The Belfast Cowboy

Van Morrison never set out to change the world or shed light on society's many ills . . . he just wants to rock your gypsy soul. He began performing in the later part of the 1950s and is still releasing some of the most soulful music you'll ever hear. Morrison is an ace with his phrasing, twisting and turning lyrics, always delivering a musical moment worth remembering. Despite the staggering amount of music he's released, Morrison doesn't do duds. Any song he touches with that old Irish Soul is better for the play, his voice lending an authenticity and soulfulness that hits the ears like fresh lemonade at your favorite childhood swimming hole.

Listening to Van Morrison can be a spiritual experience. Diving back through his stacks of albums can seem daunting: heavy subject matter, poetic mysticism, some of the best backing musicians in rock, soul and jazz. A crash course seeking to put a finger on that elusive aspect of music that can so strongly tie some songs or artists to our own spiritual narrative. Morrison always had a bit of a J.D. Salinger mystique: semi-hermit, rarely performs, says a lot with few words, hard to understand and even harder to label or pinpoint. Much like Salinger's timeless cast-about Holden Caulfield, Van strives for musical genuineness and avoids the phony, staying true to himself regardless of commercial or critical aspirations. To many, he’s just the guy who sings “Brown Eyed Girl” but to those in the know, those who have traveled with Van down his often narrow and winding paths, those who have read the liner notes and. studied the lyrics into obfuscation, those who hang on every word and note, Morrison is more of a musical medicine man than just a recording artist with a few well-known hits.

He was born George Ivan Morrison in 1945. His father worked the Belfast shipyards and cultivated a love for all things blues, gospel and country in young Van. By the age of 13 Morrison was a touring musician, earning his bread with his voice and playing the guitar and saxophone. In 1964 he formed the seminal Irish folk/rhythm and blues band Them. Due in no small part to Morrison’s impeccable singing and intelligent songwriting, it wasn’t long before Them was firmly established as one of Northern Ireland/Britain’s best live acts. The band saw a modicum of success with two Morrison originals, “Gloria” and “Here Comes the Night.” Like much of Morrison’s work, both songs live on as covers the world over, screaming from speakers in clubs, bars and theaters anywhere R&B or rock is served. Morrison parted ways with the band after their first US tour, a trip allowing Morrison to become enamored with both Frank Sinatra and James Brown. He has borrowed from both with staggering success throughout his career.

In 1970 Morrison released “Moondance,” a record I would put on my deserted island list. A timeless piece of art with a sophisticated spiritual lean and a mellow, laid-back vibe, an old wooden ship bopping along calm seas with warm wind filling the sails from behind. "And it Stoned Me" starts the record off hitchhiking with fishing poles on a beautiful country day and before long we've got "barefoot gypsy boys singing praise round the campfire" right into "Crazy Love," one of the best love songs ever written. The record's masterpiece is the singularly enigmatic "Into The Mystic," a song fraught with beauty and spiritual connection and one of the best opening stanza's in all of music: "We were born before the wind/ Also younger than the Sun/ 'Ere the bonnie boat was won/ As we sailed into the mystic."" When Morrison digs down deep with those golden pipes and bellows "And I wanna rock your gypsy soul" it's one of the most beautiful moments in all of music. The expanded version issued in 2013 and available for download has some great extras and outtakes, including a ten minute "I've Been Working," an exhausting blues workout, Morrison using every ounce of charisma and vocal play at his disposal. Shortly after in 1972, he released the country-flavored "Tupelo Honey," a record every bit as awe-inspiring as "Moondance" but unfortunately not currently available for download.

1973's "Hard Nose The Highway" picks up right where it's predecessor "Saint Dominic's Preview" left off, with earnest, passionate and reflective songs, Morrison giving you glimpses into his soul but never quite letting you in the door, keeping you on the front porch while the dogs behind the screen whimper and beg. Songs like “Warm Love” and “Snow in Anselmo” would become live staples as well as crowd favorites. This record along with 1974's live double record "It's Too Late to Stop Now" showcase Morrison at the end of an extremely creative and productive period in his career. "Too Late" is Morrison's best live record, finding The Belfast Cowboy at the top of his game. The collection features some of Morrison's best versions of timeless tunes like "Listen to The Lion," "Cyprus Avenue," "Here Comes The Night" and "Into The Mystic." Unlike other soul singers during the same time-frame like Brown and Sam Cooke, Morrison doesn't dance on stage. There's no splits or twirling, he lets his singing do the heavy lifting, performing vocal gymnastics backed by a top-notch rock and soul band.

Right before the turn of the century Morrison released a two-and-a-half-hour collection "The Philosopher’s Stone," featuring a host of songs from periods throughout his career. The collection is impressive for it's mere expansiveness, songs like "Western Plain" and "John Henry" finding Van strutting his shit with the best of 'em, bad-ass Irish swagger not afraid to point fingers and call out the fools. The collection also highlights the softer side of Morrison, songs like “Bright Side of the Road,” “There There Child” and “Lover's Prayer” serving as an excellent reminder of the spiritual and metaphysical places Morrison is capable of taking us. "Philosopher’s Stone" will make you happy to be along for the ride.

To get a taste for what Morrison has been up to lately, he's alive and well, I really like his 2018 record with Jazz big-wig Joey DeFrancesco "You're Driving Me Crazy." DeFrancesco made a name for himself playing with the likes of Miles Davis, fusion guitarist John McLaughlin, John Scofield, vibraphone legend Bobby Hutcherson and drummer Elvin Jones. Handling both the Hammond Organ and trumpet on this outing, DeFranscesco's chops are on full display. It's a lot of fun to hear a wizened Morrison play around in the jazz format, scooting and scatting to his heart's delight and putting a curious turn on old favorites like “Have I Told You Lately” and “The Way Young Lovers Do.”

Records to Stream/Download:

Van Morrison “Moondance (Expanded Edition)”

Van Morrison “Hard Nose The Highway”

Van Morrison “It's Too Late to Stop Now (Live)”

Van Morrison “Philosopher's Stone”

Van Morrison & Joey DeFrancesco “You're Driving Me Crazy”