Them Van Morrison - Them Featuring Van Morrison (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Lean And Tough.

Michael A. Beyer | Chicago, IL United States | 10/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You've got to listen to this CD at top volume, in a lonely midnight bar drinking a pint. This is scary music coming out of the Belfast night in 1965 -- lean, hard blues announcing the arrival of a major new talent to the world.Van's primal howl on songs like "Gloria", "Mystic Eyes", "Turn On Your Love Light" and "(It Won't Hurt) Half As Much" is at its sandpaper best, and the band's music is tough and spare. Morrison's work with Them is even more incredible when taken in the context of the about-face he pulled about three years later with ASTRAL WEEKS. But if you want to know where it all began, get this CD."

Van Morrison is king

roscoe | washington, dc | 03/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Odds are if you are reading this you dig Van Morrison. What this album offers is VM doing edgy rock and roll. Every cut is VM sounding like the VM who later became a superstar, except here he is young and really raw (versus studio polished) and with a sharp edge. Some critics contend this album was where the punk movement came from. Either way, it is rare to find album with this much energy and it be a joy to listen to."

Beware

N. planet | 08/01/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The music is great but don't be confused this is not the debut LP but a greatest hits collection"

Brawling & Bawling Out Of Belfast

K. H. Orton | New York, NY USA | 05/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For my money, in terms of the mid 60's British Invasion boom, Them had something their contemporaries didn't. It may seem like sacralige & heresey but yes, something even over the early Beatles & Stones.

Did any of them have this much edge so early on?

In terms of raw grit these guys didn't have to reach for it or put it on. They just had it. At times, this is Punk before Punk. Pure Garage assault. Cut with that vintage Van Morrison lyricism.

Ofcourse, all the Brit invaders shared the same R & B affections but another thing that set Them apart, was the fact they weren't English. They were Irish. North Irish at that. Belfast was well on its way to being a war zone. And they were not popular at home. Morrison was reputed as being a less than congenial front man (to put it lightly). And as evidenced here, he was a far more abrasive vocalist than either Jagger or even Eric Burdon at the time.

Despite an ever changing line-up, Morrison was certainly ahead of the curve in the originals department. "Gloria" & "Mystic Eyes" are all the proof you need. Dark, passionate & unforgettable. "Hey Girl" & "Lonely Sad Eyes" are just as exemplary.

In terms of the covers, "Here Comes The Night" is a bona fide classic. Their atmospheric take on "Stormy Monday" is a thing of rare beauty. "Richard Corey" possesses a grim bitterness, Simon's original lacks.

As for their version of the old Blues standard "Baby, Please Don't Go"---its definitve. Right up there with The Animals' "House Of The Rising Sun". Same goes for their take on the lesser known, world weary, "Don't Look Back". Though both arrangements owe a great debt to the great John Lee Hooker, they're taken places here that the sparse originals only hinted at.

I'd certainly recommend the 2 disc collection ("Story Of Them') over this, but sadly both are out of print at the moment. As incomplete as this is, it's a far more pocket friendly introduction.

Of course, Van later went on to cut the mind bogglingly great Astral Weeks shortly after leaving the band in 1966. But here's Van Morrison like you've never heard him. Full of sass, piss & vinegar. And yes, some truely sublime, poetic moments."

Great Cd From Them

Y2bjs Reviews | Melbourne Australia | 03/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Cd kicks off with a great song in Gloria.I have heard it on the oldes radio stations,and its a tune that gets you singing.I like this rock and roll era.Another song i like here is Baby Please Dont Go.Here Comes The Night is another favorite.Great 60s band this."

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