It's Too Late to Stop Now

I wish Morrison wasn't such a lame troll. I really enjoy his music.

It’s a good album. I feel like this is every classic I have ever heard by Van Morrison.

Notalegt eins og við má búast af Ivan.

Van the man in his prime. He may be a douchebag, but he could really sing. The band is tight and the songs are great. 4 stars.

Klassisk bluesrock livealbum, måske lidt for langt

I'm still against live albums being part of the list, but this one is really good. It sounds like it was just a board tape with some crowd noise brought in between tracks, which is even more impressive. It almost sounds like a studio album. It's an extremely well-executed performance by one of the best to ever do it.

Another live album from the 70s

After listening to it several times, this is a good album.

A good background listen

Live music is one of the most beautiful and expressive forms of art I can think of. Going to a concert is an experience like no other. And sometimes the best way to fall in love with an artist is to just jump into a great live album. Such is the case for me with Van Morrison. I was already aware of who Morrison was before hand, but to dive into a huge live album like this as my proper introduction is kind of a big undertaking. And this makes one decision that leads to far more success than other live records. Although this is a collection of recordings from a couple shows, the selection of songs immediately makes it clear that this is not an album that finds comfort in one idea and sticks exclusively to that. This has enough dynamics and variation to keep things interesting. And god, can Morrison sing. He couldn’t have been any older than 28 or 29 here, but he has some real age to his voice. He sounds so much more gritty, like he has seen some things in his time. But his voice is glorious. And his eleven-piece band is fantastic and consistently energetic in every song. This has slower ballads. It has faster and more lively songs. It has covers. And it has some of the best highlights from some of his most timeless records. Plus they even get into some jamming on the longer songs. This is one stellar compilation of live recordings of an artist and his band at their absolute peak. Rating: 8/10

Pretty good live album, but also pretty long.

Having given the last Van Morrison album a 5, I must say his default sound is something I will always enjoy. This album keeps that em I’ve going while working in some covers and some classic blues, with great work from a large backing band of brass. It all sounds good when it’s on but I think only a few songs are really standouts and made it want to return to the album. 7/10

Used to love VM - now I’m kinda like, meh.

Van the Man awesome as always

This style of bluesy classic rock is just not relatable to me as a millennial I think. Musically it's fine but doesn't grip me and the lyrics don't connect with me at all. I wouldn't mind it being on at a bar or something but I would never seek it out.

good shit

Love Van Morrison!

Blue-eyed soul.

Own

May not be the most original of the musics, but i had a lovely time listeing to it. Maybe its the effect of my children radio.

Nice melodies and that’s about it

3.5

Two stars for the backing band, who are far more interesting to listen to than Van himself. It’s not too late to stop listening to this slog.

Fun!

entertaining if not memorable

thought it was a 70s cop show, then baby making music. Van doesn't know what he's doing. Little bitch.

Me encantó el directo y su música un verdadero descubrimiento.

Very well recorded for a live album, but not my thing

Still hate a live album, even though this one was not too bad

into the mystic

did not like the fact it's a live album. not 4 me.

Didn’t fancy it this when it came up but it’s brilliant.

I never thought I would associate Van Morrison with a good time, but here we are. Brilliant live album.

One of the best musicians of his era

Day12 - what a talent too bad he’s such a shithead but this is an amazing live album

Love the orchestra and 11 piece band, just wished I liked the vocals more. Fave track: Help Me

Album Nr. 23 Licht und Schatten. Etwas stärkere Titel aber auch Langweiler und Titel, welche eher in eine Bar oder Lounge passen würden.

No, It's exact time to stop now)

This was quite enjoyable, with surprisingly good production. I didn't enjoy all of it, but there were some gems that stood out. Favourite tracks: Into the Mystic, I Believe to My Soul, Saint Dominic's Preview, Gloria, Caravan.

Surpreendeu positivante ao fluir bem, sendo um disco duplo ao vivo.

Better than the last vm but not good

I am not a big fan of live recordings. Van Morrison's "middle" period is my favorite (around the time of "No Method No Guru") and this one had been a bit before. It's alright in my ears, but not more.

Reminded me of my Dad

It was OK

A double live album of generic white boy blues yay.

Never been a huge VM fan. There’s some good stuff here, as well as some clunkers. The recording quality is top notch for a live show.

4/5

Nice bit of background music...

Un titán Van Morrison en directo. Vinilo.

Exciting live album

Wish I was there

Bra live album, sköna vibes

Allemaal net te saai, net het verkeerde genre en net te gedateerd ofzo. Nooit mijn ding geweest.

Ken er weinig van, maar klonk live best goed.

Iets teveel covers naar mijn smaak, die wat teveel richting de bluesy kant gaan. Dat is niet de sound die ik het liefste hoor bij Van Morrison. Maar al met al blijft het allemaal prachtig wat hij maakt.

too long.... sorry... rather be listening to ASTRAL WEEKS.

This is a rare instance of an album I'm giving a 4 but will probably never listen to again. I absolutely don't think it belongs in this list, but it's also a strong live album with some very fun moments and a good selection of songs. It accomplishes what a live album is meant to do, in that it makes me respect Van Morrison as a performer and makes me interested in checking him out as a studio musician.

Boring nothing good on this double album at all

Van Morrison is blessed with the kind of voice whereby he could sing the phone book and give it the beauty and authenticity of a hymn. This, however, is not the phone book. And it is a long way from being it. Close your eyes and you are there. The classics are here and , as said, he can make the not so classic sound classic. A journalist once said there are two types of people. Those that like Van Morrison and those that have met Van Morrison. Quite. Hence why you have to close your eyes to let his music take you to a different plane because, by all accounts, it is so superior to the man himself.

There's something comforting about listening to Van Morrison. Yes, most of his songs sound the same, but there is at least it is reliable.

3.8 I've never heard this album before which surprises me as my dad is a huge Van Morrison fan and we probably listened to him more than any other growing up. The musicians in the band are pros and it was cool to listen to the interplay among them, albeit busy at times

Wow that was good.

A lovely little live album to have a Sunday arvo nap to.

Solid, but didn’t love as much as I had expected. Maybe it’s the instrumentation that’s a bit too much for me on the live versions.

I’m not much of a Van Morrison fan, but this was good.

This is great and Van Morrison is great, but no idea why its this live album when his studio stuff is fine.

Van The Man doing some of his finest material in his own inimitable way. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

my brother has a theory about music, that no matter what musical act it is their music always sounds better live. now i never really got into van morrison’s music. i found the few songs that i heard from the radio to be kind of boring. mad of course as he has gotten older, stories have come out about him being kind of a prick. having said that, when van morrison is on stage, that MF has got SWAGGER. in abundance. i don’t know if my brother’s theory has anything to do with it, but i actually found myself enjoying this album. not all of the songs are great, but there’s plenty of good ones here with some solid covers too. as i have stated in the past, i am a sucker for a good live album, and this is definitely not one to miss.

Full disclosure, I only did the first disc. But it was good. I don't like live albums in general, but this one was much better done than a lot of others. No crowd screaming in my ears, retained good recording quality and VM is pretty chill. I'm in.

Double live album? I don’t do those. But I’ll give it a 3 because I like some VM stuff and as Phil said, “Van is the Man.”

Fuck this live album shit. It isn’t good, not better than the original at least. He picks from his best songs and still falls short. The production is shotty and he often goes too far from the mic and his vocals cut out. Mainly though, he does this thing when singing a line where he waits until the last second to say the line and it absolutely ruins all of the soul in these beautiful songs he’s covering (also his own). I genuinely had to pause the album after “Bring It On Home to Me” and listen to the original. I can say he brings a unique energy that is sometimes infectious, but for the most part, sloppy and unbearable. Sorry Van, but you’re better than this. 1/5

good live album

3/5

ну очень маловероятно что я могла бы узнать и возлюбить исполнителя по альбому лайвов. уот... и конечно известно что лучшие лайвы у Земфиры - вот где аранжировки, вот где энергия!

I wasn't really looking forward to this, but wow. There's a liveliness and spirit here that is lacking in his studio produced songs. I guess Van is one of those rare performers who is better live.

I expect to see a Few of. AB’s studio albums on here, but not this. An OK live album I guess, the crowd noise seems mixed up too high.

I like Van Morrison. I don't like everything of his, but I recognize great songwriting when I hear it. And I also have to judge this based on the fact that it's a live recording. The sound mix is outstanding and the musicians' playing it TIGHT. This is one of the better live recordings I've ever heard, regardless of how I feel about the music. My biggest issue with these songs is that they all sound very similar in their style and structure. But then I've always been a "in small doses" fan of his; so there's that.

i'm not a fan of van, live albums, or albums with hour plus runtimes...so all things considered, i guess this was better than expected. 2.5/5

Is Van Morrison one of the most overrated musical artists out there? Yes, he is. Dreadful, whining vocals to go with a dreadful, whining man.

ALl the volumes was a bit repetitive but it wasn't awful.

A fantastic album!! Like the Wiki article said, the performance is so good that even some mediocre studio tracks come to life in this concert recording! This will 100% be in my regular rotation.

One of the best live albums and for good reason. Distinct and powerful vocals throughout, great covers as well as originals. Guitar and keys on point throughout the album. Not much else to say.

Good songs. Not a great album though. Live albums are almost never worth listening to.

This was a decent live albums, Van certainly has a tight band and they played the hits. Pretty good overall

Pretty good!

Super groovy live album. Swingt heerlijk.

A few good songs....why so long? 3/5

I like Van Morrison, but any greatest hits or live album with a compilation of possibly the artist's best songs seems unfair when compared to studio albums.

was ok... and live.. disappointing I guess

That voice. Not pleasant. One song is fine. A whole album is too much to bear. A double-album...fuck me. Songs I liked the best: Domino, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Bring it on Home to Me, Here Comes the Night, Gloria, Brown Eyed Girl, Into the Mystic, 3/5

Too long. Some great moments but also some boring moments. Last song is 10 minutes and it’s like 2 minutes of actual song.

i hate this guy

Honestly better than expected, I don't normally like live albums but the sound quality was almost as good as a studio. Still too long though. 3.5

Played this one on the way home then proceeded to listen to Van for the rest of the night. So many great songs and so much variety. For some reason I'd sort of forgotten about him for the past few years. On an unrelated note, Stuart Murdoch from Belle & Sebastian really looks like the younger Van Morrison...

Typiquement un genre musical qui met de bonne humeur, c'est entraînant, les instrus sont bonnes. Ça me fait penser à "Everybody needs somebody"

J'adore le jazz et j'ai bien aimé cet album mais je le trouve un peu trop répétitif pour pouvoir l'écouter plus d'une fois.

Great live album, but not enough of his cosmic phase

I just can’t dig Van Morrison, sorry Kyle

Genius! If you don’t appreciate how good this gig must have been. Listen to more Van Morrison and appreciate how much he changed and orchestrated every track to make it unique. Education in live performance

Meh. Van Morrison in general is overrated, and this album is nothing special. Its not "bad" - Its just average. 3/5

Awesome Live album.... Full of energy

Enjoyefd. Shuold listen when I want tohse vibes

I listened to this music during a corporate meeting at work today. Pretty good jam, made the meeting pretty enjoyable overall

Ok

The inclusion of Van Morrison on this list is of course warranted, but the actual albums chosen have been somewhat questionable, this being the latest example. I keep reading "one of the greatest live albums of all time" but I checked a couple lists and didn't see it in anyone's top 50. This is 90 minute (!!) album is something every Van Morrison fan should hear probably, but not something everyone needs to hear before they die.

I'm a big fan of Van Morrison all through the 70s, but... it's a live album. He's a dynamic performer to be sure, oozing with soul, and it was seeing his performance in The Last Waltz that really drew me to him in the first place, but I think that live albums simply shouldn't be a part of this list. I was actually more interested in hearing the covers here because I'd never heard him perform them before.

As someone without much exposure to Van Morrison this feels like maybe the wrong place to start. It sounds really good though, although not so much my thing. Could see why people say it's one of the better live albums: it has some tight performances for sure.

For a live album from the '70s this seems very well put together. I think it's more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up to four instead of down to three

Good perfomance. Stopped enjoying it at some point though

listened to it and forgot it promptly after very beautiful instruments but I dont really care for the songs. cant choose between 2 and 3 so im flipping a coin

Said to be one of the greatest live albums of all time. 3.8

Long but beautiful, I'll keep going back to it to absorbe it

I'm not a fan of Van Morrison and was dreading that it's a live double album. But I will say that this is an excellent live performance and that it does bring some new life to his songs that makes them a bit more interesting. It's not for me but I can see what makes it an impressive album.

some solid tracks and good vocals but a little too long.

3.5/5. Enjoyable, easy to listen to. Pretty much what you'd expect from Van Morrison.

He's very talented, and I know how admired he is by so many. His music has influenced countless artists, and he's superb in so many ways. I can't explain to anyone, let alone myself, why I just don't like his music.

Say what you want about the man, he's said some stupid things in the past few years and there are too many stories about what a dick he is to have any serious doubts as to whether or not they're true (some of the are actually so hilarious that I'd be disappointed if they weren't) but that being said this is Van at the height of his powers with an amazing backing band. Just incredible, I wish I could have been there but since I wasn't I'm glad someone recorded these shows, this is about as it gets.

3/5. One of the highlights of the album is the chemistry between Van and his band, following him to a T and feels so raw but coordinated. There are just songs on here that I don't enjoy to begin with so I only listen to the ones I know and although some sound better on here, most I like the studio version better. Still a good collection, kind of like a greatest hits.

*separates the art from the artist* This was okay for a live album. Decent for a Van Morrison album. Nothing really stood out to me in a good or bad way. Influential? Maybe. Too long? Yeah.

Actually fun

A fun listen.

3/10 Boring, long, slow

Not my cup of tea. A few good tracks but the studio versions sounded better and I found this guys voice to just not mesh with the instrumental. Some very cool moments in songs that were contrasted by poor bridges

It's Van. It's has all his hallmarks. It;s pretty solid. It's live so a little out of place on this list.

Fuck this so much. Every song sounds the same and like the soundtrack to a dentist’s waiting room. His forced “soulful” affectations are cringeworthy. Backing band was tight but I couldn’t stand this.

Was wel ok. Maar ik gok beter in real life

This was overly long, a slog, and all the songs sounded the same.

4/10. There should be a slightly higher standard for live albums on this list, because this album has none of the energy you need on a good live album. So it's 90 minutes of Van Morrison, and it sounds worse than his studio stuff.

I genuinely liked a lot of the songs on this, but 90 minutes? Really? 6/10

Uh oh, now I’m in conflict! I hate live albums but I love Van Morrison. Hmm, what to do what to do? I dig his songs, I’m into it. I really wish it wasn’t live, but these are my jams so I’m grading for that.

Love Van Morrison

I listened to the live version and it was solid. I'm sure it would be better in the studio version so rating 4 as an assumption.

vraiment un bon album live. Je m'attendais pas a ca, j'adore van morrison et il fait quand meme des tounes assez connu et aimé. J'ai l'habitude de détester les albums live de ce genre mais celui-ci a bien passé. 3.5

My wife loves Van Morrison. Hates his live stuff because he elongates every song and mumbles through the entire song. It was fine.

Sounds good

This is the best Van Morrison has ever sounded, hands down. And it really is one of the best live albums I've heard. The energy and vitality of the live show comes across perfectly and the band is legitimately on point throughout. The biggest problem is that it's an hour and a half long. That's too much. It's just too much, Van! It's long enough for the novelty of the live show to wear off and the banality of the songwriting to start to show through. Because, while there are some truly legendary performances here, there are also more than a few duds. Cull the 1/3 of these songs that are lame and you've got an absolutely legendary album. As it is, we're sitting at a pretty solid 4-stars which is good enough, I guess.

No one needs to hear this before they die

Van Morrison is one of those artists I don’t remember hearing for the first time, but whose music I definitely knew well before I could’ve been expected to. Specifically, I know “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Jackie Wilson Said,” and even “Moondance,” with all its sexual innuendos that surely eluded my youthful ear, were played around the house. As great as his best work is, especially the albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, I’m just not sold on over 90 minutes of live Van Morrison. Sure, this includes a number of his classics. Some of them, like “These Dreams of You” and “Domino,” do not disappoint. But some of the others (I’m looking at you, “Into the Mystic”) are much better listened to straight off the original LPs. His cover of “Bring It on Home to Me” sounds more than anything like Jimmy Fallon impersonating sixties soul through Van Morrison’s voice. I’m not sure why a live album like this one is included on the list when he has so many strong studio albums. But at the end of the day, Van Morrison could probably turn the Wiggles’ soundtrack into a heartfelt 12-minute ballad, so I have to throw a decent rating his way.

Did I really "have to listen" to this album?

I like the vibe of it. Wished it was more popular songs.

Ruined his own songs

Besides being too long, this album was much better than I was expecting for a live album. The Blues and Jazz songs were surprisingly good, all while still sounding like Van Morrison. This could have a solid 4 stars from me if the album was not so long.

You can tell he was tired of singing all his old songs. He put zero effort into them. Later in the album, though he got really good song overall, this is a 2 for me.

Van Morrison...who knew he was this good? Not I...I had pretty much despised Brown Eyed Girl and refused to give other songs listens in the past, but the dude is just great. 4/5

Another live double album? I'm not convinced about this. I'm not even convinced that any Van Morrison album deserves a place on this list. In it's defence, this one is a nice recording which captures Morrison in his prime. Lots of these songs actually sound punchier and better than the do in the studio albums. So you could make a case for this being the most essential document of Van Morrison. However, it is really long and gets tiresome. I object to the idea of trying to replicate a full concert experience by bloating the album format to it's limit. 3*

AJ: I didn’t listen. I don’t want to. He’s a trash bag. Some classics on here, and a live album was a surprise. Getting a 3 for the legend, but he seems a dick.

4 Good shit

I have precisely no interest in this, whatsoever. Even if it wasn't a double album (boo!) of live tracks (double boo!) I would have zero interest in it. Van Morrison is of utterly no consequence to me, and I genuinely find it hard to believe that he is to anyone else, either.

I've never heard a singer's voice sound so similar between their studio and live performances. The live performances of his songs are so much jazzier than his studio work too. This is a really awesome album that I'm glad I found through this book. Favorite tracks: I Just Want to Make Love to You, Caravan, Cyprus Avenue

This is too long. The band are tight, but I find VMs voice a bit monotonous after a while: not enough variety in his delivery. Well- rehearsed, but a little too obvious for me. The clapping along though Gloria just made me think of those terrible tv 'talent' shows. You know from one song to the next where this is going. One of those albums that is technically great but I found it a bit lacking in actual soul.

I'm a sucker for this sort of shit. Not knowing many of the originals might have helped. This sounds like an incredibly polished live set of performances. I suspect studio twiddling took place at a later date. It feels wholesome, it feels worthy. Which is not something you always want from dumb rock 'n' roll. But a sense of righteousness is never a bad thing.

Great album

An LP with a great deal of energy to draw from given the live recording and more than able backing band. Still, to sustain a mix of mostly rote jazz for nearly 100 minutes would be a challenge for any musician, and Van Morrison’s vocals just aren’t enough to keep this thing chugging along for that span of time.

Fantastic live album, really accurate to his studio recordings but feels much more full, alive, and energetic, expressing unique flairs to make everyone stand out. It turned me on to so many deep cuts whose studio versions I had overlooked for too long. Hardly any weak points. Personally, I'd still prefer to listen to Astral Weeks and Moondance for the coherent album experience. But this is about as good as I'd expect a live album from Morrison, or for that matter anyone in his vein of baroque-folky pop music.

I liked the energy of the album, loved the band, and the great sound production... But the album quickly got flat, with Morrison’s vocals not quite measuring up.

I don’t usually like live albums. This was no exception. First half was ok. The last half was boring.

There are far too many live albums in this list. Some of them are revolutionary and undeniable like Live at Harlem Square or Kick Out the Jams, but this one is nothing special - half of it is covers, and the Morrison songs aren’t any more impressive here than the studio versions (at least the ones from Moondance and Astral Weeks I’m more familiar with). Would have preferred to see Veedon Fleece here instead

Dnf

Eh, Van Morrison is fine I guess

Live album. Double. It's Van Morrison and it's and hour and a half long. Shoot me! I think this is actually a really good performance. Turns out a lot of Van Morison's catalogue up to 1974 was worth hearing in a live setting. Essential album? Maybe. I think the extent that people ought to know about Van Morrison is Astral Weeks and Moondance and that's it. The rest is up to personal preference. Either way, this live album is enjoyable enough to me.

Too long/ not good enough to be so long

Nothing spectacular here. Move along.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Ain’t nothin you can do, Warm love, I believe to my soul

Decent live album

Música de boomer y no en el buen sentido. Tiene algunas rolas decentes.

Jazz. Soul. Blues.

Great album that includes some fantastic songs. Going to take away a star though because I don’t think it needed to be a double album

Caravan was a standout. There's other good parts but I think this needs more time to digest properly.

A toe tapper. Very well recorded and mixed for a live album

Friends of mine love him, but Van Morrison just doesn't do it for me - especially a live album

This is a jazzy, funky and soulful album. Not particularly exciting, and I got kinda bored of the whole thing by the end. Sometimes the songs really last too long and just seem to waffle on a bit. But it's a live album, so probably a case of "You had to be there". It also fell on a day when I could have done with a more energetic album, to be honest. But I could quite happily relax with this album in the background. Favourite: Ain't Nothin' You Can Do

"I Believe to My Soul" is a great, and songs like "Gloria" and "Cyprus Avenue" are the perfect choice for a live performance, but the rest of the album is not that special. Mixing styles can be cool, but I think it doesn't really work in this case. As a result, the general sound resembles a mass-produced, easy-listening big band record. The best moments are not the soaring strings and flashy brass band interjections, but the quiet sections, which demonstrate that this guy is a good blues and soul singer.

I listened to the live version on YouTube. I was more interested in the live orchestra in the background and enjoyed the variety of instruments in the intro to each of the songs. The actual song was not as interesting and most of the songs featured lines of 2-3 words that were repeated a lot. It reminded me of how someone would sing randomly at home while cooking dinner or doing chores, almost nonsensical. There didn't seem to be much diversity in the content of the lyrics among the songs in the album.

The musicians on this album are quite good playing live. It sounds like a good gig. Looking back at my old ratings I gave another album of his a rating that is embarrassingly high in our early days so not going high again.

This is a gutsy soulful performance that is reminiscent of the live LPs we’re received from Sam Cooke or James Brown. Van is confident and creative enough to change up the arrangements or his phrasing and his covers do justice to great artists like Willie Dixon and Ray Charles.

My all-time two favourite live albums are by Talking Heads (Stop making sense) and Van Morrison, but alas, the Van album I'm thinking of isn't this one, its his A night in San Francisco that he put out in 1994, which is absolutely toe-tapping, head boppingly electrifying. If you haven't heard it and you're a Van Morrison fan you have to listen to it. But back to this album - its fine and the band is tight and there are some good versions of his hits including I've been working, Domino, Caravan and Gloria. But I have to say it again, his San Francisco album is sinfully under-rated and a real gem.

I was a bit hesitant over this one, as I didn't particularly like the solo album I listened to. This is however a great live album. Kinda get Van the Man now.

Perfunctory - the first half dozen tracks sound as if he was just trying to get through them as quickly as possible. Not his best vocal performances.

3,5 mais bon

Admittedly I only know of Van Morrison by his most famous song, “brown eyed girl”, and nothing else. I instantly became a fan of his listening to this live album and I will be seeking out more of his discography. This was an amazing recording. I generally dislike live albums due to poor quality, but this exceeded my expectations.

54/100

There's a sin in putting Van Morrison before the list; That is, this is a fine Van Morrison album for a list of his, not an entry on Van Morrison for a list of albums. The band is incredible, though, and Van doesn't step in front of them and it feels almost unfair to note the listen in this way. Neither in editing nor in scope does ..It's Too Late... stand out, yet it has five-star energies and I may find myself revisiting the full-volume set.

Genres: Rock, soul, jazz Formed: 1967 Run time: 18 songs, 1 hour, 32 mins (Double album) The double album was taken from live performances at concerts in the Troubadour in Los Angeles, California, the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and the Rainbow in London. Spotify: Least popular song: 176k Most popular song: >4M plays. Van Morrison sounds as well polished live as he does on studio recordings. Nothing on the album really stood out and this seemed to be reflected in the listening figures, which are all around the 300k mark. If you’re a Van Morrison fan, it’s probably great. If not, then it is a bit too much of the same. Listen Again?: No My Rating: **

Can't believe this is nearly 50 yrs old.

With each live album I get I become more and more militantly against them. They’re not albums that should be ranked anymore than a ‘Best Hits’ compilation should be! Anyway the music was fine, the album was long, and it was a live album so…. 3 stars

Well it's almost all the classics and rock solid live performance. It's unfortunate that Morrison has gone down this path of the contrarian British conservative-ish grump, but no need to hold that against this product of a simpler time.

Listened to the first half of each song on LP 1 and thought, "is it too late to stop now? No, it is not."

There's very few LIVE albums that I'd rate worthy of 'must-listen' status and regardless its technological innovations, recording quality and tightness of Van & The Band, I'd hardly rate this one on THAT par. Great album, Van sounds great but I fail to see the importance of this record which hasn't stood the test of time. 3.5/5.

It seems truly impossible that this could be one of the 1001 most important albums of all time.

Yay, a live album for an absolute bell end. get fucked.

The man who stole my virginity, Van Morrison, we meet again. As much as I love the jowly faced old crooner, I simply cannot forget that he took my innocence in a violent act of self pleasure that left me with a lifelong struggle trying to figure out why he did it and who I am.

Should have stopped

This surprised me with how fun it was. There was so much life and energy on display from everyone here. It was so close to a 5 if Van Morrison didn't get away from himself just a bit too much. But my oh my do I wish I could have been at the Troubadour that night!

Wow. Subpar Double Album, subpar Soul, subpar Rock, subpar live album. Just about everything sucked. As boring as music gets in my opinion.

I was really dreading this one when I saw it. I've had a pretty good run with Van Morrison so far on this list, despite the fact that I find him to be problematic as a person, he makes music that I enjoy more than I thought I would. I was hoping that we could leave it at that, but no, today I got served up a live album. I don't like live albums, and I don't see how I could possibly like a Van Morrison live album And yet, it's one of the best sounding live albums that I've ever heard. It's very clean-sounding, yet maintains the live energy. It's honestly kinda bullshit that that they did this to me and made me give another positive review to a Van Morrison album 4/5

Tämä sopi loistavasti epätoivoisen suuren sähköpostivuoren tyhjennyksen taustamusaksi. Sopivan rentoa kiireisen päivän taustalle.

Makee setti. Viihdyttävä ja tasaisen korkeampi taso keskiverron yläpuolella.

Oh gosh this was LONG. I understand it’s a live album but there’s only so much I can take of it. Any artist with 1+ hours has to prove themselves and as time went on he did the opposite for me. I’m giving a 2 simply because I wasn’t horrified by this, but just not my guy.

I'm always kinda lukewarm on Van Morrison but this one is different - my favourite Van record by a longshot; probably the only one (maybe aside from Moondance) that I'd seek out and/or recommend. Just a fantastic (perfect??) live recording - upbeat and engaging, and the tracks are actually *better* live with the full band. Love it, even at the length - if anything the 2nd half is better. Personal highlight: "St Dominic's Preview" 9/10 5 stars. (oh and p.s. fk Van Morrison for what he's become)

Un titán Van Morrison en directo. Vinilo.

Love Van Morrison. Not my favorite album to listen to.

Nothing remarkable here.

Great live album. Van Morrison is frustratingly inconsistent but is in fine form here.

Van Morrison is one artist I cannot stand in large doses. His voice and delivery is very unique.

I have said before that I had never been a huge fan of Van Morrison, but this sort of thing might change my mind. If you can keep me engaged in a 90-minute live album, you've got me. These were stellar performances with a band that absolutely rocked. The songs were jazzy and rockin' and bluesy all the way through. Gotta give it up for this one.

I do enjoy me some Van Morrison. This live album didn't really add much to my life, though.

Nice takes on some familiar (and not so familiar) tunes. Makes me wish I was there.

This was quite an extended concert… while I am not sure I’m this big a Van Morrison fan, the music is great, the performance energetic, the arrangements great. Way up there as a live album, even if it is a lot more than I needed.

Musiikissa ei sinällänsä mitään vikaa ja soittajat soitti tosi hyvin, mutta livelevynä tämä ei tarjonnut kuitenkaan mitään tärkeää. Musiikillisesti semmoista kevyenpuoleista rockia orkesterin kanssa

Well that sure did go on, didn't it? Individually the songs are generally okay. Nothing too enjoyable, nothing too terrible. It just didn't need to be so long. So annoyingly long. I have no idea why this needed to be here considering the other Van Morrison albums that made this list.

Covers outside of his usual style as part of a double live album is not really what I'm looking for when I put on a VM album, but it was well done and showed his versatility, so. Best track: Gloria

For a live album this sounds great..I just don’t need this much Van

Some nice easy listening that is not controversial. I think anyone from the age of like 2 to 100 would have a hard time getting worked up and negative about this. I enjoyed all these songs and if I heard them again I wouldn't turn them off. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 (the live band is very tight, some real skill here). I'm going to go 4 because I'm in a good mood and also my next album in the line up is the notorious Spy vs. Spy.

pretty fun but Im not sure why a live album made the cut into the mystic is my favorite song

Spellbinding

Ooh, double live album? Seems like a recipe for disaster to me, especially with how disappointed I’ve been with previous Van Morrison albums on here. But wait, Jazzy, Funky, Soulful. Well recorded, tightly performed and with extra spirit and life. A little shorter (trim the covers) and that’s a 5.

Good in the background. A little boring to listen to with full attention all the way through.

Incredibly tight band and a great performer

Great album

A fair if slightly underwhelming live album, a good listen but not close to his best, doesn't really belong on this list.

This was decent, particularly for a live album, but not as good as Moondance which we had before. Some decent energy in it in places, and obviously the songs are decent, but it doesn't have the pace/energy to keep it up for the length of the album. 3/5.

As far as live albums go this is a pretty good one. I'm not familar with the majority of songs on this album so it was nice to hear a different side of Van Morrison. Fave tracks Warm Love, Wild Children, Saint Dominic's Preview.

Yup, quite enjoyed that - I can see why it's celebrated as a great live album! Fave tracks - "These Dreams of You" from the first disc, and "Gloria" -> "Caravan" on the second!

It was alright, but it didnt pop as it should. Felt like it tried to be James Brown but without the energy.

Meh

This is a good album but I'm not convinced that it's one I'd ever listen to again.

usually pass on live stuff

Bit of a yawn fest - highlight was a cover of someone else's song which kind of says it all

I guess I can see a little of why Van Morrison was such an arse about being able to tour in the middle of a global pandemic. He clearly enjoys performing live and he's really good at it. This album, recorded live in 1973, should be a great example of Morrison in his prime as a live performer, and he mostly delivers in that regard. He's in excellent voice on the album and the band supports him nicely. These songs sound nearly as good as the studio recordings, with that added bit of energy, improvisation and grit you can only hear in a live performance. The whole performance has a small club vibe to it, which is nice. I agree with reviewers who say he has better songs, but the casual Van Morrison listener will find a lot of recognizable songs to enjoy here. His covers of Ray Charles, Sonny Boy Williamson II and others in general are great, among the best songs here. I could have done without this being a double album, but I still enjoyed it. Fave Songs: Saint Dominic's Preview, Caravan, I Believe to My Soul, I've Been Working, Listen to the Lion, Domino

90 minutes of a really good blues/jazz band being yelled over by a stuttering imbecile. OK, that was a bit harsh, but the degree to which this album is so incredibly NOT essential listening brought out the worst in me. 2 zippers to zip Van's mouth and just let the goddamn band play. 🤐🤐

Great performances from a terrible human.

I’ve been listen’ so hard! What a nice live! Want to listen more albums to understand if it is the best album of Van. Let’s take the Van and ride to nowhere.

3rd Van Morrison album on the list... and it's a live album, everything about this just completely turns me off.

Does not sound live! Good album

Live albums are cheating. This is way too long.

IMO one of the best live albums.

Superb rhythm and blues soul. Wonderfully performed. Better than the two Van Morrison Greatest Hits collections? Perhaps.

5/5

Before today I was only familiar with Van Morrison's popular songs (Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance), so I looked forward to getting to listen to more of his catalog. I don't know why I never delved any further into his stuff, because I really like the songs I know. This is the definition of a perfect live record. The band (Caledonia Soul Orchestra) is super tight, and you would swear that they had been playing with Van for years. The chemistry between them all was amazing. This album has no overdubs at all on it. Moondance was supposed to be on this record, but there was 1 bad guitar note on the recording, so Van threw it out. He wanted perfection for his live album, and that is what he got! Van dips his toes in folk, blues, soul, and jazz on this record, and is masterful at each! Overall, an epic live album. This is how a live album should be! Everything is perfect. The only critique I could make is that it kind of overstays its welcome with the last two songs (which account for almost 20 mins of run time between them). Both songs consist mostly of increasing volume and tempo, then lulls again while the band canoodles around. It just made the end of the album fall flat for me. I will, however, absolutely listen again!! Favourite songs: Domino, Gloria, Help Me, Ain't Nothin' You Can Do, I've Been Working, These Dreams of You, I Believe to My Soul, Saint Dominic's Preview, Bring It On Home To Me, Here Comes The Night Least favourite songs: Cyprus Avenue, Caravan 5/5

This album seems like a Most Boring of Van Morrison collection.

I am very glad to know this exists. Always a fan of Van's performance of "Caravan" at the Last Waltz alongside the Band, I am surprised I never sought out a full live album of his. And too because I really needed this evidence of Van's continued brilliance even after Astral Weeks and through his more pop-inclined, single-focused 1970s. This is an opus. I didn't get to give a deep listen last night. But I had on in the background while hosting a few friends and was truly saddened when the end was reached. A good time was had by all and I look forward to revisiting many, many times. This is immediately my 2nd favorite Van album and up there for best live albums.

Wow, totally in agreement with Charlie on this one! A great find. Van Morrison is in top form for this album which is RARE, as so much of his discography seems like a mixed bag, never quite reaching the heights of what you know he’s capable of. Here it’s him in top form, and his band is INSANELY tight! It just works! He’s got that one note he loves to wail on over and over, but when he does, I’m like yeah, that’s why I like Van Morrison. Should have known that he would be terrific live, as Astral Weeks sounds like it was essentially a lot of pseudo-live compositions. I’m a big fan of this sound. I will definitely keep it around. 5/5

Apart from the odd Van Morrison track, I've never been a fan of his rock/jazz/blues/soul blend.

I would have preferred a studio album to this live one. It left me disappointed.

I love Van, but not his best songs

All I can say is thank goodness I finally got through this and don't have to listen to it again.

3.6 - Not my first choice for either a live album or Van Morrison album. Mostly it reads as a residency in Las Vegas, complete with singer and audience in tired evening wear, and women dabbing moist eyes and moist vaginas.

Voz muy personal y estilo muy hecho a su medida. Energía en las canciones, con poca instrumentación. Canciones un tanto parecidas entre sí.

Oh good, a 90min-long live album! Featuring songs from the other 2 Van Morrison albums in this book! Fuck off! 2/5.

For a live album from the 70s, this was recorded remarkably well. The band is tight and the arrangements are solid. I appreciated the fact that while there was a certain looseness to the songs, they were still clearly meant to be largely played as written. There wasn't excessive noodling or extended improvisational sections which does plague live albums of this era. The music itself was nice and bluesy with some soul/jazz elements. Because of its live format, Van Morrison was unable to lean into some of his more experimental stuff and the songs come off as very straightforward. While enjoyable, this album was too long as well. However, due to the tightness of the music I feel like this is one of the best live albums of the 70s.

Fantastic vocal delivery and life brought to the performance of these songs. It’s just too long.

Certainly enjoyable music and a good performance however the combination of live album and 90 minutes runtime just make it hard for me to see this being suitable to be included in this list and compare it to studio albums

Really enjoy Morrison's sound

9th June 2023 Listened during the day on Friday while getting the house ready for Godparent weekend 1 w Sav and Sally and Seb and Justo. Loved this, made me want to listen to more of him. Played him all weekend! Now see where Nathaniel came from.

first gotta give hats off to the man; he’s an absolute unit. this concert expertly flows from blues to funk to sentimental sad string stuff. he’s a master of his craft. having said that it’s very classic Rockin Daddy boomer music. ok it’s dated. very of its time. his voice while powerful and dynamic is not very beautiful. it’s sort of grating at times but it is very distinct so there’s that. great production, masterful performances by all.

This album sucks!!!!! Van morrrisin more like van BORRISON,,!!!!! bitch

Un dels grans discos en directe dels '70. Van Morrison en el seu millor moment creatiu (que no personal), després d'una sèrie d'àlbums imprescindibles, recluta una banda de primeríssim nivell amb músics clàssics, de jazz i de rock i s'embarca en una sèrie de concerts que el contemplen en la cúspide de la seva carrera. Versions de clàssics del soul i r&b, i poderoses lectures d'alguns dels seus millors moments en solitari i Them (tot i que no recull l'execució de 'Brown-Eyed Girl')