Belfast, Ireland is Van Morrison's refuge, strength, and oftentimes inspiration for the rock-jazz-blues mélange that is this Celt's body of work. In a career roughly split into the Bang and post-Bang periods, the Bang being the record label for which...more Belfast, Ireland is Van Morrison's refuge, strength, and oftentimes inspiration for the rock-jazz-blues mélange that is this Celt's body of work. In a career roughly split into the Bang and post-Bang periods, the Bang being the record label for which he briefly recorded while being produced by Bert Bern in the '60s, Morrison's remained a balladeer through success, retreat, criticism, and acclaim. Battling debilitating stage fright throughout his career has lent itself to a sort of tough resilience in his presence as a live performer, but it's his iconic songwriting that really secures his foothold in the rock canon. Early '70s releases included Tupelo Honey and It's Too Late to Stop Now, and the '80s saw him touring to high fan approval and critical praise. In the '90s, Morrison's career ignited once more and duets with daughter Shana, shared eclectic elegance with jazz pianist and musical raconteur Mose Allison, and the eternally smooth influences of Ray Charles and Sinatra contributed to his warm, philosophical product. Even into the millennium, Morrison remains active, continuing to record and perform, though he's become notoriously even more crotchety in his older age. Read more about Van Morrison in Crawdaddy!: "Van Morrison: Keep it Simple"...less |
