Van Morrison’s 80th Birthday

Thanks Dave. Saw him a month or two ago.. awesome show

Screw him. I paid a small fortune to see him in LA many yrs ago. He spent the whole show with his back to the audience, smoking and drinking from a table set up between him and band. One of the worst shows I ever saw. 

And Mookie(with DNB) does a better job on "Into The Mystic" than he ever did........

Yeah, he's an epic prick who is well known for mailing in one show and being locked in and brilliant the next. Over the years I've seen both ends of that, and pretty much everything in between, and while I'm not interested anymore he's blown my mind more than once. I must say he does look and sounds good in those videos.

And that run of early albums starting with Astral Weeks, Moondance, His Band and the Street Choir, Tupelo Honey and Saint Dominic's Preview might be the best stretch of brilliance from any recording artist ever.

And Mark, well, we all know how much you love the David Nelson Band, so we'll let you have that one.

There are a lot of different opinions about him, but whatever folks may think, he is Van the Man.

Thanks.

Saw the dude once about 20 years ago at the Wamu Theater in Seattle.  Most expensive tickets for a single act I had paid for up until then (since surpassed by Bob &, Co at the Gorge and Phish NYE at MSG).   Wouldn't pay that again but it was worth it.  His band was impeccable and guy was really engaged and on it.   Set list left something to be desired and wish he dug deeper into his His Band through St. Dominic's era material.

Too Late to Stop Now is one of my all time favorite live albums and his performance of Caravan at the Last Waltz is one of the most awesome things ever captured on film.

If you haven't seen it, the movie Belfast which came out a few years ago is a very sweet movie despite its dark setting and Van the Man is all over the soundtrack.

Garcia/Saunders 1/15/72.  Tupelo Honey 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzpVrLxQRXs&list=RDbzpVrLxQRXs&start_rad... 1st of 2 performances, also 2/12/72