Hi, I know there must be many Van Morrison fans on this site, so I would like you to list your best 10 Van songs. Mine are in no order

Brown eyed girl (the best rolling stones song not written by the Stones)
Into the Mystic
Crazy Love
Fast Train
Wild Nights
Tupelo Honey
St Dominic Preview
Reed Wood tree
Too Late
Days like this
This are the days

and many many others

Bye
Fernando

It's All Over Now Baby Blue with Them ....

One of the only times a Zimmerman version is given a run for it's money ....



ROCKMAN

Everything on Astral Weeks and Moondance for me. Plus some of Tupelo Honey

Fair Play

That's a great list Fernando.
He's one of my All Time Very Most Top Favorites ever, and I can't even really begin a list,
as for so very many years, and decades actually,
I bought anything he ever put out. I think that original Caldedonian Soul Orcestra with Jeff Labes on piano as well as some other long-time stalwarts he had,
many of whom were also the studio players on what is widely considered his most soulful, and lyrically adventurous, writing and recording periods.

That double-live "Too Late To Stop" Live LP is long-time fave of mine.
That tour (tho I had not seen him
Live yet at that time, nor more than once ever live in performance).


I might come back to the thread with a little list Fenando, but yours will do
more than fine;
I just love his work; his ethos...his approach....
I saw him live only once on the "No Guru No Method No Teacher" tour, and it
was a very major personal event for me.

....i'm also fully aware that a lot of the guys who work with him, and for him,
at least back in the day, have remarked,
(uhh to be kind here) that he
was not such an easy fellow to work for;
kinda temptestuous, but they had a more common term for it....lol,
i'm all the 'true deep fan' with peeps who actually know him lol, defending Van,
(who I
do not know ever at all even at a distance other than an audience),
to people who worked: travelled, arranged, rehearsed, performed and recorded with him...
...so , lol they were sorta in a better position to know...
and patient w me because i was fans of them too, as players pristine, sharp and wonderful....
...but i remain true blue; screw 'em; they were lucky to be near a master.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Count me in for 1967 thru 1987 or 1988...thereabouts...

then the next ten years was also interesting, sometimes compelling;
hahha; he's got a 50 year recording career so this is gonna take
a LOT of teeth pulling to come up with even a Top Twenty for me.
Love the guy. To me, he's like Ray Davies or the Glims, or Pete's best Who stuff...
or anybody's work really...
I'd have to, and do very frequently, go back to Van's key influence Ray Charles,
and also Jackie Wilson; mixed with wild romantic dire tales of rhapsodic Celtic poetry. He's the Irish Bob Dylan, not Bono...not close...
....and Ireland is to the world of music, in many ways, as essential as is Africa, in the formation of deep and ancient soul musics...however diverse in a Continental and historical sense...

...music is where it all meets anyway....

Van a distinct very distinct blues singer even fresh faced unable to grow a beard....very 'informed' soulful young guy, hip to where American gospel turned to blues; I can hear so many influnces and colors in his vocal instrument and bluesy delivery.
Ray Charles a very, very deep major influence Van has said;
I've taken too big a bite of the subject matter with these meanderings, rather than a list, sorry; i'll come up with one down the line;
but Van has a lot of depth; and combed a lot of depths, so to speak;
and brought them to me as reliably as young Rolling Stones brought me Howlin' Wolf and many other seminal blues artists....
....his voice itself a fine instrument; he arranges his own horns, plays the sax;
and imo, well for me it's fascinating when a singer that is really distinct and facile enough, and soulful enough, for jazzy stuff...that he's really playing the sax through his singing almost. I feel that way about Van and also
when Dion Dimucci goes into his characteristic, stylistic 'scatting' singing...
...now i need to comb the depths with Ella nd others who also play 'instruments' thru their own 'vocal instrument' their own human bodies...
whoa gets heavy when an artist is transcendent; and i God I wish I could spell that right just once in any three or four tries; transcendant...
whatever...
...
...i don't know what his best songs are...
i guess recently i've listened to Jackie Wilson Says I'm In Heaven When You Smile and Tupelo Honey; I reguarly watch his Live performance with The Band
in The Last Waltz. cause that's IT. close the show; lock the doors.
everyone go home; you've seen what transcendant looks and sounds like;
watch as the band itself gets van infected and starts beaming and bouncing;
and holdin' the eff on; cause THE MAN is on the stage; stand back. just stand back and be grateful.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-05-04 03:41 by hopkins.

Hopkins,many thanks for your words and recomendations about this big, enormous Irish soul artist.

Fernando

"Jackie Wilson Said," "Blue Money," and Them's "Mystic Eyes."

Orangefield off Avalon Sunset is nice, also Crazy Face and Bulb

.... Leadbelly is also an influence on Van ...



ROCKMAN

Huge Van Fan. I have around 35 of his albums on rotation. Best album would be easier than song.

You have to mention
"When Heart is Open"
and "Summertime in England"
the two big bookends to 'Common One', the first album with Pee wee Ellis as his band leader. But everything from 'Astral Weeks', 'Moondance'with "Glad Tidings", 'Into the Music', 'Veedon Fleece'...
There is a very pop album 'Wavelength' with a beautiful single "Natalia".
Also on 'Hard Nose the Highway" a song "Warm Love".

This is like asking for best Beatles or Hendrix songs IMO.

Side 1 of Hardnose The Highway is fantastic especially the opener Snow In San Anselmo.

I've always loved Into The Mystic..

Great early clip. Love the passion.

Baby Please Don't Go

These are the days, great song.

Like most things by Van.

Cool thing Fernando

I go for

Brown Eyed Girl

and

It's All Over Now Baby Blue with Them

Cheers

dead.flowers

Many thanks people, nice to have your recomendations.

I forgot to mention Enlightenment is also an excelent album

Bye
Fernando

Quote
Silver Dagger
Side 1 of Hardnose The Highway is fantastic especially the opener Snow In San Anselmo.

Absolutely. There are a few artists where I love every note they do. Van Morrison is one of those. (Supergrass is another).

I guess I have to say I'm a big fan as we were born about 200 yards apart, went to the same school and I've lived all of my life in many of the areas he sings about.

A top ten in no particular order. About half of these might change next week

These are the Days
For Mr Thomas
In the Days Before Rock 'n' roll (absolutely batshit crazy but brilliant)
Caravan (from 'The Last Waltz')
Its all in the game/You Know What They're Writing About (its really one song)
and the healing has begun
Wonderful Remark
What Makes The Irish Heart Beat
Cry for Home
Carrying a Torch

Whilst I obviously love much of the earlier stuff (especially 'Moondance' and 'Tupelo Honey'), my favourite Van era is from the late 70s up to the early/mid 90s. I'd rate 'Into the Music' as every bit as good an album as anything he ever put out.

Incidentally and quite bizarrely, the man of few words is turning his hand to the job of interviewer on BBC Radio Ulster on Sunday.

[www.bbc.co.uk]

this man deserves a heap of praise and heavy rotation in everyone's lives...

Listen to the Lion

so many more good great ones...

'and the healing has just begun'
'queen of the slipstream'
'she gives me religion'
'alan watts blues'
'dweller on the threshold'
'village idiot'
'real real gone'

There are so many great Van Morrison Songs, but here I've got some of my all-time favourites:

It's all over now, Baby blue
Brown-eyed girl
Moondance
Crazy love
Caravan
Domino
Wild night
Tupelo honey
Saint Dominic's preview
Bright side of the road
Full force gale
You make me feel so free
Carrickfergus
Vanlose stairway
Summertime in England

But there are many more ......

All of the above plus here's a few more:

Wavelength
Kingdom Hall
Bright Side of the Road
Cleaning Windows
Tore Down A La Rimbaud
Real Real Gone
The Healing Game

BTW, I always thought the Stones' "Winter" on GHS was an attempt to channel the Van Morrison sound around that time. I was a huge fan of both and still am.

HBK

So many greats - no time to make a list -this is the first that popped in my head:

Van Morrison - And it Stoned Me




Also this relatively recent tune from 1999 which really resonated with me at the time:

Van Morrison - Precious Time




Precious time is slipping away
But you're only king for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray
Precious time is slipping away

It doesn't matter what route you take
Sooner or later the hearts going to break
No rhyme or reason, no master plan
No Nirvana, no promised land

Because, precious time is slipping away
You know you're only king for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray
Precious time is slipping away

Say que sera, whatever will be
But then I keep on searching for immortality
She's so beautiful but she's going to die some day
Everything in life just passes away

But, precious time is slipping away
You know she's only queen for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray
Precious time is slipping away

Well this world is cruel with its twists and its turns
But the fire's still in me and the passion it burns
I love her madly 'til the day I die
'Til hell freezes over and the rivers run dry

Precious time is slipping away
You know she's only queen for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray because
Precious time is slipping away

Precious time is slipping away
You know you're only king for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray
Precious time is slipping away

Precious time is slipping away
You know you're only king for a day
It doesn't matter to which God you pray because
Precious time is slipping away

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Glad Tidings

... definitely up there w/ his best!

It changes over time. Such a treasure of songs. Right now I seem start with "Take Me Back" everytime on Youtube.

It's the essence of Van. The holy three, the constant repeats. Poetry in tones. [www.youtube.com]

"Everything on Astral Weeks and Moondance for me. Plus some of Tupelo Honey"

Totally agree, Bobbyb98

My favorites: wavelength, Someone like you and TB Sheets.

Great great singer.......

Baby please don't go - THEM - Van Morrison
and a lot more

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