Foreign Window

This one is a deep piece without a doubt, and I have long been intrigued by its power. I later identified certain lyrics with my own experience in a foreign land, "bearing down the suffering road" while climbing the hill from Efrat up to the Yeshivah, in the afternoon sun of the Middle East, laden with items acquired in Jerusalem for the Holy Shabbos, all the while suffering the I-ain't-got-me-no-woman blues; "sleeping on a pallet on the floor" not a bad thing in my perspective; "they were giving you religion, breaking bread and drinking wine" sounds like the rhythm of life, especially with regard to the week, during which Torah was studied for long parts of the day, and Shabbos, when breaking bread and drinking wine are powerful accomplishments worthy of adequate expenditure.

Dig these two classic renditions of this deep song. Both videos are live. In One, George Ivan and Robert Z appear as they looked in 1989 in a land foreign to them both. The video also features an important introduction. The Second is the Man himself in hat and jacket in Amsterdam in 2007. "To the Palace of the Lord"

One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMJABF060h8

Second:

Jackie Wilson "Reet Petite" (1957)

Here is a great song from a great master. Jackie Wilson (1934-1984) was very influential, but met with a tragic fate probably unparalleled in the history of modern American music.

John Lee Hooker & Van Morrison - "Don't Look Back" (1997)

Dig this slow one that soars the heights and the depths. Respect the great John Lee Hooker (1917-2001). The song was written and released by John Lee Hooker in 1964 as a B-side on a single, and later appeared on a recording (The Angry Young Them) by the Irish (Belfast) group Them that was released in the summer of 1965, which featured a capable lead singer by the name of George Ivan Morrison (b. 1945)

"In The Afternoon" Van Morrison (live '08)

Live in London (August 16, 2008)

Make it real one more time again!

Van Morrison Returns to Youtube

Here is Van Morrison (b. 1945) performing "In the Afternoon" (from the 1995 album "Days Like This") with his band in Detroit, 2008. Apparently, the Van videos have been allowed to come back but only under the name of Official Exile Films and with a large VM placed over the screen.

It's All in the Game

Well this is a song with a history. I first heard it from Van Morrison from his 1979 album "Into the Music", but it goes way back. "It's All in the Game" is a song that was a 1958 hit for Tommy Edwards (1922-1969) and it was performed by him on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. The lyrics were composed by Carl Sigman (1909-2000) in 1951 to fit a wordless 1911 composition entitled "Melody in A Major," written by Charles Dawes (1865-1951), who would later become the 30th Vice President of the United States under Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933). It is the only #1 pop single in history to have been co-written by a U.S. Vice President. Here I have provided the Tommy Edwards version, then Ricky Nelson (1940-1945) of Teaneck, New Jersey puts it out in 1963, and then the cover by the legendary Four Tops (1970).

Van Morrison & The Band "Caravan" live

Well here it is, a hip hip song and a fundamental performance. I hope you can identify the key players. If thats a problem for you, then seeking help is the first step. The movie is "The Last Waltz" (1978) and it was directed by Martin Scorsese (b. 1942) and is the last concert The Band gave. It took place on Thanksgiving Day 1976 in San Francisco and this is the best of many performances given by many professionals. Van's outfit is well, hideous, but it was 30 years ago and he was young. The kicking at the end of the song is to be noted.

Haunts of Ancient Peace (live)

Happy Purim 5768 (live Van - "Wavelength")

Van Morrison & Bob Dylan "Crazy Love"