BCB 100 - Van Morrison
-
- Maddie as a March Hare
- Posts: 573
- Joined: 27 Apr 2006, 21:52
- Location: Cloud-hidden, hareabouts unknown
Pete Townshend's a tosser but he gets forgiven for that. Whereas Van doesn't. I've been to concerts where he's been a little truculent but still I managed to enjoy the music. True, he's a grumpy arse, and difficult to work with and for. But so are a lot of people - I'd rather listen to a talented grumpy arse than an untalented grumpy arse - musically and conversationally.
- The Slider
- Self-Aggrandising Cock
- Posts: 48280
- Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:05
- Location: I'm only here for the sneer
- Contact:
Pete Townshend might be surly and drunk sometimes, but when was the last time you went to see The Who and they played their new album (with some whiny cunt you have never heard of singing all the lead vocals) in it's entirity plus a half-hearted My Generation just to keep the hardcore happy?
I even saw him play a solo show in 81ish where he was drunk and beligerent, but still played a blinder.
Not even in the same league as that miserable old fuckwit.
I even saw him play a solo show in 81ish where he was drunk and beligerent, but still played a blinder.
Not even in the same league as that miserable old fuckwit.
Complete Ramones Mp3 set on its way
- frimleygreener
- Posts: 2446
- Joined: 20 Jul 2003, 21:14
- Location: between the rose and thistle and the old weatsheaf...
- My name is Spaulding
- Pancake Expert
- Posts: 24074
- Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 19:04
- Location: Somewhere else
frimleygreener wrote:something not recognised at large are the great bands that van has assembled over the decades....
the band he ended up with in the Healing Game deserves a mention... with Georgie Fame on the Hammond organ and Pee Wee Ellis doing the horn arrangements
Walk In My Shadow wrote:If Spaulding buys it, I'll buy it too.
- The Slider
- Self-Aggrandising Cock
- Posts: 48280
- Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:05
- Location: I'm only here for the sneer
- Contact:
- My name is Spaulding
- Pancake Expert
- Posts: 24074
- Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 19:04
- Location: Somewhere else
The Slider wrote:Not much point in him having a great band if all he does is lurk at the back occasionally honking on his sax and glowering at the audience. And sending Brian fucking Kennedy up to the mic to do all the singing for him.
I know you´re just creating an exaggerated picture, but I tell you John, that on a good night, the man is still capable of creating sheer magic on the stage.
Even with Brian Kennedy on his band (he hasn´t been for ages), as the fantastic "San Francisco" live album proves.
Walk In My Shadow wrote:If Spaulding buys it, I'll buy it too.
- the masked man
- Schadenfreude
- Posts: 27074
- Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 12:29
- Location: Peterborough
Well, having seen my own bad Van Morrison gig, I don't think The Slider is painting an exaggerated picture at all. In my many years of gig-going I've never seen an artist show such naked contempt for his audience.
Maybe he can still produce magic live, but frankly he's ripped me off once. I don't feel like lining his pockets again.
Maybe he can still produce magic live, but frankly he's ripped me off once. I don't feel like lining his pockets again.
- My name is Spaulding
- Pancake Expert
- Posts: 24074
- Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 19:04
- Location: Somewhere else
the masked man wrote:Well, having seen my own bad Van Morrison gig, I don't think The Slider is painting an exaggerated picture at all. In my many years of gig-going I've never seen an artist show such naked contempt for his audience.
Maybe he can still produce magic live, but frankly he's ripped me off once. I don't feel like lining his pockets again.
Fair enough.
Maybe I´ve been lucky, since all I know about him live comes from "It´s too late to stop now", the San Francisco album, and the 5 amazing concerts that I´ve been lucky enough to witness.
Measuring that, I cannot say anything bad about his live performance, but I do have heard the legends about those bad Van nights.
- Clippernolan
- Maya's Prop
- Posts: 12289
- Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:55
- Location: The mangy BC hills
- Contact:
This is not the first series of stories I've heard about Morrison's erratic behaviour. Why do you think he approaches performance this way on occasion?
Read my blog - The Delete Bin
- the masked man
- Schadenfreude
- Posts: 27074
- Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 12:29
- Location: Peterborough
In answer to your question, I get the impression that Morrison is extremely solipistic. He's reached a position where he's achieved success without really selling out to commercial considerations. He's got where he is by being truculent, and unfortunately this has affected his attitude to performances. If I might don my amateur psychologist's hat, I think he equates respecting his audience's needs with 'selling out'.
So, he'll play good gigs if he's in the mood, but if he isn't, then the audience has to accept it.
It is quite startling - you'd think that Hare and Spaulding were descibing a different performer to the one that The Slider and myself have seen. Basically, they've just been lucky in the way that I haven't.
So, he'll play good gigs if he's in the mood, but if he isn't, then the audience has to accept it.
It is quite startling - you'd think that Hare and Spaulding were descibing a different performer to the one that The Slider and myself have seen. Basically, they've just been lucky in the way that I haven't.
- Clippernolan
- Maya's Prop
- Posts: 12289
- Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:55
- Location: The mangy BC hills
- Contact:
the masked man wrote:In answer to your question, I get the impression that Morrison is extremely solipistic. He's reached a position where he's achieved success without really selling out to commercial considerations. He's got where he is by being truculent, and unfortunately this has affected his attitude to performances. If I might don my amateur psychologist's hat, I think he equates respecting his audience's needs with 'selling out'.
So, he'll play good gigs if he's in the mood, but if he isn't, then the audience has to accept it.
It is quite startling - you'd think that Hare and Spaulding were descibing a different performer to the one that The Slider and myself have seen. Basically, they've just been lucky in the way that I haven't.
So basically this is his version of Miles Davis playing with his back to the audience because he's Miles Davis.
Read my blog - The Delete Bin
- the masked man
- Schadenfreude
- Posts: 27074
- Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 12:29
- Location: Peterborough
- Clippernolan
- Maya's Prop
- Posts: 12289
- Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:55
- Location: The mangy BC hills
- Contact:
the masked man wrote:In a nutshell, yes.
What a bore.
In reading a Morrison interview (I can't remember which), I was struck by his dedication to being pissed off. When the interviewer suggested that many respected artists owe Morrison a debt in terms of style and presentation, instead of reacting the way anyone else would when being flattered effectively("well, I'm just doing what I'm doing and passing it along, blah blah") he said that it bothered him to see his influence in the work of others because he feels ripped off!
Read my blog - The Delete Bin
- copehead
- BCB Cup Stalinist
- Posts: 24768
- Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:51
- Location: at sea
I've seen the old cunt 3 times.
One was an absolute stinker where he played jazz-wank for 2hrs, played a shit jazz-wank version of Moonlight, honked his sax for a bit and pissed off.
One show was OK, lloked a bit moody, bit jazz-wanky, but there were recognisable songs and he was singing well.
One show was a transcedental experience where the band was rocking and he did a version of gloria that left me with a smile on my face for days, he looked like he was enjoying himself and he played the hits and the good stuff straight up with a fine band, what more could you want?
One was an absolute stinker where he played jazz-wank for 2hrs, played a shit jazz-wank version of Moonlight, honked his sax for a bit and pissed off.
One show was OK, lloked a bit moody, bit jazz-wanky, but there were recognisable songs and he was singing well.
One show was a transcedental experience where the band was rocking and he did a version of gloria that left me with a smile on my face for days, he looked like he was enjoying himself and he played the hits and the good stuff straight up with a fine band, what more could you want?
Moorcock, Moorcock, Michael Moorcock, you fervently moan.
Bear baiting & dog fights a speciality.
Bear baiting & dog fights a speciality.
- geoffcowgill
- exceptionally nondescript
- Posts: 3380
- Joined: 23 Oct 2003, 23:43
The only time I've seen him live was in '99 at the Guinness Fleadh festival in Chicago. I'd heard about how cantankerous he could be, so I got really nervous when after four or five songs, he just walked off stage during a number. He came back after what seemed quite a long time, only to leave again after another song or two. Turns out he was apparently going back to get Elvis Costello to come out and duet with him (which I'm sure wasn't a hard thing to do). I had a wild notion that maybe this was what was going on. They did some very unrehearsed (but charmingly so) versions of "Jackie Wilson Said" and "Gloria". It was lovely.
- mentalist (slight return)
- under mi sensi
- Posts: 14575
- Joined: 17 Jul 2003, 10:54
- Location: Sydney
- Contact:
- Yyzlin
- Posts: 1058
- Joined: 24 Feb 2006, 23:24
- Location: North Carolina
Astral Weeks is the greatest album ever recorded. And his output throughout the 70's is top notch, with great albums like Moondance, Vendon's Fleece, and Saint Dominic's. Haven't heard anything past that, and don't particularly care to. Easily one of the greatest songwriters ever. There was simply magic in his music.
- The Slider
- Self-Aggrandising Cock
- Posts: 48280
- Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:05
- Location: I'm only here for the sneer
- Contact:
- Tactful Cactus
- Posts: 18254
- Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 14:21
- Location: by your window