Music Banter - View Single Post - The Complete Discography thread Van Morrison

Son of JayJamJah · 06-24-2008, 09:48 PM

Following the multifaceted St. Dominic’s Preview Van went right back into the studio and soon after released Hard Nose, his seventh solo studio album. Never had an album so passive been produced amongst a time of such personal turmoil and impending collapse. Shortly after he finished the album, he finished his marriage, and while “Hard Nose…” is far from an emotional eruption, there is a sort of unintentional insincerity to the album’s theme would not be fully exposed until the delightful melancholy that is Veedon Fleece.

Hard Nose the Highway (1973)

Hard Nose the Highway was consistently the worst reviewed Warner Bros album to date when it was released in 1973, five years after the seminal “Astral Weeks” it is a mellow jazz compilation that, admittedly in large part seems more mundane than the usual Van. Focusing on transition and a natural earthy theme, the listening experience provokes leisurely activities at its most sinister and evokes nostalgia throughout. The lyrical imagery is inundated with geographical and metrological metaphor and chatter as the album uses Love and pain only as a sidebar not a central focus...

1. Snow in San Anselmo – Emotional Jazzy opening to the 1973 Morrison Lp and a dynamite overall performance reinforced by the bay Area Symphony Choir. Simple and direct with just enough style. Jazzy bass and back-up vocal driven interludes interrupting the melancholy just long enough to invigorate your interest in the story are a highlight as is the painstaking drawn out title line of each chorus. A song that transports the listener to a otherwise non-descript snow fall in San Anselmo. Overall the song is a complex and captivating introduction to the album. 8\10

2. Warm Love – The most popular single from the album, the layered and lovely Warm Love is hard not to enjoy. A sort grown up answer to “crazy love” and yet a young and light-hearted song, its simple message and contrasting composition make it a delight. With a wonderfully phrased chorus (“and it’s ever present everywhere”) and a punchy verse featuring a familiar but almost forgotten flute accompaniment. 7.5\10

3. Hard Nose the Highway – Poetic and Poignant, the title track features a horn driven chorus which typically meant great things for the listener in Van’s early days. The application of the entire musical entourage throughout the song really elevates its status for me. Horns and keys drive the melody and appropriately so as it is a recurring theme amongst the album. On an album criticized for having average at best lyrics, a very strong performance is present here. Every verse’s opening line is perfectly paced amd apropos. Has the feel of a personal message of encouragement and perseverance more then a story being told or lesson being taught. Energetic outro paying tribute to Moondances’ “These Dreams of You” (“you paid your dues in Canada”) among the further foreshadowing of Van’s personal struggles to come and his determination to prevail. A song that most folks can relate to regardless of class, creed etc. 8\10

4. Wild Children – The most easygoing and traditionally jazzy number on the album. Van drifts in and out of lyrical pattern and inevitably finds room for improvisation both lyrically and musically. Has the feeling of a ball room number strangely enough; its content is debatable, some find it an anti-war song, others a simple song of reminiscences. There are nods to Tennessee Williams, Rod Steiger, Marlon Brando and James Dean and a feeling of remorse. However the song lacks the punch needed to keep interest in the story. 6\10

5. The Great Deception – The most interesting number on the album. Melodic and harmonious with a familiar but original rhythm. A cynical Morrison issues harsh criticism on his mainstream contemporaries in all sectors of the public entrainment cultural and media communities. A sarcastic slap in the face with a clear accusation of hypocrisy. An overlooked classic in my opinion including one of the great lines ever. “…where they rob you with a smile instead of a gun.’ Musically it’s a circular and creative composition with a simple and savvy rhythm. One of the better bass guitar performances of the album as it’s a simply two guitar, bass and drums assembly that gives the signature performance of the Lp. 8.5\10

6. Green – “Green is the color of spring” A tribute to his daughter, a non-original Van composition taken from of all places Sesame Street. Elegant and gentle, easy to move through and appropriately ordinary, a quality song but nothing special. Piano, horns and electric guitar drive the bluesy R&B rhythms. The remaining instrumental performances are simply complementary and fail to stand out. A few very nice escalations in between verses stand out in a steady performance. 6.5\10

7. Autumn Song – While relaxing and musically very strong, not a lot going on here. A nice bit of contrast and return in the jumpy jazzed up chorus between the blues style electric guitar and constant rhythms of the verse. At ten and half minutes it’s a real mood song more then anything and one of Van’s longest. Van allows a little leeway for the stream of conscious lyrical and vocal performance but nothing remarkable or even comparable to the exploits of songs from the albums predecessor St. Dominic’s Preview with tracks like “Listen to the Lion” 6.5\10

8. Purple Heather – The re-arranged traditional ballad done in true Morrison style. The final track of the album is the most openly exclamatory ditty amongst the sometimes presumed muck, probably the most charismatic number to be found, piano lead is outstanding and the strings provide that familiar buzzing accompaniment in the back drop. With a deliberate rhythm and vocals trying to escape from the first note it’s a clear cut build song. A celebratory track, and also the final recorded on Van’s first completely and intentional solo production job. A wonderful instrumental featuring contrasting pianos and strings (violin, viola, cello) really give the song a strong identity as a complete work. 8.5\10

…Shortly after Van completed Hard Nose he was divorced from his wife Janet Planet. As mentioned it was initially considered a failed effort, however most hard core fans have always enjoyed the album and in fact a lot of mainstream media has come a round to it in the years since. Rolling Stone which initially bashed it as “uninspiring and habitual in nature” whatever that means, has changed it’s official tune now boasting "Hard Nose the Highway is psychologically complex, musically somewhat uneven and lyrically excellent." At times it ranks amongst my top five or six albums from Van, and never fails to disappoint after a long respite. At the moment Purple Heather is one of my favorite songs. This album is unquestionably amongst the quintessential Van Morrison and required listening for well rounded music fans.

First Time I Listened to it: 1974
Defining Track(s): “The Great Deception” best captures the cathartic and cynical nature of the album. “Warm Love” is the biggest commercial hit.
Line in my head: “Hey Kids dig the first takes, ain’t that some interpretation”

Star rating: (1-5) (from my personal catalog) ****
How it made me feel today: (1-10): 7.5
Overall Ranking: TBD

Next up: Veedon Fleece- 1974

06-24-2008, 09:48 PM	#32 (permalink)
Son of JayJamJah Occams Razor Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: End of the Earth Posts: 2,472	Following the multifaceted St. Dominic’s Preview Van went right back into the studio and soon after released Hard Nose, his seventh solo studio album. Never had an album so passive been produced amongst a time of such personal turmoil and impending collapse. Shortly after he finished the album, he finished his marriage, and while “Hard Nose…” is far from an emotional eruption, there is a sort of unintentional insincerity to the album’s theme would not be fully exposed until the delightful melancholy that is Veedon Fleece. Hard Nose the Highway (1973) Hard Nose the Highway was consistently the worst reviewed Warner Bros album to date when it was released in 1973, five years after the seminal “Astral Weeks” it is a mellow jazz compilation that, admittedly in large part seems more mundane than the usual Van. Focusing on transition and a natural earthy theme, the listening experience provokes leisurely activities at its most sinister and evokes nostalgia throughout. The lyrical imagery is inundated with geographical and metrological metaphor and chatter as the album uses Love and pain only as a sidebar not a central focus... 1. Snow in San Anselmo – Emotional Jazzy opening to the 1973 Morrison Lp and a dynamite overall performance reinforced by the bay Area Symphony Choir. Simple and direct with just enough style. Jazzy bass and back-up vocal driven interludes interrupting the melancholy just long enough to invigorate your interest in the story are a highlight as is the painstaking drawn out title line of each chorus. A song that transports the listener to a otherwise non-descript snow fall in San Anselmo. Overall the song is a complex and captivating introduction to the album. 8\10 2. Warm Love – The most popular single from the album, the layered and lovely Warm Love is hard not to enjoy. A sort grown up answer to “crazy love” and yet a young and light-hearted song, its simple message and contrasting composition make it a delight. With a wonderfully phrased chorus (“and it’s ever present everywhere”) and a punchy verse featuring a familiar but almost forgotten flute accompaniment. 7.5\10 3. Hard Nose the Highway – Poetic and Poignant, the title track features a horn driven chorus which typically meant great things for the listener in Van’s early days. The application of the entire musical entourage throughout the song really elevates its status for me. Horns and keys drive the melody and appropriately so as it is a recurring theme amongst the album. On an album criticized for having average at best lyrics, a very strong performance is present here. Every verse’s opening line is perfectly paced amd apropos. Has the feel of a personal message of encouragement and perseverance more then a story being told or lesson being taught. Energetic outro paying tribute to Moondances’ “These Dreams of You” (“you paid your dues in Canada”) among the further foreshadowing of Van’s personal struggles to come and his determination to prevail. A song that most folks can relate to regardless of class, creed etc. 8\10 4. Wild Children – The most easygoing and traditionally jazzy number on the album. Van drifts in and out of lyrical pattern and inevitably finds room for improvisation both lyrically and musically. Has the feeling of a ball room number strangely enough; its content is debatable, some find it an anti-war song, others a simple song of reminiscences. There are nods to Tennessee Williams, Rod Steiger, Marlon Brando and James Dean and a feeling of remorse. However the song lacks the punch needed to keep interest in the story. 6\10 5. The Great Deception – The most interesting number on the album. Melodic and harmonious with a familiar but original rhythm. A cynical Morrison issues harsh criticism on his mainstream contemporaries in all sectors of the public entrainment cultural and media communities. A sarcastic slap in the face with a clear accusation of hypocrisy. An overlooked classic in my opinion including one of the great lines ever. “…where they rob you with a smile instead of a gun.’ Musically it’s a circular and creative composition with a simple and savvy rhythm. One of the better bass guitar performances of the album as it’s a simply two guitar, bass and drums assembly that gives the signature performance of the Lp. 8.5\10 6. Green – “Green is the color of spring” A tribute to his daughter, a non-original Van composition taken from of all places Sesame Street. Elegant and gentle, easy to move through and appropriately ordinary, a quality song but nothing special. Piano, horns and electric guitar drive the bluesy R&B rhythms. The remaining instrumental performances are simply complementary and fail to stand out. A few very nice escalations in between verses stand out in a steady performance. 6.5\10 7. Autumn Song – While relaxing and musically very strong, not a lot going on here. A nice bit of contrast and return in the jumpy jazzed up chorus between the blues style electric guitar and constant rhythms of the verse. At ten and half minutes it’s a real mood song more then anything and one of Van’s longest. Van allows a little leeway for the stream of conscious lyrical and vocal performance but nothing remarkable or even comparable to the exploits of songs from the albums predecessor St. Dominic’s Preview with tracks like “Listen to the Lion” 6.5\10 8. Purple Heather – The re-arranged traditional ballad done in true Morrison style. The final track of the album is the most openly exclamatory ditty amongst the sometimes presumed muck, probably the most charismatic number to be found, piano lead is outstanding and the strings provide that familiar buzzing accompaniment in the back drop. With a deliberate rhythm and vocals trying to escape from the first note it’s a clear cut build song. A celebratory track, and also the final recorded on Van’s first completely and intentional solo production job. A wonderful instrumental featuring contrasting pianos and strings (violin, viola, cello) really give the song a strong identity as a complete work. 8.5\10 …Shortly after Van completed Hard Nose he was divorced from his wife Janet Planet. As mentioned it was initially considered a failed effort, however most hard core fans have always enjoyed the album and in fact a lot of mainstream media has come a round to it in the years since. Rolling Stone which initially bashed it as “uninspiring and habitual in nature” whatever that means, has changed it’s official tune now boasting "Hard Nose the Highway is psychologically complex, musically somewhat uneven and lyrically excellent." At times it ranks amongst my top five or six albums from Van, and never fails to disappoint after a long respite. At the moment Purple Heather is one of my favorite songs. This album is unquestionably amongst the quintessential Van Morrison and required listening for well rounded music fans. First Time I Listened to it: 1974 Defining Track(s): “The Great Deception” best captures the cathartic and cynical nature of the album. “Warm Love” is the biggest commercial hit. Line in my head: “Hey Kids dig the first takes, ain’t that some interpretation” Star rating: (1-5) (from my personal catalog) ** How it made me feel today: (1-10): 7.5 Overall Ranking:** TBD Next up: Veedon Fleece- 1974 Last edited by Son of JayJamJah; 07-03-2008 at 02:25 PM.