The Smiley Smile Message Board

Any Irish rock fans out there? Lovers of Them, Thin Lizzy, the Virgin Prunes, U2, the Pogues, Sinnead O'Connor, the Cranberries, et al?

I just saw the film Once, with Glen Hansard of the Frames. I was absolutely floored by the performances.

I like the Cranberries. I have No Need to Argue (the album with Zombie on it), all good tracks. Actually, it's technically my parents' CD. I was only 7 when they bought it but they would listen to it all the time so it was one of those albums where all the songs were embedded in my subconscious.

That's a great album. My high school girlfriend and I wore it out completely in 1993. I still think "Daffodil Lament" is their best song ever, and I'm trying to learn "Ode to My Family" on the guitar.

Van. Morrisson.

You spelt his last name wrong, but otherwise... yeah... agree. What's your favorite Van Morrison album?

You won't believe it but I first got it right and at the last mo changed it. Never seem to remember this one, although I do remember the chemical compound that AMPA stands for: alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (true dat!)

I have almost all of his material bar that from the last six years or so. 'Veedon Fleece' is a firm favourite. Perhaps my greatest faves are: 'Inarticulate Speech', 'Beautiful Vision', 'Sense Of Wonder', 'Common One', 'No Guru'.
And, it's sheer iconoclasm, but I find 'Astral Weeks' vastly overrated.

You haven't missed much in the last six years. What's Wrong with This Picture?, from about four years ago... that one was pretty good. But the last album by Morrison that I really loved was The Healing Game. The lyrics really hit the spot.

Cool that you chose so many late '70s and '80s Morrison albums. I've always liked those periods too. There's a sense of exploration and not needing to prove anything, hit single-wise. Though I have to disagree about Astral Weeks. Not only do I find it celestial and sad, but I also can't imagine hearing all the rockin' Them hits... and then hearing "Brown Eyed Girl"... and then Astral Weeks. It sounds like a cliche, but who would have ever thought he had that in him? Even today, when people get into Van Morrison... a lot of people end up buying his CD to get "Brown Eyed Girl" and a few other hits, like "Moondance," "Gloria," etc. So the discovery of Astral Weeks takes you out of the hit single world right away, and into that Irish mystic world that I personally love. Everytime an Irish artist does that, my ears perk up. Felt that way, especially, about the Cranberries' "Daffodil Lament"... itself a great song-suite.

I can relate to what you write. See: I loved Astral Weeks for a year or so. Then I got totally hooked to single ditties, notably 'Jackie Wilson Said' (later succesfully wrecked by Dexy's, as you know). And the epic songs like 'Listen To The Lion', or 'St. Domenic's Preview'.

But finally, I got to love the organic LPs with that great band and the female backing choir (with Katie Kissoon) the best. They flow, they grow, not a duff thing in sight, Pee Wee Ellis excels on sax. To songs like 'Sense Of Wonder' I can listen endlessly, they never bore me.

Later it got to be a bit Morrison by numbers, unfortunately. Although he had his moments: I lose my head completely when I hear 'The Days Before Rock And Roll' off of 'Enlightenment', where that poet friend recites all the old AM radio stations' names. That to me is Van at his very best. Or 'Coney Island', another fantastic little tone poem. And 'Did I Tell You Lately' was deservedly a hit the world over.

I can totally see what you're saying. There's a joy to albums like Beautiful Vision, Inarticulate Speech, Common One and Sense Of Wonder. What I love about Astral Weeks, though, is the stream of consciousness... beyond poetry... it's improvisation, like American jazz, but there's an Irish melancholy too. It helped me rediscover my Irish roots.

Are you into the Frames at all? Glen Hansford's lyrics and melodies are amazing. If you haven't gotten into them, I recommend their music highly.

No, I don't know them. But I will surely investigate. Tks.

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