Van Morrison

Classic Van Morrison Songs: Wonderful Remark

Posted on by Egil Mosbron

That was a wonderful remark
I had my eyes closed in the dark
I sighed a million sighs
I told a million lies, to myself, to myself

TOC

–

Facts

 

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The Best Albums 2016: 20 to 11 (part 2/3)

Posted on by Hallgeir Olsen

(Check out part 1 here, 30-21)

20 Cass McCombs – Mangy Love

Released: August 26 , 2016
Producer: Rob Schnapf, Cass McCombs & Dan Horne
Label: Anti Records
“Mangy Love makes itself distinct from its predecessors with its outright jazziness and ethereality. Wit’s End was a traipse though the densely forested hills of solitude; Big Wheel and Others was a road trip through odd, nameless American sub-societies,; and Mangy Love is Cass McCombs in outer space.”
– Dustin Lowman (Drowned in Sound)
–
This album really made me listen to the lyrics, I was fooled by the sweet melodies – but the lyrics are tough, hard, rough poems about love,sex, life and death. McCombs knows how to play with words (Switch):
Turn you on, you light up the room
Turn you off, it’s dark as a tomb– Hallgeir
End of Year lists
# 33 – American Songwriter
# 59 – Gorilla vs. Bear
# 29 – LA Music Blog
# 26 – MOJO
# 25 – Piccadilly Records
# 7 – Q Magazine
# 31 – Stereogum
# 31 – Uncut
Best songs: Opposite House, Bum Bum Bum and Switch 

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Great Concert: Van Morrison at the BBC September 29 2016

Posted on by Hallgeir Olsen


Van Morrison
BBC In Concert
29th September 2016
1080p ᴴᴰ – HQ

Only the BBC can play host to an artist of Morrison’s calibre in such a tiny venue. The Radio Theatre, New Broadcasting House, is made up in such a way that we are transported to a New Orleans jazz club. Van Morrison sing and play for just over an hour, with a few hundred lucky winners of the ticket lottery standing mesmerised. This is a fantastic show and a testament to the staying power of a tremendous artist.

Setlist (* = songs from his lates album, Keep me singing):
Too Late*
Magic Time
Wild Night
Baby Please Don’t Go/ Don’t Start Crying Now// Here Comes The Night
Every Time I see A River*
Cleaning Windows
Let It Rhyme*
Whenever God Shines His Light
Sometimes We Cry
Going Down To Bangor*
The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword*
Keep Me Singing*
Enlightenment
Carrying A Torch
Brown Eyed Girl
Jackie Wilson Said
In The Garden

– Hallgeir

Van Morrison – 6 Great live versions of “Ballerina”

Posted on by Egil Mosbron

 

Spread your wings
Come on fly awhile
Straight to my arms
Little angel child
You know you only
Lonely twenty-two story block

–

I was in San Francisco one time in 1966 and I was attracted to the city. It was the first time I had been there, and I was sitting in this hotel and all these things were going through my head, and I had a flash about an actress in an opera house appearing in a ballet, and I think that’s where the song came from.
-Van Morrison (to Ritchie Yorke)

–

If anyone ever argues that Morrison cannot sing – an unlikely scenario anyway – then simply play them this. All human emotion is crystallised here, and subtly vocalised: desire, joy, hope, world weariness, consolidation, awe & anticipation. The “angel child” here is also a fully mature woman. What sounds like a penny whistle comes in just at the end, almost subliminally. Van´s Celtic phase starts here.
-Brian Hinton (Celtic Crossroads)

Ballerina was recorded during the last Astral Weeks session on October 15, 1968 at Century Sound Studios in New York City. Lewis Merenstein was the producer.

He has performed it live 180 times according to the brilliant website ivan.vanomatic.de.

Here are 6 thrilling versions:

2/2/1974 – Winterland, San Francisco, CA:

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Watch: Van Morrison @ The Tube – C4 TV, Tyne Tees TV Studios, Newcastle in 1985

Posted on by Egil Mosbron

van morrison the tube newcastle march 1985

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]In March [1985] Van appeared on The Tube, that cauldron of live Rock from Newcastle, and gave his all for three songs from the new album [A Sense of Wonder], in blue woolly pullover and truculent air, filmed from below and playing a big sparkling guitar. His tour band played their socks off, and Van shared lead duties with Arty McGlynn.
-Brian Hinton (Celtic Crossroads)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The Tube – C4 TV,
Tyne Tees TV Studios
Newcastle upon Tyne
March 29, 1985

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Video of the day: Van Morrison – Cyprus Avenue

Posted on by Egil Mosbron

From Wikipedia:

“Cyprus Avenue” is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1968 album Astral Weeks. In performance it was a concert highlight and closer for years to come and would end with Morrison’s command, “It’s too late to stop now!” as he stalked from the stage. A dynamic 10 minute version with the usual stop-start ending was included on his 1974 live album, It’s Too Late To Stop Now.

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