My Favourite Van Albums, Number 13,Wavelength.

Wavelength will always have a special place for me in my collection of Van albums because it reminds me of the very first time i saw Van in concert in 1979.Although i had been a fan for six years i didn't get to see Van live until one fine spring afternoon my friend Fred and i got on his motorbike and set off for the Colston Hall in Bristol. We didn't have tickets but that didn't stop the likings of us.We were first in the queue waiting for the doors to open and passed the time chatting to a lad who had travelled all the way from Belfast.He had been a fan since Vans early days playing in the Maritime Hotel.As soon as the doors opened we made a bee-line for the box office and managed to get seats with restricted view at the right side of the circle,right above the stage but we wouldn't be able to see the keyboard player.The support act was called Earl Okin who wasn't very good.Then it was time for Van!.

From our vantage point we could see Van in the wings waiting to come on.He looked really nervous which i thought was quite surprising considering that he had already been a performer for over 15 years.The tour was called the 'Taking It Further' tour from a line in 'Checkin' It Out', a song on his new album 'Wavelength'.I can't remember a lot about which songs he sang that night.I know he did a few from 'Wavelength' including 'Natalia'.Another friend who was there tells me he did Moondance,Tupelo Honey and Cypress Avenue. I definitely remember Gloria and Brown Eyed Girl. I also recall Katie Kissoon Singing a great version of Crazy Love while Van took a break.Band members i can remember besides Katie were Toni Marcus, violin, Pete Bardens Keyboards , Bobby Tench guitar. I cant remember who else.There was one humourous moment during the show when a girl left her seat in the stalls and walked down to the front of the stage and reverently left a rose onn the stage at Vans feet.He promptly kicked it off the stage.I bought my first Van T Shirt that night.It was to be three long years before myself and Mr Morrison were to cross paths again.
After the indifferent reception that 'A Period Of Transition' received from fans and critics alike Van was astute enough to realise he had to come up with a more commercial album next time out and he delivered just that with Wavelength which was his most upbeat poppy album in years.The opening song 'Kingdom Hall' is very upbeat.Vans mum Violet was a Jehovahs Witness for a while and that is where this song came from.Its quite amazing really with all the sectarian divide in Belfast between Catholics and Protestants the Morrisons were Jehovahs Witnesses.Trust Van to be different.Apparently Mrs Morrison used to go from door to door in the neighbourhood spreading the word and she would take Van with her and Van would say to people "Have you ever considered letting Hank Williams or John Lee Hooker into your life?" (Only joking!)

I love 'Checkin'It Out', it is brilliant.I like the bit about 'there are guides and spirits on the way who will befriend us'.A lot of people don't believe in pixies and goblins and sylphs and dryads etc but i do because i have seen them.One night i was walking home down Park Road in Peterborough from a party totally of my face and a police car stopped and the policeman asked my name and i was so out of it i couldn't remember my own name. I looked up in a tree and there was a little man sat on a branch smoking a pipe and he said,"It's Pat",Another time in Ireland i saw three leprechauns stealing a bicycle from outside a pub.Mind you that was in County Kerry where anything is possible.'Natalia' is next,one of the more lightweight songs on the album with the guitar and female backing singers playing quite a part.'Venice USA ' follows and i don't like this much really now i come to think about it.The chorus is quite banal.The backing singers go Dum derra dum dum diddy diddy dah dah Dum derra dum dum diddy diddy dah dah.Oh shut up!
The next song though more than makes up for it, 'Lifetimes' is supurb in my humble opinion.I used to read a lot of books by Hermann Hesse and the lyrics really remind me of his novel 'Siddartha' with suggestions of reincarnation,boatmen, and sitting in silence and listen to the river.This song is a precursor to the spiritual quest that Van was to carry through the 1980's.

The title track 'Wavelength' follows and it is excellent.Pete Bardens synthesiser is used to good effect here and i love the hand claps.The song is a celebration of young Vans love affair with the radio when all the magical sounds floated through the ether to his room in Hyndford Street.He even mentions his lover in the grass which recalls Brown Eyed Girl..
'Santa Fe' is a co-written song with Jackie De Shannon and is more than a song to sing and merges into 'Beautiful Obsession' which suggests meditation and contemplation.Themes that Van would develop later when such songs as 'When Heart Is Open ' became less like music and more like meditations.
'Hungry For Your Love' is a more carnal affair with Van fancying a bit of hows your father.'I love you in buckskin', let the cowboy ride indeed! It is a good song though.'Take It Where You Find It' is a song that has had mixed views of the critics.Some have derided it whilst others have rated it highly.I am listening to it at this very moment and i find it a very uplifting song.It brings the album to a close on a high note.

Little did i realise at the time but the following album which Van would unleash was to be one one of the finest ever made.I'm talking about change, Van would walk down the street until the shining light came over him.