Best Of Van Morrison Vol 3 (2007)
| Artist: Van Morrison |
| Format: | CD |
Song Listing
Van Morrison has never been a man to rest on his considerable laurels - live shows have always incorporated healthy amounts of new music, and the public has responded by buying tickets and albums in ever-increasing numbers. So this third volume of highlights from his four-decade-plus career, expansive though it may be, is already a piece of history. But the rich cast of supporting characters it features, including many of Van's earliest influences, will give fans who came to his work more recently (and helped the first 'Best Of ' make the UK Top 5) a rare insight into Morrison's richly complex musical make-up.
What constitutes The Best of Van Morrison will always be a subjective choice: the man himself ran through several listings and running orders before pronouncing himself satisfied. The sources of the key tracks from the last 15 years range from 1993's Number 4 album Too Long in Exile to 2005's Magic Time, while a selection of choice cuts from hard-to-find releases will delight aficionados. It's impossible to define Morrison with reference to any one recording, but the sheer diversity of the material here, encompassing live tracks, studio takes and remixes, sets a standard others will be hard-pressed to equal."
| Manhattan Records is honored to release The Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 3, preceded by the new single, "Cry for Home". A 2 CD collection featuring 31 tracks, The Best of Van Morrison is a comprehensive collection of Van's later material and includes two previously unreleased tracks and duets with Tom Jones, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, and Ray Charles among others. It is a must for fans old and new. |
Album Notes and Credits
Notes & Personnel Info |
|
 |
Personnel: Van Morrison (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, alto saxophone); Van Morrison; James C. Hunter (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Lonnie Donegan (vocals, acoustic guitar); John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Carl Perkins (vocals, electric guitar); Junior Wells (vocals, harmonica); Ben Sidran, Ray Charles (vocals, piano); Georgie Fame (vocals, background vocals); Jimmy Witherspoon, Annie Ross, Tom Jones, Bobby "Blue" Bland (vocals); Mick Cox, Mick Cox, Arty McGlynn, Jim Sullivan (acoustic guitar); Johnny Scott (electric guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Jerry Elston, Nadine Marsh Edwards, Jerry Elston (electric guitar); Sean Keanne, Se n Keane (fiddle); Rosie Wetters (strings); Lee Goodall (flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Teena Lyle (recorder, piano, vibraphone, percussion, background vocals); Lee Goodall (alto saxophone); Haji Akbar (flugelhorn, background vocals); Fiachra Trench, Geraint Watkins (piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Joe Schenk, Richard Dunn, Joe Schenck (piano); Richard Dunn, John Allair (Hammond b-3 organ); David Hayes, Pete Hurley, Greg Perkins, Richard Cousins, Steve Pearce, Yolanda Charles (bass instrument); Chris Barber (double bass, background vocals); Stan Perkins, Stan Perkins (drums); Alan 'Sticky' Wicket, Alan Wickett (washboard); Chris Barber , Nick Payne, Teena Lyle, Haji Ahkba, Nicky Payne, Johnny Scott (background vocals); Foggy Lyttle (guitar, electric guitar); Mick Green (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Paul "Turk" Henry (acoustic guitar); Dave "Clem" Clempson, Jeff Mironov, Ronnie Johnson (electric guitar); Derek Bell (harp); Martin Fry (fiddle); Paddy Moloney (tin whistle, Uilleann pipe); Martin Winning (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Kate St. John (oboe, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Pee Wee Ellis (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, background vocals); Alan Skidmore, Candy Dulfer (alto saxophone); Leo Green (tenor saxophone, background vocals); Charles Pillow (tenor saxophone); Matt Holland (trumpet, flugelhorn, background vocals); James McMillan (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jeff Kievit, Guy Barker, Tony Kadleck (trumpet); Jonn Savannah (piano, background vocals); Chris Stainton, Phil Coulter, Robin Aspland, Brian Connor (piano); Michael Bearden (keyboards); Ian Jennings, Alec Dankworth (double bass); Nicky Scott (electric bass, background vocals); Geoff Dunn (drums, percussion); Chris Hunt, Kevin Hayes , Shawn Pelton, Ralph Salmins, Ian Thomas, Liam Bradley, Bobby Irwin (drums); Nathaniel Kunkel (shaker); Crawford Bell, Fonzi Thornton, Shana Morrison, Tawatha Agee, Vaneese Thomas, Jerome Rimson, Siobhan Pettit, Olwin Bell, Aine Whelan, Karen Hamill, Brian Kennedy (background vocals); Sharon Riley & Faith Chorale Choir, The Irish Film Orchestra. |
|
Additional personnel: James Hunter (guitar); Georgie Fame (Hammond b-3 organ); Jimmy Witherspoon, John Lee Hooker, Lonnie Donegan, Annie Ross, B.B. King, The Chieftains, Tom Jones, Ben Sidran, Ray Charles, Junior Wells, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Carl Perkins . |
|
Audio Mixers: Nathaniel Kunkel; Anton Timoney; Al Schmitt; Alastair McMillan; Mick Glossop; Tristan Powell; Walter Samuel. |
|
Audio Remixer: Alastair McMillan. |
|
Liner Note Author: Michael Heatley. |
|
Recording information: Fernside (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); Kilmurray Grove (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); Olympic Studios, London, England (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); Ronnie Scott's Club (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); Songwriters Hall Of Fame Awards (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); The Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); The Plant (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); The Point, Dublin, Ireland (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); The Wool Hall (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); Westland (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); Whitla Hall, Belfast, Ireland (08/18/1992-04/14/2005); Windmill Lane (08/18/1992-04/14/2005). |
|
Photographers: Dave Peabody; Duke Robillard; Deidre Fuller; Adrian Boot; Rebecca Bradbury; John Minihan; David Redfern; Tim Motion; Larry Busacca. |
|
Arrangers: Van Morrison; Georgie Fame. |
|
Van Morrison stopped having hits long before the release of the second volume of The Best of Van Morrison in 1993, so it's not practical to assume that its double-disc successor -- delivered a whopping 14 years later, compared to the three separating the first two volumes -- has songs that are familiar to a general audience. Nor should it be assumed that this is a collection of great songs that he's written in that decade-and-a-half, since this is chock-full of covers, including revivals of songs he recorded throughout his career. Furthermore, a full 14 songs -- the length of the first disc of this comp -- are credited as collaborations, and include some previously unreleased cuts that can be counted among a handful of rarities here. It's idiosyncratic, which perhaps could be expected from any comp assembled by the artist himself, but it's also accurate, and it helps makes sense of a rather odd stretch of album-making in a way that's necessary. Taken one at a time, Van's excursions into jazz, country, even skiffle seemed odd, but condensed into this 31-track set, it not only makes sense, it makes an argument that Van has been more true -- if not necessarily vital -- than many of his peers in his latter days. Instead of churning out songs that he's not inspired to write, he's relying on standards to find himself, and finding more inspiration in singing with others than flying solo. As individual records, some of these albums were bewildering, some were quite wonderful, but excerpted and sculpted into something resembling a testimonial, if not a narrative, it's easier to understand what Morrison was up to during a span where he never delivered one album as acclaimed or vital as Dylan or Young (or even McCartney or the Stones), but this goes a long way to proving that hardly means he stopped making good music. If anything, listening to his music in this fashion makes a strong argument for the value of this decade-and-a-half of recording better than any individual Van album from this time, so it's as worthy a listen for those fans who have followed him loyally over these 15 years as it is for those who bowed out around the time of the last The Best of Van Morrison. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine |
Producer: Phil Coulter; Ben Sidran; Paddy Moloney; Van Morrison; Georgie Fame; Jim Lockhart; Phil Ramone; Ben Sidran; Paddy Moloney; Van Morrison; Georgie Fame |
|
Engineer: Nathaniel Kunkel; Enda Walsh; John Mark Harris; Greg Hackett; Paddy McBreen; Barry Clemson; Kevin Doyle; Alastair McMillan; Mick Glossop; Richard Manwaring; Stuart Bruce; Tristan Powell; Walter Samuel; Brian Masterson |
|
Compilation Appearances
|
Last Waltz (Live) |
|
Deuces Wild |
|
Sopranos |
|
Reloaded-Greatest Hits |
|
Musical History |
|
The Departed |
|
Singers Songwriters |
|
Genius Loves Company |
Associated Artists and Works
|
Barber, Chris (1~Trombone) |
|
Chieftains (The) |
|
Fame, Georgie |
|
Lewis, Linda G. |
|
Lewis, Linda Gail |
|
Original Soundtrack |
|
Shorty (Georgie Fame) |
|
Vitamin String Quartet |
Technical Info
|
Release Date : 06/11/2007 |
|
Original Release Date : 2007 |
|
Catalog ID : 3789682 |
|
Label : EMI Music Distribution |
|
Number of Discs : 2 |
|
Studio/Live : Studio |
|
Mono/Stereo : Stereo |
|
SPAR Code : n/a |
|
UPC : 00094637896822 |
Professional Reviews
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "Morrison has never lowered the bar of expectation. Half the tracks here are collaborations, all equally pertinent to Van..."
Bio
Van MorrisonVan Morrison has never been a man to rest on his considerable laurels - live shows have always incorporated healthy amounts of new music, and the public has responded by buying tickets and albums in ever-increasing numbers. So this third volume of highlights from his four-decade-plus career, expansive though it may be, is already a piece of history. But the rich cast of supporting characters it features, including many of Van?s earliest influences, will give fans who came to his work more recently (and helped the first ?Best Of ? make the UK Top 5) a rare insight into Morrison?s richly complex musical make-up.
What constitutes The Best of Van Morrison will always be a subjective choice: the man himself ran through several listings and running orders before pronouncing himself satisfied. The sources of the key tracks from the last 15 years range from 1993?s Number 4 album Too Long in Exile to 2005?s Magic Time, while a selection of choice cuts from hard-to-find releases will delight aficionados. It?s impossible to define Morrison with reference to any one recording, but the sheer diversity of the material here, encompassing live tracks, studio takes and remixes, sets a standard others will be hard-pressed to equal.
