It is a lazy Sunday afternoon and I am listening to Into
The Music by Van Morrison. If somebody asked me to name the last Van
album where every single song was a classic, In all honesty I would have to say
Into The Music. This is what I said about it a long time ago.........
Sometime in the mid 1970's I bought my first Van biography.
It was a paperback by the late Richie Yorke called Into The Music.
I do not know what happened to it, maybe I sold it on my bookstall. At the time
I thought it was not very good. Probably because it was the only biography Van
ever actually co-operated with, I think Richie had to be careful what he said. A
few years later Van bought out an album called Into The Music and my
first thought was that it wasn't an original album title, being the same as the
book and a play on words of Into The Mystic. However, on hearing the
contents it was apparent that after his hiatus of the mid-70's Van Morrison
was back on top form. I think after the disappointing reception of A Period Of
Transition Van had to make a commercially successful album, which he did
with Wavelength and the success of that album gave him renewed
confidence to try something more adventurous. He did this brilliantly with Into
The Music producing an album packed with great songs and achieving great
critical acclaim at the same time.
The album begins with a very optimistic upbeat song, the
very catchy Bright Side Of The Road. This song gave Van his first
hit single in Britain since the days of Them. I like Katie Kissoon
singing in the background and the harmonica and when Van does that growly voice
which is a bit like Louis Armstrong. Let’s enjoy it while we can because
it goes by in the twinkling of an eye. The upbeat feel continues with Full Force Gale. This
is very spiritual and Christian. I will find my sanctuary in the lord', sings
Van. The great Ry Cooder plays slide guitar on this one. A great song
for Sunday mornings, or any morning, for that matter. Steppin’ Out Queen is
next. Queens crop up quite a lot in Van songs, Joe Harper Saturday
Morning also mentions queens, and Queen Of The Slipstream of course. It is a great song as is Stepping Out
Queen, Part 2 on the Philosophers Stone album. Mark Isham’s
piccolo trumpet gives a very medieval feel to Troubadours. Van’s friend Robin
Williamson plays tin whistle on this song. He was to play quite a role in
Vans spiritual journey in subsequent years. 'And for every man all across the
land and from shore to shore, they came singin' songs of love and chivalry from
the days of yore'.
|
Pee Wee Ellis. |
Rolling Hills is again very up tempo
with lots of Yeahs and whoo's from Van who threatens to dance a jig among the
rolling hills. Toni Marcus plays a nice viola on this track. Toni plays
an important role in making the sound of this album, playing violin, viola,
mandolin and straviola. You Make Me Feel So Free is a
song I have come to associate with Brian Kennedy in subsequent years because
he sings a great cover version on the No Prima Donna album. Pee Wee Ellis
excels himself on this track with a nice solo. It was a lucky day for Van when
Mark Isham recommended Pee Wee to him. The first six tracks are great, but then
Van steps up from great to sublime with the last four tracks starting with Angelou.
I have heard it suggested that Van might have got the name from the famous
American author Maya Angelou who wrote I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
I have never heard of anyone else by that name. This is a romantic song with
its images of Paris in the month of May. I spent a few months in France in 79
and met lots of interesting people so this song struck a chord with me when I
first heard it. I especially like the talking interlude in the song. ‘Walkin'
on a city street who would think you could ever be touched by a total stranger,
not me but when you came up to me that day and I listened to your story it
reminded me so much of myself. It wasn't what you said but the way it felt to
me, about a search and a journey just like mine’.
|
Toni Talia Marcus. |
The next song And The Healing Has Begun is almost as
good as it gets with Van. I would put it in the top five Van Morrison songs of
all time. Toni Marcus is magnificent on this track. It's All In The
Game is a Companion song to You Know What They're Writing About.
When Van sings the two songs together it becomes his Master class. Among Van
afficionados this song has become simply known as 'Game'. The song itself has
an interesting history. The original music was written by an American
Vice-President called Charles Dawes in 1912. Lyrics were added by Carl Sigman in 1951. It was recorded by Tommy Edwards and got
to Number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic in 1958. Both Cliff Richard and
the Four Tops had hits with it before Van recorded it and made it his
own. It is Toni again who excels on this song with her haunting violin. It is a
shame she was not in his band for longer. The song flows seamlessly into You
Know What They're Writing About. The words Meet me down by the
pylons has a very personal resonance for me because at Worthy Farm there is
a line of pylons which go right across the site towards the Tor in the distance
and the first time I saw Van at Glastonbury in 82 these words suddenly took on
new meaning for me. They seemed strangely prophetic. Van Morrison has made some great
albums and wonderful songs since 1979, but I do not think for sheer consistency
and quality he has quite matched the brilliance of Into The Music. This
album personifies the healing power of music.
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