Van Morrison. I mean just how do you explain his unbelievable gift of music and writing. There are certain songs Which literally stops you in your track. Lyrics so sublime. So unique. Even Godly. The track. In the garden. I mean wow... As I touched your face so lightly born again you were... It’s hard not to silenced by the joy of such songs. Daring night... as he says many times... a sense of wonder. An absolutely icon. Different in every way. If you want your music to take you to a different place. But listen and enjoy the journey
10 - Hard Nose the Highway 9- Tupelo Honey 8 - Avalon Sunset 7 - Poetic Champions Compose 6 - No Guru... 5 - St Dominics Preview 4 - Astral Weeks 3 - Into the Music 2 - Moondance 1 - It's Too Late to Stop Now Love Common One as well, but some of the live versions of Summertime in England (my favorite Van song) are superior to the album - especially the one with Richie Buckley on sax.
Van Morrison is a moder-day Beethoven and Bach rolled into one. No other band or individual singer songwriter even comes close. Van is God’s gift to fallen mankind.
"Into the Music" HAS to be there - start to finish, a masterpiece, "Bright Side of the Road," I mean, come on, "When the Healing Has Begun," one of his very best!
Van Morrison transcends time. He can sing the same song fifty different ways and it’s always great. I suppose he can be difficult, but it’s his talent that does it for me!❤️❤️
Good video . I will have to check out Common One and No Guru . Some of my favourites include : Moondance His Band & Street Choir Tupelo Honey Too Late to Stop Now Veedon Fleece Hard Nose the Highway Back on Top Into the Music A Night in San Francisco Beautiful Vision Poetic Champions Compose. Thank you for the recommendations . I will certainly explore a number of your selections . Cheers !
I used to wait for his latest release over a period of 55 years , race off to the Record Store to buy it , read the reviews in the NME , and wallow in his sound until the next album. No one quite like him ....from New Zealand...
Enjoyed this a lot and your top five are all of high merit. I bought Astral Weeks in my first term at university, so it therefore occupies a special place. At that time in 1969 it was unlike any other album that you could buy. But there was some albums you missed that, as you worked towards your number one I was getting sure you would choose! My no. 1 is Veedon Fleece. Weird and strange and sometimes harder to listen to than some others but for me the one I always come back to, that and No Guru. You also missed out the album he recorded with the chieftains Irish Heartbeat. Another wonderful album and deserving perhaps to be somewhere in the top 10.
Great great list - Van Morrison's career is similar to Bowie in that everyone can have a different top 10 list and still be correct. I would have Veedon fleece on the top of my list - otherwise I totally get your list. Thanks for taking the time to do this!
It'sToo Late To Stop Now is in my opinion the best live album ever, from any artist. If you can listen to the extended version which has loads more tracks from the Caledonian Soul Orchestra tour. It is incredible.
Van Morrison is one one of the best musicians/songwriters EVER. “Hymns To The Silence” is my personal favorite also. If you have not heard it, do yourself a favor and listen.
Man, this is a sweet CZcams video. I made a list down below a couple years back and am now disturbed by how I didn’t include Too Long in Exile anywhere on it. A great & underrated Van album! Anyway, my revised list is now down below. Happy Holidays to Van fans! Listen to the Lion! 🙌 Cheers!🍺 Oh, and this list goes to 11! 11. Poetic Champions Compose 10. Hard Nose the Highway 9. Too Long in Exile 8. Into the Music 7. A Sense of Wonder 6. Beautiful Vision 5. Veedon Fleece 4. Wavelength 3. Astral Weeks 2. Common One 1. St. Dominic’s Preview
Great assessment- thanks. Glad you've got some of my favourites there - especially "it's too late to stop now". I believe I watched this one late night after the pub and was spellbound but have since never come across full video footage. I would have loved to have been there! Also must check out "Common One". Thanks again👍
Hi David, Thanks for putting this together and for your insights on Van's music - really enjoyed the video. You're right: Common One is a stand out. And I'll be getting my hands on Hymns... With probably fifty albums to savor it's a given that everyone will have their own favorites, as do I, but I enjoyed listening to yours. Thanks again and good work 😎
This is great, thanks! I'm a Geordie too, and saw VM at Newcastle City Hall in 1989. My list, best 1st (studio albums only): 1 - St Dominic's Preview (absolute peak) 2 - Astral Weeks (experimental masterpiece) 3 - Into The Music (late 70s renaissance) 4 - Moondance (patchy Side 2, but with 5 amazing songs) 5 - Beautiful Vision 6 - Poetic Champions Compose 7 - Common One (flawed but essential) 8 - No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (patchy Side Two; peak-form Side One) 9 - Veedon Fleece (flawed, experimental, essential) 10 - Days Like This (his last great album IMO). The expanded version of 'It's Too Late To Stop Now' and the outtakes collection 'The Philosopher's Stone' are essential VM. The recent expanded version of 'The Healing Game' is a revelation. I heard 'Hymns To The Silence' on Spotify recently, and it was better than I remembered (I owned it on cassette at the time of its release).
Hello my friend. I have been a Van fan for 30 years. Saw him twice, first time was almost terrible, second was life changing. I only own about 6 Van albums. I always thought that I was on an island by thinking Hymns to the Silence was cool. Now it’s nice to know that at least one other person thinks that way as well. God Bless.
Hard Nose was always a sentimental favourite. I listened to it on cassette as a Canadian teenager hitchhiking up and down the east coast of Australia in the early 80s.
Great video David. Really enjoyed watching it and listening to you talk with passion about your top ten. I would have a more a top 5 and they would be Veedon Fleece, Astral Weeks, His Street Choir, Saint Dominic’s Preview and Moondance in no particular order. Thanks for posting !
So many Van Morrison albums to choose from. Hes my #1 artist. Since I first heard moondance as a child, back in the 80s. The other great live album for me is Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast.
I got Common One in a discount bin many years ago, in fact it was my first Van disc. Played it once and forgot about it for a while, I then finally connected to it after a few more plays and I was hooked on Van ever since. Have nearly everything of his now including countless bootlegs. Into The Music is my favourite closely followed by Hymns To The Silence ( Take me Back is stunning ) and Common One. Unable to get into Three Chords and the Truth, but love his last couple with Joey Defrancesco You're Driving Me Crazy and The Prophet Speaks. He toured here ( Australia ) and received bad press and has refused to come here ever since sadly. Great presentation and video glad I found you only last week. Enjoyed you're last walking trip, we're not lost just unsure where we are !!
Cheers Philip. I've had a similar experience with 'Common One'. I didn't get it initially, but I came back to it a few years later and was hooked. I had a similar experience with Wagner's 'Das Rheingold'. 😳 (more of that later!)
Thanks David! I really enjoyed listen to your top 10 Van Morrison albums. With such a large catalog of music it is difficult to narrow them all down and it is very subjective. I had a very similar experience when I ran into Van before a show once, so I know the look he gave you. Van described himself in an interview once as an introvert in an extrovert business. I always gave him some slack for not being the “rockstar “ we want him to be. Thanks again!
I had the pleasure of having backstage passes to his show, courtesy of my cousin, who was the doctor for any of the acts at Jones Beach Theatre on Long Island, one summer (July 1995) We sat with the band for about an hour and just before the show started, everyone back stage was escorted out. Van didn't come out til backstage was completely clear. I was sad I didn't get to meet him, but the show was amazing. We sat in the rafters directly above the stage on stage right. An absolutely incredible experience. The man is brilliant and will always be my favorite singer and musician!🎵💜🎵
Such a difficult list to make and mine would change depending on my mood. Moondance, Into the Music (Angelou is next level), His Band and Street Chior, Astral Weeks, Blowing Your Mind (really only TB Sheets) Tupelo Honey, Veedon Fleece, No Method, Common One, Enlightenment... but on another day the list would include Hard Nose the Highway, Hymns to the Silence, St Dominic's Preview, Wavelength ... yeah a very hard list.. As for Live, his 1980 performance at the Montreux Jazz festival is fabulous even with a couple of musician mistakes.
Nice. What a huge artist! I agree about his voice but the music of his first period is awesome. My choices: Astral weeks Veedon fleece Poetic champions compose Moondance No guru no method no teacher Common one St Dominic s preview
Thank you! Excellent. Using your 10, here is how I would rank them: 1. Hymns to the Silence 2. Poetic Champions Compose 3. Into the Music 4. No Guru No Method No Teacher 5. A Sense of Wonder 6. Moondance 7. Too Late to Stop Now 8. Astral Weeks 9. Three Chords & the Truth 10. Common One
Tall order ranking these. I would go: 1. Astral Weeks ( sorry, to be one of the crowd, but that album's rep is well-deserved) 2. Beautiful Vision (almost as great as Astral Weeks) 3. Saint Dominic's Preview 4. Poetic Champions Compose 5. Tupelo Honey 6. Wavelength 7. Into The Music 8. His Band and The Street Choir 9. Back On Top 10. Moondance and 2 honorable mentions: A Sense of Wonder, and No Guru, No Method, No Teacher. There aren't many I don't like, and I have more than 40 of them. As for his personality, I've heard nothing good. Wouldn't ever dare approach him, but none of what I've heard will make me dislike his music. I can separate the two. Good video - as always.
Yes! I totally agree with your pick of "Hymns to the Silence." I could not stop playing this album when I bought it in the mid-1990s. It's still on my rotation. Subscribing to your channel just for this pick. :-)
This is a great selection. The fact is it is impossible to chose a top ten of Van's records because he maintained such a high level of quality all along his career that there are countless classic albums. Some might agree on the list but disagree on the order but it doesn't really matter, it's personal, what really matters is how you explain why an album stands out and David Atkinson does it pretty well. It's hard for me to imagine that anyone could not appreciate Hymns to the silence which is trully wonderful. Hard nose the highway, Saint Dominic's preview, Tupelo honey, Enlightenment, His Band And The Street Choir, Avalon sunset, Veedon fleece...are absolute classics. A period of transition is totally underrated, it's a fantastic r&b record, a great collaboration with Dr. John. I could go on for ages... The records of the last two decades are way too underrated as well. They might not stand out the same way, not being as creative as the earlier era, but if you really listen to them and just listen to the music without trying to compare you realize this is great music and Van in top form. Roll with the punches will be considered as a classic in 20 years, it's Van's only blues album and he's one of the best blues singers alive in my opinion. Keep it simple, What's Wrong With This Picture, Born To Sing, Keep me singing, Magic time, The Prophet Speaks...are all fabolous. Regarding live performances you can hardly say that his shows are mediocre when you listen to Astral Weeks Live which is a masterpiece as impressive as the original album, incredibly creative and inspired. But I do get David Atkinson's point, you never know what to expect with Van when it comes to shows and sometimes they can be disappointing indeed.
Thank you Christophe for such a thoughtful comment. It's wonderful to know that there are others out here in CZcams-land who don't simply go for 'Astral Weeks' every time without acknowledging the excellence of so many other albums. And I agree, those albums from the last twenty years are full of greats.
Thanks David I really enjoyed that. I have all 41 0f Van's albums (on both vinyl and cd) and have seen him live maybe 25 or so times over the years (probably at the same gigs as you in the North east). Last time I seen him was in a tiny venue (under 200 seats) in a small village (Bellaghy) in Northern Ireland-absolutely incredible. Fascinating top 2. I love Haunts of Ancient Peace from Common One, and also Take Me Back from HTTS. I agree he hasn't made a 'bad' album but that some of his later stuff(last 20 years) is almost difficult to differentiate. However I do think the quality has increase (from a high bar) iover the past few years. I really enjoyed listening to 'Keep Me Singing' yesterday. I hope you don't mind if I have a go at my top ten Morrison albums on my CZcams channel vinyl monkey, once I finish the alphabetical tour of my vinyl collection. ( coincidentally I'm up to the letter M this week, but don't plan to include any VM).
I really enjoyed watching this. Your enthusiasm for music is infectious and unpretentious. I am a huge Van Morrison fan, I don't agree with the order you put the albums in, but you certainly chose ten of Van's greatest albums. Of the 42 albums he has made I would describe at least 25 as great, and I agree that he hasn't made a bad album.
Good to hear Hymns to the Silence album getting a mention. I still play it today, as well as another of his ambient albums, Inarticulate Speech of the Heart. All his albums from the 70s and 80s are great. Astral Weeks is a master piece, one of a kind.
That’s a heck of a Morrison book. Morrison is. Very difficult person, many people have been upset at his concerts. Still the music is great. After Them he was in Boston and was really doing garage rock and some of his hits were later transformed into the music we here on the albums. He was at a concert in aboston and they could not use the el3ctric instruments so he went acoustic and it was a hit, this got him going in the direction of Astral Weeks. I spent many years looking for Veendon Fleece and then suddenly I found 3 in one month. Nice picks. I do love his 70s stuff except Avalon Sunset which I really love a lot. Steve
Thanks for the post, it's only natural that everyone's preferences from his amazing catalog would somewhat differ from each other -while at the same time there is surely some sense of general agreement which albums to expect in such a listing. For me, nothing tops "Astral Weeks", and I have always wondered why "Common One" seems so overlooked, so thanks for mentioning it. My list of his top ten efforts would probably also include "Beautiful Vision".
The first time I ever heard Dweller was on the Belfast Grand Opera House Live recording where it’s in the opening which starts off with an instrumental Into the Mystic and a brief repetition of Inarticulate Speech of the Heart transitioning into a killer Dweller on the Threshold. If you’ve never heard it check it out.
Btw I listened to your video recently have since started listening to Common one again, I previously paid little interest, its brilliant, thanks for recommendation (has to be listened to not just heard as you say)
I stumbled on this Video accidently (not to say CZcams algorithm dragged me here). Van Morrison dropped in at my life in 1978 with Wavelength and his head over heels performance at The Band: The last waltz. I worked through your list and at every nomination I stopped and flipped through the album. A wise and well thought selection. Astral weeks wouldn't even on my list and I missed Wavelength. Never mind: listening to you and switch to the Albums was fun and worth listening. Thanks ... well done.
David when you started the count down I said I'm NOT going to cheat and see what number #1 is but.....It better be "Hymns to the Silence" and All be Damn..You Nailed it!!!!!!! That album is beyond GREAT.....It helped me thru a very rough time....Just a Great, Great Lp!!!! Thanks..........
Good job Dave, can't fault this list one bit. I am guessing you were born in 1962 like me. You got it so right about Van live and his grumps. But then, the man is touched with pure genius as we know
David: I really appreciate your video---very enjoyable! I agree with you r top ten up to #3 Moondance-and I agree, but past this, here are my top two: #2: hard Nose the Highway--- "how could this NOT BE in the top ten?" And my #1: St. Dominic's Preview (ditto...) PS: Live- I caught a couple of shows that were duds, and a couple that were legendary. But yeah, the speeding -up is tough... Anyway God Bless, Pete
1.Astral Weeks 2.Veedon Fleece 3.Into the Music 4.Enlightenment 5.Tupelo Honey 6.Moondance 7.Hard Nose the Highway 8.Inarticulate Speech of the Heart 9.Common One 10.Too Long in Exile
The Moondance Blu-Ray containing the 5.1 mix of the album is astonishing. It’s almost worth putting together a surround sound system just to hear it. Another great music review David. I can’t wait for the next one. 🎼🎸🎤
Agree 100%. I am fortunate to have such a system. It is sad that the 5.1 surround recordings are so few. I suppose most people would rather just plug in their earbuds and that is good enough. They do not know what they are missing with 5.1 surround audio recordings (in my opinion). If you can, check out Blood, Sweat & Tears “ Child Is Father To The Man” , Dire Straits “ Brothers In Arms” and The Beatles “Abbey Road” ( in 7.1 Dolby Atmos).
An artist that I know little about but I have a greatest hits and a couple of others that I have picked up over the years so this is a video that I need to re watch and write things down. Thank you for sharing and giving your opinions.
Also love Common One and Hymns To The Silence- but would have included Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, and Veedon Fleece the big one missing my 2nd favorite after Astral Weeks. Great to see the Joni in the background as well.
Great to see Common One there! I LOVE this album! And I really love the live album 'Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast'. So many good albums to choose. 'Beautiful Vision'/'Inarticulate Speech of the Heart'/'Wavelength'/'Days Like This' etc.
Slow to your channel but I am SHOCKED that your number 1 is my number 1!!! I truly thought I was the only person in the world who would put this LP at the top of the list. I have everything he’s ever done, I think, and Morrison seldom fails. Thank you!
Odd that folks don’t cover Van Morrison as much as Bob Dylan or other folks. One that just jumps out at me- The Waterboys take on Sweet Thing- great version. Really enjoy your channel.
A wonderful video David. Naming your top 10 Van Morrison albums is an almost impossible task, but I love your choices. I certainly didn't see your number 1 coming although Hymns to the Silence is awesome. So glad to see A Sense of Wonder get a shout out, this is an album I always come back to and is very under appreciated. You have inspired me to attempt my own top 10 Van albums in preference, so here goes. 1. Into The Music. 2. Veedon Fleece. 3. No Guru, No method, No Teacher. 4. It's Too Late To Stop Now. 5. Astral Weeks. 6. Poetic Champions Compose. 7. Saint Dominic's Preview. 8. Common One. 9. Moondance. 10. A Sense Of Wonder. Thank you for an excellent video.
Great stuff, how about Dylan next Time, keep em coming. My top 10 Van 1st era Moondance, Veedon Fleece, Too Late.., Tupeloy Honey,Wavelength.2nd , Avalon Sukset, Poetic Champions 3rd Enlightenment, Days Like This, The Prophet Speaks. Cheers from Finland
I heard Astral Weeks at a friends place in the late 1970s, and fell into his music. To me, it is a perfect album. But some of his other albums are also flawless (Moondance, etc.). To me, it is difficult to make a list of 10 best... I agree that Three Chords & the Blues is one of his best albums the last 1-2 decades, but I would probably place the twin album, Keep Me Singing, at least on par. The Prophet Speaks is also good. The 2000-2010 albums are, overall, relatively good. I enjoy What's Wrong With This Picture (no bad tracks, and a few super tracks -- Little Village, St James Infirmary), Down The Road (sounds like a tribute to those who inspired him), etc. 1990s -- Hymns to the Silence is gorgeous -- in addition to the ones you mention, I love Village Idiot, Take Me Back (actress Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance of it in movie Georgia is almost scary), etc. Also other strong albums in that period. Some people like Days Like This. One of his best tracks ever, Ancient Highway, is on that album. But to me, other tracks are not at the same level. Common One is a strong album. I would not put it at the top, though -- I enjoy Haunts of Ancient Peace (and Pee Wee Ellis sax work), Summertime in England, etc., but some of the songs to me are too stagnant. To me, Into the Music is one of his albums where almost all tracks are superb. I also like St Dominic's Preview and Veedon Fleece a lot. Many other albums are very good, in my view. Live performances... I've probably been to 5+ live shows. Several of them have been great; one was on the shorter side (ca. 60 minutes). So overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend live shows. I also like several of the live albums, not only It's Too Late to Stop Now. E.g., the one from Belfast and the one from San Francisco. And the Montreaux Concert in 1980 is superb (available on DVD) -- Troubadours is one highlight.
It's so hard to separate them, isn't it? I love 'The Prophet Speaks' too, and those other live albums are great (although Brian Kennedy is just a bit to prominent on the SF One).
The Belfast live album is hardly mentioned anywhere, but I really like it. The horns work really well and the overall mood is great and some songs are done faster than on the studio albums (Full Force Gale, Dweller on the Threshold…). I would definitely include it in my top 10.
The healing game, Days like this and Back on top are essentials for me. Along with Common one, Into the music, TB sheets and Moondance. And many others...❤
Nice list! Glad you gave attention to A Sense of Wonder, one of his more underrated albums. As of now, these are my favorite Van albums. Most Van enthusiasts would probably give me crap about rating Wavelength so high on my list, but I don't care, I love it. Oh, and this list goes to 11! Cheers 11. Hard Nose the Highway 10. Hymns to the Silence 9. Poetic Champions Compose 8. Into the Music 7. A Sense of Wonder 6. Beautiful Vision 5. Veedon Fleece 4. Wavelength 3. Astral Weeks 2. Common One 1. St. Dominic's Preview
A fantastic choice 👌........I absolutely love 'Inarticulate speech of the Heart' from 1983 and a new favourite of mine would be 'Keep me Singing' from 2016
Having seen Van many, many times over the years and also having been at the Rainbow when Too Late To Stop Now was recorded, I find this list interesting but can't really agree with it as a top 10. Astral Weeks has to be number 1, then Veedon Fleece, St. Dominic's Preview, Too Late... Poetic Champions, Moondance, Into the Music, Hard Nose, No Guru etc.Inarticulate Speech. Beautiful Vision/Common One. I have ALL his albums so almost impossible to select 10 out of them. After Hymns to the Silence it all became a bit jazz-lite. Pleasant but you don't breathe in, breathe out and get high on them though Van doesn't do bad albums.Best 2 gigs I ever went to of Van's was the one at the Rainbow and then the Albert Hall when he did the whole of Astral Weeks. Both amazing.
Very nice choices......Hymns to the Silence has long been one of my top Van albums.......I would have squeezed in Enlightenment and Tupelo Honey but overall very nice choices and an entertaining video!
Thanks for the Van Morrison top 10, certainly a daunting task when, like you say, they are all brilliant in their own way. Have been a fan since the 70's myself and always enjoy his music, any album! I have actually read that book by Clinton Heylin and yes, it doesn't paint a good picture of Van, but still worth a read as it gives a few interesting insights into the man and the creation of his art.
Wouldn’t argue with your choices. I have his whole catalogue and it’s not easy to pick a top 10 of a great artist. He is consist. I agree about his live performances, he is a risk as the price of his concerts increase. I have seen in some small venues and he does tend to slow things down a little. That 90 minute countdown clock probably increases his tempo. I like his new album and hopefully there is more, though he is causing some unrest with his views which is not doing him any favours at present. Great video and well put over. Thank you.
Interesting how every ear perceives sound differently. For me, I can't get enough of his early day vocals! I just hear raw power and a man fully diving in with every kind of vocal technique he can show. I'm not a big fan of his later years voice, specifically 90s era. I think he had a good balance of the 'screechiness' and warm tone on the album Into The Music. He's always tried to emulate John Lee Hooker- whom he adores. If you listen to his 1980 Live at Montreux performance, JLH really comes out of his voice. He balances that rawness so perfectly and that's what I love about Van
I was thinking about Van some more after watching this great video. Here are his songs that I listen to the most in no particular order: Call Me Up in Dreamland Caravan Astral Weeks Old Old Woodstock Saint Dominic's Preview Bulbs Real Real Gone If I had to chose my favorite it would be Saint Dominic's Preview.
Astral Weeks introduced jazz/rock fusion ...thank you Mr. Davis. did i menton Van was my favorite artist?....Then i heard Sohyang sing....she takes me to places i didn't know existed. what can i say....i love existential tour guides.
Hymns to the silence is probably underrated but would miss my top ten. You are so right about Common One which is a self indulgent masterpiece. My top three are : 3 Common One , 2 Astral Weeks and 1 Veedon Fleece
'Caledonia Soul Music'- with the sublime 17-minute track of the same name... I'm a huge fan of Van's, and I only heard this song for the time just last year...Recommended listening
Van Morrison. I mean just how do you explain his unbelievable gift of music and writing. There are certain songs Which literally stops you in your track. Lyrics so sublime. So unique. Even Godly. The track. In the garden. I mean wow... As I touched your face so lightly born again you were... It’s hard not to silenced by the joy of such songs. Daring night... as he says many times... a sense of wonder. An absolutely icon. Different in every way. If you want your music to take you to a different place. But listen and enjoy the journey
10 - Hard Nose the Highway
9- Tupelo Honey
8 - Avalon Sunset
7 - Poetic Champions Compose
6 - No Guru...
5 - St Dominics Preview
4 - Astral Weeks
3 - Into the Music
2 - Moondance
1 - It's Too Late to Stop Now
Love Common One as well, but some of the live versions of Summertime in England (my favorite Van song) are superior to the album - especially the one with Richie Buckley on sax.
Van Morrison is a moder-day Beethoven and Bach rolled into one. No other band or individual singer songwriter even comes close. Van is God’s gift to fallen mankind.
"Into the Music" HAS to be there - start to finish, a masterpiece, "Bright Side of the Road," I mean, come on, "When the Healing Has Begun," one of his very best!
I totally agree.
Into the Music is my favourite Van Morrison album, amazing songs from start to finish..
Totally agree. It was a real return to form for Van at that stage of his career.
It is there!
yeah Into the Music and Hymns to the Silence should be #1 & 2. oh and Live in SF, is the best live LP
No Veedon Fleece or St Dominics Preview.. Surely can't be left out of top 10
Veedon Fleece for top - totally other-worldly
Astral Weeks, Veedon Fleece and Poetic Champions Compose are three of my favorite albums of all time. Up there with any artist’s best work.
No Veedon Fleece, I'm out
Fair play to you xxx
@@kdotmann into the music is similarly unique and brilliant. my #2 van album
Love Common One, and as you say, an overlooked masterpiece.
Van Morrison transcends time. He can sing the same song fifty different ways and it’s always great. I suppose he can be difficult, but it’s his talent that does it for me!❤️❤️
I’ve heard 20 live versions of Tupelo honey/ why must I always explain and they are all different and great
Moving on skiffle is so good , not only the music ,but the sound of the cd is so great . Unbelievble. ❤❤❤
Good video . I will have to check out Common One and No Guru . Some of my favourites include :
Moondance
His Band & Street Choir
Tupelo Honey
Too Late to Stop Now
Veedon Fleece
Hard Nose the Highway
Back on Top
Into the Music
A Night in San Francisco
Beautiful Vision
Poetic Champions Compose.
Thank you for the recommendations . I will certainly explore a number of your selections .
Cheers !
My favorites are Hard Nose The Highway, Veeedon Fleece, Saint Dominic’s Preview, & Common One. I love your list!
I love the way he chooses a lot of Vans spiritual work from the 80s as a lot of the music from this period really does make me feel 'lit up inside'
I used to wait for his latest release over a period of 55 years , race off to the Record Store to buy it , read the reviews in the NME , and wallow in his sound until the next album. No one quite like him ....from New Zealand...
I just love him, his voice is just as good now, if not better, than when he started out.
Cool to see Joni's "Hissing of Summer Lawns" in the background.
Another classic!
Enjoyed this a lot and your top five are all of high merit. I bought Astral Weeks in my first term at university, so it therefore occupies a special place. At that time in 1969 it was unlike any other album that you could buy. But there was some albums you missed that, as you worked towards your number one I was getting sure you would choose! My no. 1 is Veedon Fleece. Weird and strange and sometimes harder to listen to than some others but for me the one I always come back to, that and No Guru. You also missed out the album he recorded with the chieftains Irish Heartbeat. Another wonderful album and deserving perhaps to be somewhere in the top 10.
Thanks David. I like your reviews. There are relaxed, enjoyable and personal. Got reminded of "Hymns To The Silence".
Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
A hard one to leave out, but there are so many!
Great great list - Van Morrison's career is similar to Bowie in that everyone can have a different top 10 list and still be correct. I would have Veedon fleece on the top of my list - otherwise I totally get your list. Thanks for taking the time to do this!
Common One is my favourite album of all time .... so surprised and pleased to see you sharing the pleasure.
So many great albums but my favourite is 'Into the Music' followed by 'Avalon Sunset'. I went to the same school as Van, he is a legend.
Summertime in England my all time favorite Van composition
Thanks Dave that was very enjoyable.
I will give my Van collection another listen .
Thanks from Buenos Aires, here we love Van Morrison, LACAPSULADISQUERIA
It'sToo Late To Stop Now is in my opinion the best live album ever, from any artist. If you can listen to the extended version which has loads more tracks from the Caledonian Soul Orchestra tour. It is incredible.
I don't know this particular recording but I have a live radio recording from the Bottom Line Club in New York which is fantastic!
Van Morrison is one one of the best musicians/songwriters EVER. “Hymns To The Silence” is my personal favorite also. If you have not heard it, do yourself a favor and listen.
Man, this is a sweet CZcams video. I made a list down below a couple years back and am now disturbed by how I didn’t include Too Long in Exile anywhere on it. A great & underrated Van album! Anyway, my revised list is now down below. Happy Holidays to Van fans! Listen to the Lion! 🙌 Cheers!🍺 Oh, and this list goes to 11!
11. Poetic Champions Compose
10. Hard Nose the Highway
9. Too Long in Exile
8. Into the Music
7. A Sense of Wonder
6. Beautiful Vision
5. Veedon Fleece
4. Wavelength
3. Astral Weeks
2. Common One
1. St. Dominic’s Preview
Great assessment- thanks. Glad you've got some of my favourites there - especially "it's too late to stop now". I believe I watched this one late night after the pub and was spellbound but have since never come across full video footage. I would have loved to have been there!
Also must check out "Common One". Thanks again👍
Hi David,
Thanks for putting this together and for your insights on Van's music - really enjoyed the video.
You're right: Common One is a stand out. And I'll be getting my hands on Hymns...
With probably fifty albums to savor it's a given that everyone will have their own favorites, as do I, but I enjoyed listening to yours.
Thanks again and good work 😎
Good discussion. You really love and appreciate your music. Fantastic library behind you!!
Thanks!
This is great, thanks! I'm a Geordie too, and saw VM at Newcastle City Hall in 1989.
My list, best 1st (studio albums only):
1 - St Dominic's Preview (absolute peak)
2 - Astral Weeks (experimental masterpiece)
3 - Into The Music (late 70s renaissance)
4 - Moondance (patchy Side 2, but with 5 amazing songs)
5 - Beautiful Vision
6 - Poetic Champions Compose
7 - Common One (flawed but essential)
8 - No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (patchy Side Two; peak-form Side One)
9 - Veedon Fleece (flawed, experimental, essential)
10 - Days Like This (his last great album IMO).
The expanded version of 'It's Too Late To Stop Now' and the outtakes collection 'The Philosopher's Stone' are essential VM. The recent expanded version of 'The Healing Game' is a revelation. I heard 'Hymns To The Silence' on Spotify recently, and it was better than I remembered (I owned it on cassette at the time of its release).
BV is indeed quite good and underrated. like your list, though your #1 would be much further down for me
"Common One" is one of my favorite Van Morrison. Glad to see somebody else thinks highly of it.
Hello my friend.
I have been a Van fan for 30 years. Saw him twice, first time was almost terrible, second was life changing. I only own about 6 Van albums. I always thought that I was on an island by thinking Hymns to the Silence was cool. Now it’s nice to know that at least one other person thinks that way as well.
God Bless.
Thank you. It's great to see the love for 'Hymns'.
Thank you. I really love his music. He speaks to the soul.
Hard Nose was always a sentimental favourite. I listened to it on cassette as a Canadian teenager hitchhiking up and down the east coast of Australia in the early 80s.
Clicked on this 'cos I was listening to Common One last night. Feckin love that album. Kudos for including it so high!
It's gorgeous, isn't it? 👍🏻
Great video David. Really enjoyed watching it and listening to you talk with passion about your top ten. I would have a more a top 5 and they would be Veedon Fleece, Astral Weeks, His Street Choir, Saint Dominic’s Preview and Moondance in no particular order. Thanks for posting !
So many Van Morrison albums to choose from. Hes my #1 artist. Since I first heard moondance as a child, back in the 80s. The other great live album for me is Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast.
I saw Dylan in concert back in the 90s. Could not understand a word he was singing
I got Common One in a discount bin many years ago, in fact it was my first Van disc. Played it once and forgot about it for a while, I then finally connected to it after a few more plays and I was hooked on Van ever since. Have nearly everything of his now including countless bootlegs.
Into The Music is my favourite closely followed by Hymns To The Silence ( Take me Back is stunning ) and Common One. Unable to get into Three Chords and the Truth, but love his last couple with Joey Defrancesco You're Driving Me Crazy and The Prophet Speaks. He toured here ( Australia ) and received bad press and has refused to come here ever since sadly. Great presentation and video glad I found you only last week. Enjoyed you're last walking trip, we're not lost just unsure where we are !!
Cheers Philip. I've had a similar experience with 'Common One'. I didn't get it initially, but I came back to it a few years later and was hooked. I had a similar experience with Wagner's 'Das Rheingold'. 😳 (more of that later!)
Thanks David! I really enjoyed listen to your top 10 Van Morrison albums. With such a large catalog of music it is difficult to narrow them all down and it is very subjective.
I had a very similar experience when I ran into Van before a show once, so I know the look he gave you. Van described himself in an interview once as an introvert in an extrovert business. I always gave him some slack for not being the “rockstar “ we want him to be. Thanks again!
I had the pleasure of having backstage passes to his show, courtesy of my cousin, who was the doctor for any of the acts at Jones Beach Theatre on Long Island, one summer (July 1995)
We sat with the band for about an hour and just before the show started, everyone back stage was escorted out. Van didn't come out til backstage was completely clear. I was sad I didn't get to meet him, but the show was amazing. We sat in the rafters directly above the stage on stage right. An absolutely incredible experience. The man is brilliant and will always be my favorite singer and musician!🎵💜🎵
Such a difficult list to make and mine would change depending on my mood. Moondance, Into the Music (Angelou is next level), His Band and Street Chior, Astral Weeks, Blowing Your Mind (really only TB Sheets) Tupelo Honey, Veedon Fleece, No Method, Common One, Enlightenment... but on another day the list would include Hard Nose the Highway, Hymns to the Silence, St Dominic's Preview, Wavelength ... yeah a very hard list..
As for Live, his 1980 performance at the Montreux Jazz festival is fabulous even with a couple of musician mistakes.
Nice. What a huge artist! I agree about his voice but the music of his first period is awesome. My choices:
Astral weeks
Veedon fleece
Poetic champions compose
Moondance
No guru no method no teacher
Common one
St Dominic s preview
I have only recently properly discovered Van Morrison, so this is a great start to it all.
Hymns to the silence,no guru no metod no teacher,poetic Champions.
Thank you! Excellent. Using your 10, here is how I would rank them: 1. Hymns to the Silence
2. Poetic Champions Compose
3. Into the Music
4. No Guru No Method No Teacher
5. A Sense of Wonder
6. Moondance
7. Too Late to Stop Now
8. Astral Weeks
9. Three Chords & the Truth
10. Common One
Tall order ranking these. I would go: 1. Astral Weeks ( sorry, to be one of the crowd, but that album's rep is well-deserved) 2. Beautiful Vision (almost as great as Astral Weeks) 3. Saint Dominic's Preview 4. Poetic Champions Compose 5. Tupelo Honey 6. Wavelength 7. Into The Music 8. His Band and The Street Choir 9. Back On Top 10. Moondance and 2 honorable mentions: A Sense of Wonder, and No Guru, No Method, No Teacher. There aren't many I don't like, and I have more than 40 of them. As for his personality, I've heard nothing good. Wouldn't ever dare approach him, but none of what I've heard will make me dislike his music. I can separate the two. Good video - as always.
Yes! I totally agree with your pick of "Hymns to the Silence." I could not stop playing this album when I bought it in the mid-1990s. It's still on my rotation. Subscribing to your channel just for this pick. :-)
well said. All of these are classics. I just miss one: "Inarticulate speech of the heart". A wonderful one.
Yes, I love that one too
I wore the grooves out on that one.
"I am a soul in wonder:....
This is a great selection. The fact is it is impossible to chose a top ten of Van's records because he maintained such a high level of quality all along his career that there are countless classic albums. Some might agree on the list but disagree on the order but it doesn't really matter, it's personal, what really matters is how you explain why an album stands out and David Atkinson does it pretty well. It's hard for me to imagine that anyone could not appreciate Hymns to the silence which is trully wonderful.
Hard nose the highway, Saint Dominic's preview, Tupelo honey, Enlightenment, His Band And The Street Choir, Avalon sunset, Veedon fleece...are absolute classics. A period of transition is totally underrated, it's a fantastic r&b record, a great collaboration with Dr. John. I could go on for ages...
The records of the last two decades are way too underrated as well. They might not stand out the same way, not being as creative as the earlier era, but if you really listen to them and just listen to the music without trying to compare you realize this is great music and Van in top form. Roll with the punches will be considered as a classic in 20 years, it's Van's only blues album and he's one of the best blues singers alive in my opinion. Keep it simple, What's Wrong With This Picture, Born To Sing, Keep me singing, Magic time, The Prophet Speaks...are all fabolous.
Regarding live performances you can hardly say that his shows are mediocre when you listen to Astral Weeks Live which is a masterpiece as impressive as the original album, incredibly creative and inspired. But I do get David Atkinson's point, you never know what to expect with Van when it comes to shows and sometimes they can be disappointing indeed.
Thank you Christophe for such a thoughtful comment. It's wonderful to know that there are others out here in CZcams-land who don't simply go for 'Astral Weeks' every time without acknowledging the excellence of so many other albums. And I agree, those albums from the last twenty years are full of greats.
Veedon Fleece. All Day long.
Thanks David I really enjoyed that. I have all 41 0f Van's albums (on both vinyl and cd) and have seen him live maybe 25 or so times over the years (probably at the same gigs as you in the North east). Last time I seen him was in a tiny venue (under 200 seats) in a small village (Bellaghy) in Northern Ireland-absolutely incredible. Fascinating top 2. I love Haunts of Ancient Peace from Common One, and also Take Me Back from HTTS. I agree he hasn't made a 'bad' album but that some of his later stuff(last 20 years) is almost difficult to differentiate. However I do think the quality has increase (from a high bar) iover the past few years. I really enjoyed listening to 'Keep Me Singing' yesterday. I hope you don't mind if I have a go at my top ten Morrison albums on my CZcams channel vinyl monkey, once I finish the alphabetical tour of my vinyl collection. ( coincidentally I'm up to the letter M this week, but don't plan to include any VM).
Feedon Fleece was a big discovery for me 🤔😊 great video !
I really enjoyed watching this. Your enthusiasm for music is infectious and unpretentious. I am a huge Van Morrison fan, I don't agree with the order you put the albums in, but you certainly chose ten of Van's greatest albums. Of the 42 albums he has made I would describe at least 25 as great, and I agree that he hasn't made a bad album.
He's bloody good at this so I hope to hear more.
@@jamieholmes4675 That's very generous. Thanks!
Good to hear Hymns to the Silence album getting a mention. I still play it today, as well as another of his ambient albums, Inarticulate Speech of the Heart. All his albums from the 70s and 80s are great. Astral Weeks is a master piece, one of a kind.
I just started listening to Van Morrison a few months ago. I love his recorded live performances. He’s so talented and gifted! Amazing 🤩
I listen to the song "Hymns to the Silence" to calm down every night, and I agree the album is his best (among many great albums by Van).
Excellent video. I’ve subscribed!
Enjoyed your Van Morrison review and comments. Bravo!
Thanks!
Hard to argue with your list at all. I may swap out one or two but the fact that you had Common One right up there made me smile broadly!
Spot on for your number one, I had that album for 10 years before I realised how feckin brilliant it is .
Same here , now I think it's his best .
Can we get some love for the Street Choir album, and Beautiful Vision ?
Ooove Street Choir, the song itself. "Why did you leave, America?". I want to know who he is talking to. "You aren't in my plans at all"
@@lindawick455 .. What a song .. I’ll give it a spin right now.
street choir is brilliant. only suffers from what sound like a couple of astral leftovers
That’s a heck of a Morrison book. Morrison is. Very difficult person, many people have been upset at his concerts. Still the music is great. After Them he was in Boston and was really doing garage rock and some of his hits were later transformed into the music we here on the albums. He was at a concert in aboston and they could not use the el3ctric instruments so he went acoustic and it was a hit, this got him going in the direction of Astral Weeks. I spent many years looking for Veendon Fleece and then suddenly I found 3 in one month. Nice picks. I do love his 70s stuff except Avalon Sunset which I really love a lot. Steve
Great video. Saint Dominic's Preview is in my top 5 for sure.
Thanks for the post, it's only natural that everyone's preferences from his amazing catalog would somewhat differ from each other -while at the same time there is surely some sense of general agreement which albums to expect in such a listing. For me, nothing tops "Astral Weeks", and I have always wondered why "Common One" seems so overlooked, so thanks for mentioning it. My list of his top ten efforts would probably also include "Beautiful Vision".
No one’s mentioned Enlightenment? Underrated gem of an album.
It's another great one. Tough to leave it out....on another day....
It's good but I would leave it out.
So Quiet in here …. One of his best … a metaphor for the meaning of life
Whatever album had Dweller On The Threshold on !
Very enjoyable video.Thank you.
The first time I ever heard Dweller was on the Belfast Grand Opera House Live recording where it’s in the opening which starts off with an instrumental Into the Mystic and a brief repetition of Inarticulate Speech of the Heart transitioning into a killer Dweller on the Threshold. If you’ve never heard it check it out.
Btw I listened to your video recently have since started listening to Common one again, I previously paid little interest, its brilliant, thanks for recommendation (has to be listened to not just heard as you say)
I stumbled on this Video accidently (not to say CZcams algorithm dragged me here). Van Morrison dropped in at my life in 1978 with Wavelength and his head over heels performance at The Band: The last waltz. I worked through your list and at every nomination I stopped and flipped through the album. A wise and well thought selection. Astral weeks wouldn't even on my list and I missed Wavelength. Never mind: listening to you and switch to the Albums was fun and worth listening. Thanks ... well done.
Thanks Ralph. We can't go wrong with Van, eh? Every album has something good to offer.
David when you started the count down I said I'm NOT going to cheat
and see what number #1 is but.....It better be "Hymns to the Silence" and
All be Damn..You Nailed it!!!!!!! That album is beyond GREAT.....It helped me thru
a very rough time....Just a Great, Great Lp!!!! Thanks..........
I'm just educating myself on Van's back catalogue so this video has been really enlightening and i will be checking out these albums
Thank you!
Good job Dave, can't fault this list one bit. I am guessing you were born in 1962 like me. You got it so right about Van live and his grumps. But then, the man is touched with pure genius as we know
David: I really appreciate your video---very enjoyable! I agree with you r top ten up to #3 Moondance-and I agree, but past this, here are my top two: #2: hard Nose the Highway--- "how could this NOT BE in the top ten?" And my #1: St. Dominic's Preview (ditto...) PS: Live- I caught a couple of shows that were duds, and a couple that were legendary. But yeah, the speeding -up is tough... Anyway God Bless, Pete
1.Astral Weeks
2.Veedon Fleece
3.Into the Music
4.Enlightenment
5.Tupelo Honey
6.Moondance
7.Hard Nose the Highway
8.Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
9.Common One
10.Too Long in Exile
The Moondance Blu-Ray containing the 5.1 mix of the album is astonishing. It’s almost worth putting together a surround sound system just to hear it. Another great music review David. I can’t wait for the next one. 🎼🎸🎤
Very kind. Thanks. I'll do my best!
Agree 100%. I am fortunate to have such a system. It is sad that the 5.1 surround recordings are so few. I suppose most people would rather just plug in their earbuds and that is good enough. They do not know what they are missing with 5.1 surround audio recordings (in my opinion). If you can, check out Blood, Sweat & Tears “ Child Is Father To The Man” , Dire Straits “ Brothers In Arms” and The Beatles “Abbey Road” ( in 7.1 Dolby Atmos).
Thoroughly enjoyable and always hard to pin the best 10. You're not far off - Live at the Opera House, Belfast would be on mine.
Fantastic live album
An artist that I know little about but I have a greatest hits and a couple of others that I have picked up over the years so this is a video that I need to re watch and write things down. Thank you for sharing and giving your opinions.
Oh man! We have the same favorite Morrison album as number one. That’s the first time someone’s agreed with me. I love George Ivan.
Like two needles in a haystack!
'Green Mansions' from that album is a beautiful song
Also love Common One and Hymns To The Silence- but would have included Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, and Veedon Fleece the big one missing my 2nd favorite after Astral Weeks. Great to see the Joni in the background as well.
Great to see Common One there! I LOVE this album! And I really love the live album 'Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast'. So many good albums to choose. 'Beautiful Vision'/'Inarticulate Speech of the Heart'/'Wavelength'/'Days Like This' etc.
Slow to your channel but I am SHOCKED that your number 1 is my number 1!!! I truly thought I was the only person in the world who would put this LP at the top of the list. I have everything he’s ever done, I think, and Morrison seldom fails. Thank you!
Odd that folks don’t cover Van Morrison as much as Bob Dylan or other folks. One that just jumps out at me- The Waterboys take on Sweet Thing- great version. Really enjoy your channel.
Bob is such an awful singer that almost anyone with good pipes can make his genius sing. But topping Van the Man takes brass b@lls…
A wonderful video David. Naming your top 10 Van Morrison albums is an almost impossible task, but I love your choices. I certainly didn't see your number 1 coming although Hymns to the Silence is awesome. So glad to see A Sense of Wonder get a shout out, this is an album I always come back to and is very under appreciated. You have inspired me to attempt my own top 10 Van albums in preference, so here goes.
1. Into The Music.
2. Veedon Fleece.
3. No Guru, No method, No Teacher.
4. It's Too Late To Stop Now.
5. Astral Weeks.
6. Poetic Champions Compose.
7. Saint Dominic's Preview.
8. Common One.
9. Moondance.
10. A Sense Of Wonder.
Thank you for an excellent video.
Great video. I agree with your top pick!
Common One is right up there for me, too. I've got all of your top 10!
Great stuff, how about Dylan next Time, keep em coming. My top 10 Van 1st era Moondance, Veedon Fleece, Too Late.., Tupeloy Honey,Wavelength.2nd , Avalon Sukset, Poetic Champions 3rd Enlightenment, Days Like This, The Prophet Speaks. Cheers from Finland
I heard Astral Weeks at a friends place in the late 1970s, and fell into his music. To me, it is a perfect album. But some of his other albums are also flawless (Moondance, etc.).
To me, it is difficult to make a list of 10 best... I agree that Three Chords & the Blues is one of his best albums the last 1-2 decades, but I would probably place the twin album, Keep Me Singing, at least on par. The Prophet Speaks is also good. The 2000-2010 albums are, overall, relatively good. I enjoy What's Wrong With This Picture (no bad tracks, and a few super tracks -- Little Village, St James Infirmary), Down The Road (sounds like a tribute to those who inspired him), etc. 1990s -- Hymns to the Silence is gorgeous -- in addition to the ones you mention, I love Village Idiot, Take Me Back (actress Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance of it in movie Georgia is almost scary), etc. Also other strong albums in that period. Some people like Days Like This. One of his best tracks ever, Ancient Highway, is on that album. But to me, other tracks are not at the same level.
Common One is a strong album. I would not put it at the top, though -- I enjoy Haunts of Ancient Peace (and Pee Wee Ellis sax work), Summertime in England, etc., but some of the songs to me are too stagnant. To me, Into the Music is one of his albums where almost all tracks are superb. I also like St Dominic's Preview and Veedon Fleece a lot. Many other albums are very good, in my view.
Live performances... I've probably been to 5+ live shows. Several of them have been great; one was on the shorter side (ca. 60 minutes). So overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend live shows. I also like several of the live albums, not only It's Too Late to Stop Now. E.g., the one from Belfast and the one from San Francisco. And the Montreaux Concert in 1980 is superb (available on DVD) -- Troubadours is one highlight.
It's so hard to separate them, isn't it? I love 'The Prophet Speaks' too, and those other live albums are great (although Brian Kennedy is just a bit to prominent on the SF One).
The Belfast live album is hardly mentioned anywhere, but I really like it. The horns work really well and the overall mood is great and some songs are done faster than on the studio albums (Full Force Gale, Dweller on the Threshold…). I would definitely include it in my top 10.
So happy when you held up Hyms to the silence, I'll be using your recommendatins as a further investigation of the rest of his albums.
Thank you. So few people appear to rate that album. I suspect it's mostly down to people not getting around to hearing it.
The healing game, Days like this and Back on top are essentials for me. Along with Common one, Into the music, TB sheets and Moondance. And many others...❤
Nice list! Glad you gave attention to A Sense of Wonder, one of his more underrated albums. As of now, these are my favorite Van albums. Most Van enthusiasts would probably give me crap about rating Wavelength so high on my list, but I don't care, I love it. Oh, and this list goes to 11! Cheers
11. Hard Nose the Highway
10. Hymns to the Silence
9. Poetic Champions Compose
8. Into the Music
7. A Sense of Wonder
6. Beautiful Vision
5. Veedon Fleece
4. Wavelength
3. Astral Weeks
2. Common One
1. St. Dominic's Preview
Love Wavelength
O absolutely adore "Whats Wrong With This Picture"
Beautiful Vision!
Well, thank you! 😉
Good album. 👍🏻
A fantastic choice 👌........I absolutely love 'Inarticulate speech of the Heart' from 1983 and a new favourite of mine would be 'Keep me Singing' from 2016
Keep Me Singing, What's Wrong With This Picture would make my list somehow
As I am just a dweller on the threshold who used to clean windows, what do I know. Good discourse.
Very well done. Strong disagreement on the Top 10 but appreciate the work and detail that David put into this.
Having seen Van many, many times over the years and also having been at the Rainbow when Too Late To Stop Now was recorded, I find this list interesting but can't really agree with it as a top 10. Astral Weeks has to be number 1, then Veedon Fleece, St. Dominic's Preview, Too Late... Poetic Champions, Moondance, Into the Music, Hard Nose, No Guru etc.Inarticulate Speech. Beautiful Vision/Common One. I have ALL his albums so almost impossible to select 10 out of them. After Hymns to the Silence it all became a bit jazz-lite. Pleasant but you don't breathe in, breathe out and get high on them though Van doesn't do bad albums.Best 2 gigs I ever went to of Van's was the one at the Rainbow and then the Albert Hall when he did the whole of Astral Weeks. Both amazing.
Very nice choices......Hymns to the Silence has long been one of my top Van albums.......I would have squeezed in Enlightenment and Tupelo Honey but overall very nice choices and an entertaining video!
Thanks. Love it when Hymns is held in high regard.
Thanks for the Van Morrison top 10, certainly a daunting task when, like you say, they are all brilliant in their own way. Have been a fan since the 70's myself and always enjoy his music, any album! I have actually read that book by Clinton Heylin and yes, it doesn't paint a good picture of Van, but still worth a read as it gives a few interesting insights into the man and the creation of his art.
That book is staring at me every day!
Wouldn’t argue with your choices. I have his whole catalogue and it’s not easy to pick a top 10 of a great artist. He is consist. I agree about his live performances, he is a risk as the price of his concerts increase. I have seen in some small venues and he does tend to slow things down a little. That 90 minute countdown clock probably increases his tempo. I like his new album and hopefully there is more, though he is causing some unrest with his views which is not doing him any favours at present. Great video and well put over. Thank you.
Interesting how every ear perceives sound differently. For me, I can't get enough of his early day vocals! I just hear raw power and a man fully diving in with every kind of vocal technique he can show. I'm not a big fan of his later years voice, specifically 90s era. I think he had a good balance of the 'screechiness' and warm tone on the album Into The Music. He's always tried to emulate John Lee Hooker- whom he adores. If you listen to his 1980 Live at Montreux performance, JLH really comes out of his voice. He balances that rawness so perfectly and that's what I love about Van
Very interesting. Thank you.
I like the first sessions he did T.B sheets etc.
But Astral Weeks is my favourite Van record. Been a great body of work overall.
I was thinking about Van some more after watching this great video. Here are his songs that I listen to the most in no particular order:
Call Me Up in Dreamland
Caravan
Astral Weeks
Old Old Woodstock
Saint Dominic's Preview
Bulbs
Real Real Gone
If I had to chose my favorite it would be Saint Dominic's Preview.
Astral Weeks introduced jazz/rock fusion ...thank you Mr. Davis. did i menton Van was my favorite artist?....Then i heard Sohyang sing....she takes me to places i didn't know existed. what can i say....i love existential tour guides.
Hymns to the silence is probably underrated but would miss my top ten. You are so right about Common One which is a self indulgent masterpiece. My top three are : 3 Common One , 2 Astral Weeks and 1 Veedon Fleece
'Caledonia Soul Music'- with the sublime 17-minute track of the same name... I'm a huge fan of Van's, and I only heard this song for the time just last year...Recommended listening