Search - Van Morrison :: Here Comes

Legendary Contractural Obligation Album

Ray Radlein | Atlanta | 01/10/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Oh my goodness! I had no idea that this was actually available anywhere other than the dusty racks of used record stores or the back pages of Gold Mine.



Van Morrison recorded this album in one continuous take as a way of fulfilling his contractual obligation to Bang Records, to whom he owed one album's worth of material. Most of this is absolute stream-of-consciousness babbling and sloppy variations on "Hang on Sloopy," and "Twist and Shout," relieved by such classic moments as "Ring Worm," surely the most in-depth examination of that particular fungal infection ever recorded by a major artist.



The main disappointment here (aside from the fact that most of these songs are incoherently mumbled pieces of crap) is that, inexplicably, this CD comprises only about half of the songs from that legendary album. Did they not think that the world was quite ready for the glory of "You Say France and I Whistle" or "Want a Danish"? And what about "The Big Royalty Check"? That one actually means something!



If it were complete (and still affordably-priced), this would be a must-have album for lovers of the inexplicable. I may get it anyway, just for the one minute and thirty seconds of WTF? that is "Ring Worm.""

Out takes?

Observer | Boston, MA, USA | 12/03/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This is strictly a curiosity item for the musicologist. It consists of one minute, highly repetitive phrases: basically Morrison fooling around with mini ideas. there is nothing memorable om the album though one can see links to later songs. The self-deprecating titles are a bit odd. I feel like a sucker for buying this on his name alone."