Van is still The Man !!!

[tonepoet]

I've been listening to Van Morrison 50+ years now and he still blows me away. This cover of the tune "Red Sails in the Sunset" was released last month and is just awesome. 78 years old and he still sings as well as he did 50 years ago.

Aside from his voice, the magic for me is how good he is as an arranger of horn parts and his overall use of simplicity to capture a feel to the song. Listen to the simplicity of the guitar part and how beautiful it fits the tune.

Van the Man does it again!! Enjoy !!!

 

[hansmoust]

I've been listening to Van Morrison 50+ years now and he still blows me away.

Same for me! Astral Weeks and Moondance were 2 of my favorite albums; they still are!

I can listen to 'Into the mystic' forever!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Canard]

Van can be an on or off performer live. When he is on, he is most definitely on. When is he is off, it ain't pretty.

I have had the good fortune to see him live three times.
I have had the extraordinarily good fortune to have him ON two of those times. Absolutely @#$%^& electrifying!!!!! And he drags his band along with him into the stratosphere.

We won't talk about the third time. Two out of three is good in compassion to other acts I have suffered through. No complaints.

 

[HeyMikey]

My wife is a big fan as well. Thanks for the heads up Tonepoet… I just ordered the new album for her BD, We’ve seen him live once. I wouldn’t say he was great, a bit quirky and shy, but it was a memorably good show. So cool that he’s still at the top of his game.

 

[Norrissey]

Astral Weeks and Moondance were 2 of my favorite albums; they still are!

Astral Weeks and Moondance are pretty special. What acoustic is Van Morrison playing on those two albums Hans? Is it a Martin D-28?

 

[Uke]

I can listen to 'Into the mystic' forever!

 

[hansmoust]

Astral Weeks and Moondance are pretty special. What acoustic is Van Morrison playing on those two albums Hans? Is it a Martin D-28?

I have no way of knowing if he actually played guitar on those albums and if so, what guitar it was, but photos made during the '69 Newport Festival show him playing a Guild D-40 with a 'cloud bridge' and other shots made during the time he lived in Boston and Woodstock show him with that same guitar.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Norrissey]

photos made during the '69 Newport Festival show him playing a Guild D-40 with a 'cloud bridge' and other shots made during the time he lived in Boston and Woodstock show him with that same guitar.

Wow! I had no idea Van Morrison was playing a Guild D40 at that time. Thanks for the info and the photo!

 

[tonepoet]

I can listen to 'Into the mystic' forever!

"Into the Mystic" Yes!!!

 

[tonepoet]

Not sure of the years but here's a couple more Van-with-a-Guild photos

 

[Fender1980]

Astral Weeks and Moondance are pretty special. What acoustic is Van Morrison playing on those two albums Hans? Is it a Martin D-28?

Tough to say. Moondance was recorded in Sept/Oct 1969 so the best bet the songs were written on the favored guitar of the time period...The Guild!

The special edition of Moondance pretty much reveals that Van was singing live takes on all songs until they got the "right" one. I think he's probably playing very little acoustic. On "Into The Mystic" it could him on the Guild. The acoustic guitar fills and runs (& horns & piano) were overdubs.

From those same 1969 photos of Van at Newport, John Platania is playing an early Ovation. A more recent photo reveals John with an oldie Fender Strat and a beat up Ovation.

In conclusion the guitars on Moondance are most likely a 1960s Fender Strat, a late 1960s Ovation, and to a lesser extent the Guild with a Martin thrown in there somewhere.

 

[Fender1980]

And for all you good kids...a moving picture is worth 1000 words...

Live on Moon Landing Day 1969 with Guild and Ovation with DeArmond Pickups!

Van Morrison Live 1969

 

[Fender1980]

I've been listening to Van Morrison 50+ years now and he still blows me away. This cover of the tune "Red Sails in the Sunset" was released last month and is just awesome. 78 years old and he still sings as well as he did 50 years ago.

Aside from his voice, the magic for me is how good he is as an arranger of horn parts and his overall use of simplicity to capture a feel to the song. Listen to the simplicity of the guitar part and how beautiful it fits the tune.

Van the Man does it again!! Enjoy !!!

I just listened to this. His voice still holds up at 78!