Having completed my “50 Albums in 50 Days” expansion of Mr. Chris Estey’s August 24th directive “to post 25 albums in 25 days that have had a major CREATIVE impact on you”, I’ve decided to add a THIRD [slash] final batch of 25, in order to fill some remaining “gaps”—at least as I perceive such matters—in this, ahem, “map of my musical sensibility”!
I also want to nominate 25 MORE friends whom I’d love to see post their own sets of “25 albums that have had a major CREATIVE impact on me”! (Though of course NO ONE should feel the least bit obligated to do so.)
As before, I’ll be posting “just album covers without any explanation”, though I AM planning to craft and post a summary essay once this madness reaches its Ballardian “terminus”!
By the by, please feel free to follow the eventual links (in the comments) to EAST PORTLAND BLOG, where my indefatigable EPB editor, Ricky, has been re-posting these daily album selections—in an expansive layout where you can view ALL the variant album covers and aural media formats AT ONCE—plus a link to one song I’ve chosen to spotlight from each recording!
If you’ve missed any albums along the way, wish to revisit a particular selection, or would simply enjoy listening to the songs, you’ll find it MUCH easier to scroll back through these posts on EAST PORTLAND BLOG than to attempt such an endeavor via Facebook!
To simplify matters further, here’s a direct link to the “Tom Kipp” section of EPB, which presently contains/archives over 200 of my posts (on a wide variety of subjects!), going back to June 25th, 2010:
https://www.eastportlandblog.com/category/tom-kipp/
Today I nominate: Neal Kosaly-Meyer
Day 64:
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records, US, LP, 1970)
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records, US, re-sequenced 8-Track cartridge—several variants, 1970)
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records, US, cassette tape, 1970)
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE (Warner Bros. Records, South Africa, LP, 1970)
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE (Warner Bros. Records, Ireland, LP reissue, 1974)
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE (Warner Bros. Records, “Serie Pioneros”, Spain, LP reissue, 1976)
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE (Warner Bros. Records, Europe/UK/US, compact disc reissue, 1984)
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE: EXPANDED EDITION (Warner Bros. Records, 2 x compact disc reissue w/ 11 bonus cuts, 2013)
Van Morrison: MOONDANCE: DELUXE EDITION (Warner Bros. Records, 4 x compact disc + blu-ray audio disc reissue w/ 50 bonus cuts, 2013)
Purchased: 8 February 1980 in Great Falls, MT (LP).
https://www.eastportlandblog.com/category/tom-kipp/
[Ed. Note – Tom – I know you were not looking for the best Van Morrison album, only for the one with the most creative impact on you, however, since you have brought this one to the fore, I would say that Moondance is a good choice for best— a coin flip with Tupelo Honey— because they both bring the most consistent magic and combine it with a poppish likability. While Common One and Astral Weeks are mighty, perhaps mightier, artistic statements which earned their stature by enriching the hues in pop music’s color palette and expanding the word count and number of acceptable reference points in rock’s everyday lexicon, Moondance and Tupelo Honey, conceived closer to the vast mainstream conspiracy yet decked with vital anthems of love and childhood, sit qualitatively closer to listeners hearts as well. 👍😀🌿👏😇🍪😎 I generally refuse to comment on anything to do with Van. It is a testament to Tom’s holiday “Kipp Magic” that I will let my hair down and join in the fun. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night… – Ricky]
Tom Kipp – Well, Ricky, in THIS particular instance (at least to my very particular ears), I’m happy to go on-record as saying MOONDANCE is both “best in show” AND “has had by far the most creative impact” on ol’ TK!
To be a bit more precise, I esteem the peaks of “The Van LP Canon” thusly:
1. Moondance (1970)
2. Astral Weeks (1968)
3. His Band and the Street Choir (1970)
4. Into the Music (1979)
5. Beautiful Vision (1982)
6. It’s Too Late to Stop Now (1974, 2LP, live)
7. St. Dominic’s Preview (1972)
8. Tupelo Honey (1971)
9. Them: The “Angry” Young Them! (1965)
10. Hymns to the Silence (1991, 2cd)
11. No Stone Unturned (1998, bootleg outtakes compilation, recorded: 1968-75)
12. Avalon Sunset (1989)
13. Them: Them Again (1966)
14. Veedon Fleece (1974)
15. The Healing Game (1997)
16. The Philosopher’s Stone (1998, 2cd outtakes compilation)
By the by, I’ve never warmed to COMMON ONE (1980), but will revisit (as I have every few years) soon, in hopes that its (very) peculiar magic will finally spark in my heart and mind!
Tom Kipp – The one Van release (illicit though it may be, but quite findable during the present century!) that vies wit’ MOONDANCE and ASTRAL WEEKS in my musical heart of hearts is this astoundingly fine 2cd bootleg from 2002, which includes the complete/legendary live-in-the-studio (Marin, California) radio broadcast from September 1971, portions of which were widely-bootlegged during The ’70s!
https://www.discogs.com/Van-Morrison-Into…/release/2374993
Kirk Leclaire – Tom, I’ve enjoyed Into The Mystic boot for years but the one I return to is this one, so much great stuff!! https://www.discogs.com/Van-Morrison…/master/761105
Tom Kipp – Kirk, I’m quite fond o’ that ‘un as well, though its inherently completist emphasis on released “effluvia” from across those 3 & 1/2 DECADES ensures that some of it’s pretty run o’ the mill, by “High Van Standards”, at any rate!
Still, I wouldn’t be without it. But I definitely prefer the two “vault digs” included above, especially NO STONE UNTURNED, which sticks to outtakes from the heart of his prime and actually FLOWS like a good album should!
Here’s a pick to click from NO STONE, with cleaner sound!
“When I Deliver” (1975)
It’s as though Van had somehow made practically a TUPELO HONEY or ST. DOMINIC’S-level record, merely using “extra” songs he cut THROUGHOUT his 1968-75 “golden age”!
Which he COULD do, I’m sure, based on what’s on these various legit/illegit “vault scrapes”….
Further By the by, I first heard “Caravan” via the 3rd of those famous Warner Bros. “Loss Leaders” double albums, THE BIG BALL! I immediately sought out MOONDANCE and Fleetwood Mac’s THEN PLAY ON (“Oh Well” is another highlight of said compilation!).
Day 64:
Van Morrison: “Caravan” (1970)
