Search - Van Morrison :: Live at the Grand Opera House - Belfast

"See the man with the stage fright..."

The Sanity Inspector | USA | 12/20/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"No, Van doesn't cover the old song by The Band, but on this live date his legendary nervousness onstage is constantly making itself felt. It sounds like he can barely keep from bolting offstage during the spoken part of "Rave On, John Donne", especially when he muffs his lines. "Oh what swine" instead of "Oh what sweet wine", but the friendly crowd didn't burst into laughter. In fact, in another part, they strike up a round of encouraging applause, as he's struggling to get a saxophone solo under control.So that's the "warts", the "and all" is a good representation of where Van was in the mid-Eighties: free-form celtic mysticism in a supper-club soul-jazz setting. I don't mean that to be flip; Van had more "yarrgh" than ever, and he gets his vision across convincingly. Highlights include "Full Force Gale", with a slightly changed melody from the _Into The Music_ studio version, and with more kick, too. "Dweller On The Threshold" is really special, if too short. The mood pieces, including "Vanlose Stairway" and "Haunts of Ancient Peace" are sometimes undercut by Van's skittishness, but they too succeed.So this is a milepost, a souvenir of where he was back then. There's nothing really raw on here, like "Cypress Avenue" on _It's Too Late To Stop Now_, let alone "Caravan" on _The Last Waltz_--his peak on legal live recordings, btw. But "Cleaning Windows" is a good, bouncing r&b number, a smart uptempo song to end this heavily into the mystic set. He almost sounds comfortable by the end."

A soulful performance

Mark T | St Louis, MO | 12/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"He changes up some favorites and blows the doors off some others. Van plays sax like he sings--all growls and mumbles and suddenly soaring highs. And the words "wee wee wee" have never held so much soul. Pee Wee Ellis and Mark Isham make Van's most eclectic and versatile horn section ever and the rest of band is tight. Good recording quality. Great remastering. Highly recommended."

Rave On, Van!

Ryan Black | Las Palmas, GC Spain | 06/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am amazed that the reviews for this album are so low! Perhaps they are not ready for this album yet, that is what happened to me.



I listened to this a couple of times 10,15 years ago and forgot about it. Recently, I found it in the back of a trunk and decided to listen to it again. It blew my mind. For me, Van is at his best live and Pee Wee Ellis is top notch on this album.



This album blows away all of the studio recordings of these songs which in comparison sound stiffled and artificial now that I have heard the real deal. If you like the track list, I don't know how you wouldn't like this album; this spiritual journey. Rave On, Van!"