Van explores creativity and meaning, where songs come from, and the influence of the media. Van Morrison's new album Three Chords and the Truth is available now, listen here vanmorrison.lnk.to/ThreeChord...
It was a great interview because the interviewer is one of the best saxophone players and played with Van for years. They are totally on the same page.
@@jonnypunton8878 The son of the late saxophonist and broadcaster, Benny Green. He played the tenor saxophone solo on The Healing Game among others. Leo followed his father into broadcasting by broadcasting on Radio 2.
No wonder … I’m cleaning house , feeding the dogs , listening to this - sort of in the background and thinking , “Huh , this guy is asking some great questions and even Van seems to think so…” .
Astral Weeks is my favorite recording of all time. I've listened to it at least once a week since it was released at the end of '68, when I was 14 yrs old. A masterpiece IMHO. Seeing Van live is a roll of the dice 'cause he's temperamental. Most of the time he's in a good mood and does a great show. But I've seen him several times when he was in a bad mood and let the audience know that he wanted to be anywhere but there. One time I saw him and he did the entire show with his back to the audience. One other time I saw him in a small club in Cotati, California and he showed up in a cast on his leg up to his hip. He played sax that night. It was amazing seeing him in a small club.
cosmo naut I saw him at jones beach a few years back. I was in my 20’s. He played his set of what he wanted. Maybe played the radio played to death brown eyed girl. Finished and walked off the stage. Everyone was like um. Okay. No encore or nothing just walked off.
Listen to the way he does a Bob Dylan song, " Its All Over Now Baby Blue" ? I was 17yrs old & now 71 and that got me hookon Morrison. I bet you will love it??
So true...I was at a concert of his at some college in NJ and he walked off the stage because the sound crew wasnt giving him what he wanted...it killed the buzz...he came back abt 10 mins later but it took him 2-3 songs to get the audience back..throughout my younger yrs I saw him at least half dozen times..and yes, always hoped he was in a good mood
Also an asshole. He picked on one of Dylan’s tour drummers for having “messy hair” and constantly told Bob to fire him, the drummer was a black kid with an afro. He also said disparaging remarks to his face.
Brian Wilson, John Lennon,Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan.of all these Artists of this era,one seems to percolate to the top as pure genius.Van Morrison.I don't try to analyze,I Just Revel in the joy that he brings to the spectrum of the human condition.Even defeat becomes joyful for being expressed so well. Thank you Mr.Morrison .
He seems so open and friendly here and, dare I say it, positively jolly. It seems the secret is ask the man an intelligent question and just let him talk....
Van the Man! I first learned of him when I heard 'Brown Eyed (Skinned) Girl' upon it's release in the summer of 1967, and Van's been one of my favorite go-to music fixes ever since! With a style all his own, he's never done anything mediocre, always brilliant! One of the very best at his craft, no doubt about it!
Youre just great! Always & forever!! I play Have I Told you Lately That I Love You each day in my prayer closet. loved Brown Eyed Girl in 1967!! .....still makes me feel 16😁 Thank you Lord Bless You
In the late 60´s Bill Graham gave him Wednesday nights at The Fillmore, at a time that Bert Berns made it impossible for for him to work. I only heard rumors, and the truth will probably never out, but I watched Mr. Morrison develop his genius, and chops on the sax every Weds. for almost 2 years. Spare a thought for Bill Graham, the softest hearted S.O.B. that ever lived.
Sing song sing song 🎶 I love it. Sounds linguistically like Chinese language. Seriously, it’s a great interview. Van Morrison has been a lifetime’s favourite of mine and his stance on Not the New Normal is worthy of a Sainthood. Where are the other musicians and celebrities standing up for the common man and for Freedom?????
Singer/songwriter's are a fascinating bunch. They write timeless material but also sing it better than anyone else can. Or at least emote it better than anyone else.
I imagine that if I were as talented as Van the Man, I would walk around all day bragging to everyone or having my mind blown out of my ears by contemplating my greatness. But he's just a regular bloke. It always cracks me up when at the end of I'll be your lover too, he asks, "How was that?". Oh, how was that? Just an r exquisite masterpiece, eh, no biggie.
Could not agree more. I have always written poetry and the only poems that were any good, in my opinion, were written straight off very quickly almost without thinking. Afterwards, I would edit them, correcting spelling mistakes and adding commas etc. Creativity flows without much conscious thinking!
Really like the way Van explains the role of the subconscious or even the unconscious in the creative process and why unfettered youth can get a better shot at achieving results.
HAPPY 75th Van! Born under the Sun sign Virgo the soul path is the manifestation of the continuous desire for synthesis, “perfection” and healing! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR GIFTS WITH ALL OF US!
This is truly fascinating and I love what Van says about his songs not being 'about me' - and this makes so much sense when you listen to Astral Weeks, as it seems to envelop you as if you are the designed character, not him, which by the way was something Shakespeare did in his Sonnets also.
@elauadeinsf fabulous interview, yes indeed i agree on your take/perspective of vans songwriting. the listener gets to complete the song! all of the great songwriters of our generation had the ability to that and luckily still are (Dylan, Simon, Van.) you can throw Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead lyricist) & Taupin in there as well! enough ambiguity a grey area within where the listener has the final say so on what it is about and that may change from day to day, listen to listen to for a different meaning and/or perspective!
The best part of this entire interview was the part where Van explains the fact that in the creation of a song it comes form a place that needs no explanation. As a visual artist myself, I can totally relate to this. People ask me occasionally where my ideas form. All I can say is "In my mind" This is a fantastic interview.
Most of the great songwriters and singers sang other people's songs mainly because they just loved them and probably wished they had written them.Lennon and McCartney for instance.Van does the best rendition of Rodney Crowells Gain Control Again I ever heard.The list is endless.
albert weaver please , his age is completely irrelevant. This man could sing the telephone book and make it both compelling and beautiful. Sorry, I forgot that you don't know what that means-perhaps ask a convenient ancestor? Music is music. Listen to as much as you can...
The best series of Van interviews I've ever seen! he's actually asking engaging questions And vans into it because hes not being asked the usuall rote crap "who were your influences when you were growing up"? etc If you are a Van Morrison fan you need to read 'Here Comes The Night' the BANG records ,Burt Burns( writer ,producer of 4 mentioned same titled song)Because Burn's widow says Van drove her husband into grave haha in another interview Van says it's all about the money, let's not kid ourselves... it'd be interesting to hear more about their relationship I think there was a Grudgingly, mutual respect
It's cool to hear someone so successful talk about interest in old songs vs new... It must feel good to know so many of your old songs make that list of interest! I'm looking forward to the day when my set list is my own... getting there!
I found this interview so interesting about singer/song writer's. Yes, music comes the universe! I knew this... But you don't have to know? It's a feeling you get when you close your eyes...
Fascinating insight. Especially loved the comments about the unconscious writing the creative parts of a song. Thanks for posting. (My only quibble is with the interviewer who needs to learn not to make statements at the guest; ask questions, don't make statements).
@Len Fargell he is Irish. He moved to San Francisco and Boston in his early twenties. There are videos where you hear the beginning of his "American" accent. Sounds like Brooklyn.
I find the conversation interesting, especially about the creative process. Though I would say that I think it's natural that people want to know what songs are 'about'. Even if we're writing fictions or acting as a type of channel, what comes out is a reflection of our inner life, even though it may be abstracted or a mosaic of ideas, experiences. We may not know what it 'means' or where it came from, or why it appears, but it's there, "it just is" and part of the mystery. And who doesn't like a good mystery? I find it natural to ask why. Curiosity is part of the path, too.
a good Belfast man realises the importance of music and songs ,whether you have written it or not is irrelevant .He grew up in tradition of irish folk music ………..no one knows who wrote the songs
Imagine a supergroup consisting of Van, Ginger Baker, John Martyn, Jack Bruce and Miles Davis.They might have even got Phil Spector to produce their first album.
I wish he had have just asked him straight, how do you write yours songs? :) I.e are the based on an emotion? or an idea of something you want to say? or do you just strum a guitar/ tinker on the piano and go with the flow?
Fuck the analytical Van .. continue on in respect of the gift and creative spirit. Forget the damn burden of explanation. we're artists man. amen. love you and my family does too.
Wow he’s positively bubbly in this interview. The questions are smart, ask for opinion, but not too personal. He actually has facial movements that appear like a smile. I’ve always thought he was either neurodivergent or the biggest most talented prick on the planet. ⚖️
James Taylor is described as a "singer-songwriter" but he had hits from other peoples songs. "How Sweet It Is" and "You've Got a Friend" to name two. But, I for one, never liked the term because it seemed to be used to describe a certain group of people from the early 70s. And yet, Mick Jagger is a singer-songwriter, as are so many others.
i hope im lucky enough at this p[oint that he records some of mine its been a case of my publisher being contacted they are going for one more summers thursday
People always say this, but if a new song came out and it was an undeniable catchy monster hit like the 12 he says people want, people would definitely want them. Somewhere a long the way musicians ability to write monster flagship songs diminish. Probably from being to comfortable. Who was it that said it’s hard to be the champ when your sleeping on silk sheets. The push and pull of the unknown and the hunger and not to mention the lack of the music industry being there every step of the way and forcing the songs to be as good as possible to make the most money possible. I forget which monster iconic musician said it, but the people are not wrong.
He starts by saying, "I've done 400 new songs and nobody cares." In the 2009 Time Magazine video interview, he says "there's no new music that is any good." I'm assuming that also means Van Morrison music.
I wanna see Van throw a tantrum like in so many of the interviews that I've read over the years. Either way, his music is timeless. Who gives a shit about what he thinks about anything. All that matters is if the music stands on its own.
