Classic Albums: Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison

Happy St.Pat’s day everyone! So today’s this Friday’s post is my fave Irish artist’s album. It’s a pretty mellow one really but I’m posting it in the morning which is maybe the recommend listening time too, unless you’re having a quiet night and wanna chili out to something. Maybe, you’re reading this after that day anyway?

He’s one of those old 60’s artists who needs no introduction at all. Is it just me or do others think he always looked like an old man? Anyway this is his 1974 album and the eighth studio album from the man called Van, in my opinion but far and away his best album. Van hit his peak on Veedon Fleece and nothing else comes close, yes it’s better than Astral Weeks but I think other people will disagree with me about that so I’ll just say that’s what this blog is just my opinion about music. My dad loved Van when I was a kid so I know a lot of his other stuff but it was really funny when I found this, I did show it to my my old man at some point and he was like “I’ve never heard this but it’s breathtaking.” or something like that.

None of these tracks are on his greatest hits album/s which was my father’s faves but I don’t why because to me each song is like some of the greatest songwriting ever. Maybe it’s for the fact Van disliked the album himself after it was released and even disowned it too, only playing some of these song just a few times live. I don’t know why you would do that as an artist because it’s totally amazing songwriting and beyond me to express how unbelievably it is, I’m like struck dumb listening to his words. Maybe it’s more to do with the time around making it more than anything because it was recording shortly after the divorce from his wife, it sold very poorly and was totally written of by critics at the time too.

After that divorce he return home to Ireland on holiday and the album musically I’ve got to say it is one of his most Celtic sounding and even his most acoustic album. What I know about him writing it, songs were done very quickly without time to think about any of it really. The tracks were written in two or three weeks and recording them was all pretty much first takes and then Van would disappear, one of musicians that played on the album called him the studio ghost of the sessions or something like that. The album cover artwork is a photo of  Morrison on that very same holiday sitting in between two Irish Wolfhounds and seems to me a very Irish’s album cover too, with all that blue and green countryside. Maybe it’s just all too Irish even if he is from there, I’m not so I guess it’s fine by me but it’s not like totally overboard. Veedon Fleece best described as folk or maybe folk rock.

Once again it’s also one of my fave bands fave record too. Both The Drones‘ singer Gareth Liddiard and ex-The Drones drummer Mike Noga have named dropped it as so, here’s one link to a Mike interview where he talks briefly about the album and I’m sure that’s not the only time he’s said that too. Liddiard named Veedon Fleece in the Aussie Rolling Stones mag at some point a few years ago which I can’t find online so I might just have post it on my blog one day sooner or later, would readers like that?

So who else loves this Van album? Or does so after listening to it now?

Veedon Fleece track listing and times:

1. Fair Play – 6:14
2. Linden Arden Stole the Highlights – 2:37
3. Who Was That Masked Man – 2:55
4. Streets of Arklow – 4:22
5. You Don’t Pull No Punches But You Don’t Push the River – 8:51
6. Bulbs – 4:18
7. Cul de Sac – 5:51
8. Comfort You – 4:25
9. Come Here My Love – 2:21
10. Country Fair – 5:42

All my Classic Albums posts are in that link or they’re all linked below too!

• Tales From The Australian Underground – Volume 1 & 2 by Various Artists
• Station To Station by David Bowie
• Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
• Rust In Peace by Megadeth
• Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs by Marty Robbins
• Henry’s Dream by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Whatever You Love, You Are by Dirty Three
• Gala Mill by The Drones
• Black Monk Time by The Monks
• Ex Tropical by Lost Animal
• Work (Work, Work) by HTRK
• In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra
• The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd
• Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
• Warm Leatherette by Grace Jones
• The White House by The Dead C
• Silence Is Sexy by Einstürzende Neubauten
• Lulu by Lou Reed & Metallica
• Kaira by Toumani Diabaté
• Kings Of The Wild Frontier by Adam And The Ants
• Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth by Dan Kelly And The Alpha Males
• Aerial by Kate Bush
• The Future by Leonard Cohen
• Rock For Light by Bad Brains
• Last Splash by The Breeders
• Sex by The Necks
• Emergency Ward by Nina Simone
• Paradise by My Disco
• Batman by Prince
• Sings Christmas Carols by Mark Kozelek
• What Are Rock Stars Doing Today by Magic Dirt
• Love Of Life by Swans
• Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
• Blue Valentine by Tom Waits
• In The Pines by The Triffids
• Where Joy Kills Sorrow by Various Artists
• TV Sky by The Young Gods
• King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime by Faith No More
• Jean Lee And The Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
• Law Of Nature by Laughing Clowns
• (I’m) Stranded by The Saints
• Super Ape by Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters
• The Soft ‘N’ Sexy Sound by Dave Graney ‘N’ The Coral Snakes
• Mutiny/The Bad Seed by The Birthday Party
• Bahdeni Nami by Omar Souleyman
• Ascension by John Coltrane
• The Definitive by Blind Willie McTell
• Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey
• Horses by Patti Smith
• Vespertine by Björk
• Hex Enduction Hour by The Fall
• Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood by DMX
• I’m New Here by Gil Scott-Heron
• Charcoal Lane by Archie Roach
• In My Own Time by Karen Dalton
• Stay Sick! by The Cramps
• Primary Colours by Eddy Current Suppression Ring

So the idea here is simply for me to write a post about each of my favorite albums that I consider total stone cold classics!

Please do leave a reply below and tell me what you think about this album and/or artist or whatever you’d like to say about it?

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