The Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison should require little introduction, I think. So let’s just dive right in….
Playlist 1: The British Invasion Rocker
The first playlist contains the best of Van Morrison’s work with the British Invasion band Them.
With the remainder of Morrison’s work, I had a dilemma. I generally prefer a chronological sequence, but I tried that and didn’t like the way the playlists flowed. So I split up his work into two playlists, focusing each one on a different aspect of his music. Of course, there’s a little overlap between the two styles (it was the same man, after all), but I like the way the playlists sound, now. They are mostly chronological within each playlist, but I’ve monkeyed with the sequence a little to make each playlist progress and build like a fluid entity.
Playlist 2: The Poet Mystic
The best of Van Morrison has always had a healthy dose of the mystical, of transcendence. But on some recordings, he seems to take the deep plunge into the sublime. Everything genuinely seems slightly unhinged at its core, a little loose and flowing, as if the whole work comes from an otherworldly source. This is the Van Morrison of Astral Weeks and Veedon Fleece. And it’s the Van Morrison I tend to love best. Playlist 2 focuses here.
Playlist 3: The Soulful Pop Eccentric
With a voice as expressive as his, Van Morrison can transport any song into a magical realm. The Van Morrison of his poppier material tends to dust regular-sounding songs with just a light sprinkling of the mystical. But musically, these songs remain more grounded. Many people who are far more reasonable than I will prefer these more accessible songs to his ethereal work, and I understand that completely. I love the other stuff the most, but I love this, too.
Playlist Note:
- Damn! Just when you’ve listened to your playlist over and over in iTunes to get it just right, you pop on over to Spotify to build it there… only to discover that a basic album from an essential artist is missing! How can Spotify not have Tupelo Honey? Incredible. I found two of my four selected tracks on a hits compilation, but really the deeper album cuts were my favorites. Playlist 3 should be in the following sequence (missing songs in bold): Brown Eyed Girl / Moondance / Caravan / Crazy Love / Come Running / Everyone / And It Stoned Me / Domino / Blue Money / Give Me A Kiss / I’ve Been Working / Wild Night / I Wanna Roo You (Scottish Derivative) / Tupelo Honey / Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile) / Listen To The Lion / Moonshine Whiskey / Call Me Up In Dreamland.
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