Weeks" for "Who Drove the Red Sports Car?" and the dark "T.B. Sheets," as well as a garage-rock medley of "Mystic Eyes" and "Gloria." There were three concise gems from his pop-friendly "Moondance" album ("Glad Tidings," "Caravan," "And It Stoned Me"); more contemplative songs like "Northern Muse (Solid Ground)" and "So Quiet In Here"; and covers ranging from the standard "St. James Infirmary" (with Morrison taking a sax solo) to a majestic version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb."

Late in the set, he performed a routine with saxophonist/flutist Richie Buckley; Morrison would sing a phrase, then Buckley would echo it, almost immediately, with his voice or his saxophone. The effect was dizzying. Morrison has often done this kind of thing before, but something about the way it went on Friday cracked him up.

There was also some unintentional comic relief, moments later, as Morrison tried to make a dramatic exit, singing as he walked offstage. Only his microphone cord wouldn't reach, and after struggling with it briefly, he gave up, muttered "The cord's not long enough," put down his mic, and walked off.

A word of warning to those planning to attend the Beacon concerts: Get there on time! Morrison started this show, which had no opening act, at exactly its advertised time: 8 p.m. Rock headliners hardly ever do that. As a result, many people were still shuffling to their seats as the show's first few songs were played.
- Jay Lustig



Setlist:
Set One:
Northern Muse( Solid Ground)
Glad Tiding
T.B. Sheets
Who Drove the Red Sports Car
And It Stoned Me
So Quiet In Here
St. James Infirmary
Caravan
Comfortably Numb
Mystic Eyes/Gloria.
Common One

Set Two:
Astral Weeks
Beside You
Sweet Thing
The Way Young Lovers Do
Cyprus Avenue
Madame George
Ballerina.
Slim Slow Slider.
Listen to the Lion (Encore)

Big Hand For The Band(s)!
Tony Fitzgibbon
Bobby Ruggiero
Sarah Jory
Jay Berliner
Paul Moran
Liam Bradley
Richie Buckley
Bianca Thornton
David Hayes
John Platania
Terry Adams
Nancy Ellis
Rick Schlosser
Pauline Lozano