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Five Essential Van Morrison Albums

Renowned as the grumpiest man in rock, Belfast troubadour Van Morrison is still going strong after 45 years in the business, with his recent release, Born To Sing: No Plan B receiving some of the most glowing reviews of his career. But with 34 studio albums under his belt, any recent converts wishing to investigate his work beyond the likes of signature hits “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Moondance” may find his back catalog a little overwhelming. Here’s a look at the five of the most essential records any self-respecting Morrison fan shouldn’t be without.

Astral Weeks (1968)
After the mainstream success of 1967 debut Blowin’ Your Mind, Morrison delivered something of a curve ball a year later. A hugely ambitious eight-part song cycle, taking in everything from folk to blues to jazz to classical, Astral Weeks initially baffled fans of his previous R&B sound, which explains why it charted an astonishing 129 places lower. However, time has been kind to the cult classic, and while it may have taken 33 years to reach gold status, it’s now widely regarded as not only Morrison’s finest hour, but the greatest ever Irish LP, reaching 19 in Rolling Stone’s 2003 poll of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Produced by Lewis Merenstein, it’s undoubtedly a challenging piece of work, particularly the sprawling 10-minute neo-classical epic “Madame George.” But there’s a hypnotic quality to the likes of spiritual love song “Beside You,” the nostalgic blues-folk of “Cyprus Avenue,” and the emotive lounge-jazz of “The Way Young Lovers Do” that eventually reels the listener in.

Moondance (1970)
A far more accessible introduction to Morrison’s talents, 1970’s third studio effort, Moondance, was a return to more mainstream fare. The big-band swing of the title track has since become a ubiquitous wedding favorite, but there’s plenty elsewhere to justify its inclusion into the Grammy Awards Hall of Fame nearly 30 years later. The brass-heavy Stax sound of closer “Glad Tidings,” the medieval-tinged country rock of “Everyone,” and the happy-go-lucky jazz folk of “Come Running” proved he hadn’t abandoned his eclectic streak. “These Dreams Of You” is quite possibly the best song to ever be inspired by a dream about an assassination attempt on Ray Charles. The soothing balladry of “Into The Mystic” has bizarrely become the soundtrack of choice for surgeons in the operating theatre.

Veedon Fleece (1974)
Morrison may have all but disowned most of the material on his 1974 eighth studio album, Veedon Fleece, but it has since been described as his forgotten masterpiece. Written in the wake of his divorce from first wife Janet Rigsbee and inspired by his first trip to Ireland in six years, its ten tracks are arguably some of the most autobiographical of his career, from the celebration of childhood that is “You Don’t Pull No Punches, But You Don’t Push The River,” to the tale of immigration to America, “Bulbs,” to the tribute to the Wicklow town that reignited his creativity, “Streets of Arklow.” A return to the stream-of-consciousness lyrical style of his earlier work, its blend of pastoral folk, acoustic blues, and Celtic music appeared to take so much out of Morrison that he waited three years before venturing into the studio again.

Days Like This (1995)
After an inconsistent 80s period, many thought Morrison’s best days were behind him. But his under-rated 1995 release, Days Like This, proved to be the return to form his career needed. Nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize Award, where he lost out to Portishead’s Dummy, its 12 tracks contain some of his greatest contemporary material, including the cover version of Eddy Arnold’s 50s country classic, “You Don’t Know Me,” the duet with daughter Shana, “I’ll Never Be Free,” and the title track official anthem of the Northern Ireland peace movement.

Magic Time (2005)
There’s not many artists who can lay claim to achieving their highest chart position nearly four decades into their career, but Morrison did just that with 2005 31st album, Magic Time. Home to one of his greatest acoustic ballads, “The Lion This Time,” its 13 tracks also saw him expertly tackle 30s jazz standard “I’m Confessin’,” Fats Waller’s “Black and Blue” and the Sinatra co-penned “This Love Of Mine” in his own inimitable curmudgeonly style, introducing a whole new generation to his ambitious blend of Celtic rock, R&B and blues in the process.

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