This week’s album is again focused on music that is before our time. I really felt like this was an important thing to do because these albums are the ones that have stayed popular after so many years. Also, it’s interesting to think that one day, our music will be “old” to our children and we’ll have to choose which ones are the best to show them and play on repeat in our houses. My mom influenced my taste in older music a lot. She played this one CD so so much that I associate the songs with the image of her doing things like cleaning our house and washing dishes while singing along. As with the album last week, I didn’t gain an interest in consciously listening to it until college. Van Morrison’s The Essential Van Morrison is actually listed as a “compilation” on Spotify, but it contains all my favorite songs that were picked out of his numerous other albums so I’m going to share it with you all!

Van Morrison recorded with a band for his early career, but then broke off as a solo artist for most of the time he made most of his other hits. The best of his songs are included, and even though I only have room to talk about some, you all should (as always) make an effort to listen to more. His sound is described as a mix of many genres, but namely blues and R&B. However, he describes himself as a “soul singer”. I agree with this description because his voice and lyrics are extremely moving and make me feel like he is honest about what he is singing.

“Brown Eyed Girl”- I know that this song is his most popular, but I thought it was necessary to mention because once people know that he is responsible for this awesome, sunshine-y hit, they’re more likely to be interested in other songs. Seriously, when I think of this song, it makes me feel like I’m outside on a warm summer day. If you don’t know this song, then please start here. It is sweet and happy and I hope it brightens your day.

“Moondance”- This song tends to come off as a bit more mature and swingy with the jaunting piano and jazzy sax in the background. He definitely is successful in creating a certain mood of romance without it sounding like a love song. He shows off his ability to sing with such intense magnitude as well.

“Domino”- If there were a song on this album to dance to, I think the best one would be “Domino”. It holds true to the singer’s more soulful roots but emphasizes a switch to a more rock-oriented sound. To this day I have no idea what he is singing about but I have no problem bopping around to it.

“Tupelo Honey”- I chose this last track because it makes me feel so good inside. It varies in intensity throughout, sometimes it is tender and soft and other times he sings like his life depends on it. The lyrics are simple and to the point, and I just feel like Van Morrison is a master of love songs. If someone wrote this song for me, I think I would marry them on the spot. Also, I learned a lot about what tupelo honey is in the process (look it up). My favorite line: “She’s an angel of the first degree”.

Thanks for reading my analysis, and I hope you feel inclined to do some more research about the music you consume because of my blog. I love to learn about the artists and their journey through the history of music, and I think you’ll find that it’s a worthwhile endeavor.