Customer Reviews

How Long Has This Been Going on

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD featuring Van Morrison and Georgie Fame is a real treat. The arrangements are sharp and the piano and horn solos really captivate the soul. Van really mines many cover tunes from the thirties, forties, and fifities but contributes a few original reworkings. Sack Of Woe, Blues In The Night, and Your Mind Is On Vacation stand out for me but truthfully this CD is great from start to finish. Buy it now.

I wasn't expecting much from Van Morrison doing covers of showtunes and standards from the 1940s and 1950s. It just goes to show though that one never knows an artist's real range until he or she starts exploring it. Although this is as different from the rest of his work as can be imagined, it is all superb. Additionally, these are are very unique renditions of songs I have on other discs by other artists and there is NO overlap. I'm not familiar with Georgie Fame but it is too bad that he and Van Morrsion only did this one work together. What a terrific combination they are. The title tune is worth the price of admission alone. This is a live recording too and I've noticed Van Morrison does particularly well when performing live as opposed to in the studio. Many musical artists do their best work live and perhaps it is the sheer exhiliration and joy of performance that they really need to bring out their best.

Much of Van Morrison's musical appeal stems from his spiritual quests and backward glances at the music, from radio and records, which shaped his world ("Wavelength," "Real Real Gone," "Cleaning Windows," and other Morrison classics often mention "radio" or classic R&B giants in their lyrics). So its no suprise that he would eventually take his live band (including British R&B giant Georgie Fame and James Brown sax legend Pee Wee Ellis) to a London nightclub for a loose, jamming live jazz affair.

Morrison and friends nod to the giants of this style: Sinatra (on "That's Life" and "Blues In The Night") Louis Jordan (on "Sack o' Woe" and "Symphony Sid") Mose Allison (on "Your Mind is On Vacation" and who is quoted in the liner notes) and even Morrison himself, who presents the trad jazz version of "Moondance" every vocalist hoped to create. No one will mistake any of this for the triumphs of "Astral Weeks," or "Enlightenment," or whatever your favorite Morrison set may be. But it's a wonderful side trip down some jazz alleys only alluded to in Morrison's legendary body of work. Recommended.

This a great live album you never hear about, upbeat with a jazzy twist to familiar songs. If your over 30 years old and not dead yet, this is a wonderful album to throw on at a party, appeals to wide age group without driving anyone crazy! "Sack O' Woe" one of many highlights.

Although I've never really followed the music of either Van Morrison or Georgie Fame, Ive always respected their talents. Since I was in to some of the swing music that was going on at the time, I decided to give this a listen. And I really enjoyed it. I especially like the upbeat faster tunes on here like "Sack O" Wee, "The New Symphony Sid", and "All Saints Day" which reminds a little of the song Choo Choo Cha Boogie. It's on these songs that Morrison and Fame are at their best singing in unison with each other. All of this recorded LIVE in London with no overdubs, just that great spontanious jazzy sound by a couple heavyweight talents having some fun. So if there's any swingcats left over out there, I suggest you pick this album up. It won't disappoint.

If Van Morrison's timid and mostly tuneless back-catalogue doesn't appeal to you, you may still love this happy-go-lucky effort. Track 10, "All Saints Day", is the best feel-good song I've got in my whole music collection. The rest of the album contains a host of jazzy gems, most notably the title track which breathes life and soul into one of Gershwin's less well-known compositions. Buy it!

As a long - time - even- when- he -was- with- "Them" fan, this CD made me love Moondance like the rest of the world has since it was recorded. The rest of this CD showcases Van's incredible phrasing techniques and unique timing that brings to mind another master, Mr. Frank Sinatra. Van Morrison continues to make his presence felt through his music. For those of you who also love the blues, the latest B. B. King release, "Deuces Wild " features Van Morrison on the first cut.

Apparently just now, although this time rather accidentally, I am on something of an outlaw country moment tear, again. I have mentioned on previously occasions when I have discussed county music, or rather more correctly outlaw country music, that I had a very short, but worthwhile period when I was immersed in this genre in the late 1970s. After tiring somewhat of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and other more well know country outlaws I gravitated toward the music, eerily beautiful and haunting music, of Townes Van Zandt whose Steve Earle tribute album Townes I have recently reviewed in this space. As I noted there, as well, while this outlaw country thing was short-lived and I scrambled back to my first loves, blues, rock and folk music I always had time to listen to Townes and is funny mix of blues, folk rock, rock folk, and just downright outlaw country.

And that brings us to the album under review, Pay The Devil, and another "outlaw" country music man, the Belfast cowboy Van Morrison. Wait a minute, Van Morrison? Belfast cowboy? Okay, let me take a few steps back. I first heard Van Morrison in his 1960s rock period when I flipped out over his Into The Mystic on his Moondance album. And when I later saw him doing some blues stuff highlighted by his appearance in Martin Scorsese PBS History of Blues series several years ago I also flipped out, and said yes, brother blues. But somewhere along the way he turned again on us and has "reinvented" himself as the "son", the legitimate son, of Hank Williams. And hence the Belfast Cowboy. But this ain't no one-trick pony. No way.

If you do not believe me then just listen to him ante up on Early In The Morning , a classic bluesy number; the thoughtful Gershwin tuneHow Long Has This Been Going On ; the pathos of That's Life;and, Blues In The Night; and, something out of lost time,Early In The Morning. The Belfast Cowboy, indeed, although I always thought cowboys worn their emotions down deep, not on their blues high white note sleeves. And kudos to Brother Fame, who rode that same train, as well.

got it for xmas and its ok bluesy van raw and unplugged sorry jay z v to the van m to the morrison punk boy