Customer Reviews

Van Morrison: Live at Montreux 1980/1974

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4 star:		(5)
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2 star:		(3)
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I'm a serious fan of Van Morrison. I own all of his released albums, and a few bootlegs. I've read a couple of the biographies, and I've seen him live 8-10 times. "Astral Weeks" is among my very favorite albums by any artist at any time. This is the first DVD of Van I've ever seen. I bought it with some trepidation.

This is an artist who walked on stage in London and said, as others have noted, "Let's get this over with," and then gave a wrteched performance, walking off stage after 45 minutes and never returning. This is an artist who, in a Chicago show, blew us out of our seats at the Chicago Opera House with a 2.5-hour set, four encores and a version of "Madam George" that gives me goosebumps 32 years later.

These performances are much better than the London show, but a far cry from what Van can do if he chooses. They are workmanlike performances of a mix of good and indifferent songs. Especially in the 1980 show, the band seems to be much more involved than Van. That's surprising, given the mix of artists involved. I'm also curious why these shows weren't released for 32 and 26 years, respectively. But I suppose we can chalk it up to Van's notoriously bad relationship with his labels and managers.

If you are a Van Morrison fan, these DVDs belong in your library. If you aren't a huge fan, you might buy them for the occasional glimpse of what Van can do. Van Morrison, for all his flaws, is a hugely influential, seminal artist. The DVDs are a glimpse - just a glimpse - why.

In a sense, VAN MORRISON has figured prominently in my life and in fact, in an indirect way, he saved me from a life of great regret...

I was a huge fan of VAN THE MAN in 1986, and one day I returned home practically giddy from having just located what was, at that time, a few hard-to-find Van Morrison vinyl LPs. As fate would have it, just as I got out of my car, with my new used albums tucked under one arm, Andy, a loyal old friend of mine pulled up to the curb in his battered old pickup truck. Andy and I'd had something of a falling-out over some inconsequential issue, and we hadn't seen or spoken to each other for some time. But I was in such a good mood, having just acquired long sought after Morrison music, that in that very moment, I buried the past, forgave Andy for whatever slight I'd been holding against him, and I greeted him as the true friend of fifteen years he really was. We spoke briefly and then parted as the good pals we'd always been. That was the last time I saw Andy - truly one of the greatest friends I have ever had. Not long afterwards, I learned of his suicide in California City.

Many times in the subsequent years, I've revisited that day in my mind and shuddered to think, "What if I hadn't just found those Van Morrison records, and hadn't been in such a magnanimous mood? What if, instead, I had given Andy the cold shoulder? Treated him like a dog? How would I have ever lived with that last memory and the tremendous remorse I would have carried with me all these years?" Fortunately, I haven't had to beat myself up over a regrettable event that might have occurred twenty-one years ago. In a way, I owe the music of Van Morrison much gratitude for changing my life in an unexpected way!

This last Christmas, I received the DVD, VAN MORRISON LIVE AT MONTREUX 1980/1974 from my friend, Kevin, "The Kansas Kid." Perhaps you've heard of him? He's currently wanted in seven states for crimes ranging from bank robbery and train robbery, to shooting innocent zoo animals...with a camera. Kevin's a good buddy and he knows how to please ol' Stephen T. Even though on the scale of Life's important "stuffs", a Van Morrison DVD isn't going to rate real high, I've given VAN MORRISON LIVE AT MONTREUX five stars because his music is understandably meaningful to me, and because if you too are a fan of Van The Man, this selection is a real no-brainer; you can buy with total confidence.

I've seen Van perform live at least four times in my life. When he's in the mood, he's a compelling entertainer. At the Montreux Jazz Festival, he was definitely in the mood, and his band - as always - consisted of nothing less than the finest musicians. You know Van...if a musician can't please the man, they're out on their can!

Both discs in this set are excellent, but whereas the June 30, 1974 performance is shorter and more Blues dominated, I prefer the July 19, 1980 show. It contains some of Van's more extended Jazzy pieces which are rarely, if ever, played live anymore - particularly those long, meditative works from his underrated COMMON ONE release. Van's looking pretty trim here (you know, for Van, I mean), and we get to see him with his outrageously talented horn men, Pee Wee Ellis (tenor sax) and Mark Isham (trumpet).

Some of the performance highlights for me include:

TROUBADOURS - I always considered this to be one of the lesser tracks on what is easily one of Van's greatest sets, INTO THE MUSIC. But here, Isham and Ellis are blowing as if to save their lives, and when the audience broke into applause at its conclusion, I very nearly did the same thing right in my own living room!

During the intro to SPIRIT, John Allair locks into such a spirited, funky groove that he can't remain seated at the organ - the music itself demands that he stand!

SUMMERTIME IN ENGLAND - The song moves from a meditation to unrestrained exuberance, where Pee Wee nearly blows the roof off the place, until the song downshifts back into a meditation just prior to launching into a "fantabulous" rendition of Morrison's MOONDANCE masterpiece.

HAUNTS OF ANCIENT PEACE - This gives us a tremendously soulful solo from Pee Wee.

There's a wonderful little moment early on in this ultimate version of TUPELO HONEY, where Isham and Ellis simultaneously play their respective horn parts, and then as they back away from their mics, they glance at each other and exchange self-satisfied smiles. Here is two fine musicians in their prime and immersed in the joy of their art. There's no competition; there's no race (even though Isham is White and Ellis is Black); there's no time; there's just this NOW, and the knowledge that supreme artists are combining their talents in the act of creating something very beautiful!

On the downside, despite the quality of musicianship, LISTEN TO THE LION never comes close to matching the studio version from the Saint Dominic's Preview album, but then how could it? That is one of the most introspective and intense pieces of music ever recorded. Morrison could tap that depth only once. (His version on 1973's, IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW - unquestionably one of the greatest live albums ever released - never came close either. Saint Dominic's LISTEN TO THE LION was just too roaringly glorious to ever be replicated even by Van, the man himself. That was a once-in-a-lifetime performance!) But when Van sings, "I believe I've transcended myself, child" in the encore, ANGELOU, for a minute there, it almost seems as if indeed he has!

WHY do I think this live concert DVD is so good? Well, sure I could talk about the various camera angles, the clear picture, the crisp sound. I could explain why Pee Wee Ellis is a saxgod. I could discuss in greater detail the topnotch, eight-piece band and the Jazz explorations of one of the world's great songwriters and his Irish muse. Or I could simply quote from one of his own songs: "It ain't why, why, why. It ain't why, why, why. It ain't why, why, why. It just IS!"

Hopefully, you have learned two things from this review of mine:

1) You can purchase VAN MORRISON LIVE AT MONTREUX 1980/1974 with complete assurance that as a Morrison fan (or just a person who appreciates exceptional musicianship) your money will be well spent. And...

2) You should always treat your loved ones very good because you just never know when you are seeing them for the ... very ... last ... time.

Van Morrison is self-effacing to the maximum. His is a jazz musician's mentality...let the music speak for itself. That is certainly what happens with this incredible concert video. Anyone who is familiar with Van Morrison knows he is a reticent live performer, and what a pleasure it is to see older vintage concert video that does not, because it cannot, rely on light shows, editing, audience shots, etc. ad nauseum. Here, it is all about the music, and like a good jazz band, the interplay among the musicians is as good as it gets.

This is a 2 DVD set, the 1st is a Montreux show from 1980, the 2nd from 1974. Look at the '74 show as a bonus disc. It's much shorter (just under 50 minutes) and bare bones (Van with a keyboardist, bassist and drummer). It's wonderful, but the '80 concert is just jawdropping. It features an 8 piece band with 2 horn players (Mark Isham and Pee Wee Harris!!!), 2 percussionists, 2 keyboardists, bass and guitar. They never get in each other's way and never overplay. Van is just in wonderful voice. The concert is over 90 minutes long and still ends too quickly.

This DVD is all about the music. The sound is incredible, warm and natural, with each instrument given space in the mix. You are literally on the front row.

In my opinion, this is as good as it gets, and hopefully will spur more releases of vintage concerts by great artists like Van Morrison.

Incredible footage of an incredible evening in the storied career of the one and only Van "The Man" Morrison. The 1974 set is a fine warm up played very well with a band put together only days before the gig. The 1980 is simply stunning! An amazing band complete with two drummers, two keyboard players, and a horn section. The film quality is very crisp with some very intriguiing camera work capturing not only Van, but the incredible support work from the band, and some of their great reactions while making music with one of the most unique, and most passionate live performers of all time. The Reggae infused take on "And It Stoned Me" is worth the price of admission alone. This show even stunned and won over a friend that hadn't even really known Van Morrison prior to seeing this DVD.

Van fans, this is the real deal. An incredible performance by Van with an exceptional band. The horn section of Pee Wee Ellis and Mark Isham are worth the price alone.

This might be the best $15 I ever spent. I would have spent $150 if I had to. Most of us will probably never get a chance to see Van live in a setting like this but thankfully we have these videos for posterity. My comments are about the 1980 performance.

Both concerts are exceptional but for me the first cd (1980) is beyond any scale.
You feel as you were in the middle of the band and you could do nothing but follow the flow of rythms, poetics and music, exactly like I felt when I've been in a live concert but with the advantage of watching Van's eyes.
Specially remarkable John Platania at the guitar, Pee Wee Ellis at the sax and Mark Isham at trumpet.

Well, isn't it about time that there was a Van Morrison DVD? Live At Montreux 1980 and 1974 is an excellent way to recapture the days when Morrison is said to have been on top of his game.
I suppose the 1980 concert is on the first disc because it is longer and the band larger. But overall, I like disc two better. The 1974 set features Van with a stripped down band of mostly unrehearsed studio musicians who just set the stage on fire. In the 1974 concert, Van just seems more electric and inspired, while in the 1980 concert he often seems dazed, listless and a little flat in his delivery though his first-rate musicians always take up his slack. Don't get me wrong, I like both discs, but go back and think of what I am saying especially while you watch him sing Moondance.
My favorite cuts on disc one are an uplifting Troubadours; a driving, pulsating Satisfied; a mystical Haunts of Ancient Peace; and a rousing Wild Night. On disc two, I was stoked by a dazzling Twilight Zone; the great keyboards on Foggy Mountain Top; a raucous Naked In The Jungle; and a soulful Street Choir.
Live At Montreux 1980 and 1974 is one treasure from the vault that should top the wish lists of all Van Morrison fans who so not yet own this. Get it, you won't regret it.

The high quality audio for both of these shows has circulated among Van fans for years, for good reason. The 1974 show, which featured a strip downed 4 piece that featured Van on guitar, sax, and harmonica, included a famous pre-encore explictive that was wisely deleted on this excellent DVD release (Van is a famously cranky dude). We don't get all of the 1974 gig, but we get the main performance. The 1980 show is one of my all time favorites, in large part due to the band. His horn section of Pee Wee Ellis and Mark Isham was amazing, and you will get shivers when they blast "Troubadours" into the stratosphere. The concluding "Angeliou" is simply astonishing, almost as outstanding as the 1979 rendition in New Jersey. Regarding the question posed by the prior reviewer, the version of Summertime in England (SIE) in the new DVD is not the same version as the SIE featured on the "Cry For Home" vinyl EP. This is a shame in some ways, since that version of SIE is by far the most intense I have ever heard (out of dozens if not scores of versions). Regardless, the video quality of all the Montreux shows recently issued on DVD is outstanding, and the multi-camera captures of both the 1974 and 1980 gigs are enormously appealing visually (a fine quality bootleg of that gig has also circulated for many years among collectors). Thankfully, the audio is exquisite as well. Essential Van.

This is probably for true fans, but the 1980 concert is wonderful, and I have had some success introducing the uninitiated to Van with this DVD. The band is tight and wonderful. Oh the horns! John Platania, Pee Wee Ellis, great trumpet player and David Hayes. Top-notch.

Warning, fashionistas will not care for the outfits of Van in particular, but many others as well. John Platania, however is stylish as can be in his skinny black suit.

Finally, what Van Morrison fans everywhere have been waiting for - an official DVD release. And what a release it is. If you've never seen Van Morrison live before, prepare to be amazed (although, if you're used to performers who embrace their audience, you may be initially offset by Van's live demeanor - one reviewer called it reticent, and I think that's pretty accurate). Here is a breakdown of the DVDs:

Performances:

The '74 show was, in my opinion, clearly the lesser of the two. One reviewer raved about it, but to me it seemed to be a band who hadn't played together long enough to really know the songs and develop that "telepathy" that seasoned bands have. They were rough, ragged and sloppy, occasionally finding a groove and riding it until it started to sound good, but those times were few and far between (although they did seem to get better as the show progressed). Van himself even hit many notes flat or sharp (especially in the first song). Some people would define that as raw and passionate. I thought it was a mess. Also, as a three-piece (not including Van), their options were limited to the more simplistic songs in Van's repertoire.

The '80 show, on the other hand, was amazing. This was an eight-piece backing band that consisted of seasoned jazz and blues vets, (including Pee Wee Ellis, sax player for James Brown), and they obviously had been performing together for some time. This was the kind of band capable of drawing songs out to the 10-minute mark and beyond with dazzling fluidity, but never letting a song overstay its welcome. Van obviously seemed a lot more comfortable with this band, and it's obvious why.

Visual:

Again, the '80 show was the better of the two. The film had aged badly in some spots, but overall it was very good, and the transfer was perfect. On close-up shots, the guitars gleamed, the horns glittered, and you could see the strands of hair on Van's head and the pores on his face. What more could you ask for? The '74 show, on the other hand, looked like a second or third-generation VHS transfer.

Audio:

Both shows sounded great in 5.1 (again, especially the '80 show). The sound was crisp, clear, balanced, and fed distinctly through all five channels. Whoever did the original sound recording of these shows obviously knew what they were doing, as did the people who have transferred the mix to DVD.

In closing, I finally got a chance to see Van Morrison this past year at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and it was transcendent. Until they come out with a DVD of that show, this will be the only way I have of bringing back some of those memories, but it's a worthy substitute. If you're a fan of Van Morrison and live music, this DVD is a must.