Van Morrison
The Best of Van Morrison (1990)

review by: Chelan David
Date: 12/1/04

Van Morrison is much more than just "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Moondance," in fact he is similar to Clive Davis – both are responsible for many more successful products than you might realize.  On The Best of Van Morrison, the singer-songwriter delivers 20 tracks spanning his career, the majority strangely familiar.

I have always believed Morrison is vastly underrated; although he has inspired such artists as Springsteen, Mellencamp and Costello, he is seldom mentioned among the most influential singer-songwriters.

Part of the allure of Morrison's work is his exuberance.  On "Warm Love" he doesn't just urge you to bring your guitar along to have some fun but to bring your guitar along to have some "fu-hu-hu-un."  Even "Ding-a-ling-a-ling-ding/Do-da-do-da" sounds good coming out of Morrison's chops on "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)."

"Bright Side of the Road" kicks off the CD with a rousing ode to reunited lovers, and song after song, Morrison uses his unusual blend of honky-tonk/soul to portray heartfelt sonic art.  Highlights of the disc include "And it Stoned Me," "Have I Told You Lately," "Full Force Gale" and "A Wonderful Remark" – which was culled from the King of Comedy Soundtrack.

Despite the abundance of outstanding tracks, this collection does have some faults.  The sequence leaves much to be desired.  The songs jump from fast to slow and from decade to decade indiscriminately.  I prefer songs to be arranged by tempo like a perfect mix tape, or at the very least, by chronological order.  Also, "Crazy Love" and "Into the Mystic" are inexplicably excluded on this best of package.  This CD is not perfect, but it is a great starting point for exploring Morrison's vast body of work.

Van Morrison
Moondance (1970)

review by: Alexander Washburn
Date: 12/28/00

A few days before Christmas, I reached into my CD collection and pulled out a few discs that I haven't listened to in years. Moondance was on of them and I promptly declared myself an idiot for not listening to this record everyday.

Listening to Van Morrison, you can hear how many artist of today he influenced. Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows is a direct descendant of Van Morrison - the comparison is eerie.

"And it Stoned Me," "Into the Mystic" and of course "Moondance," stand out as favorites. After listening to Morrison, you just want to go up to a woman and say, "I want to rock your gypsy soul."

So like Van Morrison, I "send you glad tidings from New York," and say to you, go buy this classic and learn why is it a classic.