The first time I heard Van the Man I didn't even know it was him. He was lead singer in 'Them' and had hits in the early 60s with the blues classic 'Baby, Please Don't Go', 'Here Comes the Night' and the perennial favourite 'Gloria'. 'Gloria' was actually the 'B-side of 'Baby, Please Don't Go' but in the end it became the stand-out hit everyone knows and remembers.
He left the band in '67 and released his first solo single 'Brown Eyed Girl'.
Just on a personal note I cannot believe that was over 50 years ago !!
His first album 'Blowin' Your Mind!' had that song as the opening track.
Next came 'Astral Weeks' and then the featured album, 'Moondance' in 1970.
This is a good album. That's it - that's the review. If you can find it, get it.
It contains my wife Tracy's go-to stop-what-you're-doing listen-to-this track.
Her eyes glaze over, she willingly climbs on the bonnie boat, smells the sea and feels the sky and lets her soul and spirit fly 'Into the Mystic'.
As for me, when I hear the title track 'Moondance' all I see in my mind's eye is a 29 year old Jenny Agutter in the shower scene of 'American Werewolf in London' as this song takes over the soundtrack.
What can I say, I'm a romantic !
Throughout his early career there are numerous mentions of Bob Dylan being a major influence on Van. Between 'Astral Weeks' and this album, Van and his wife Janet Planet (what a name!) moved to the Catskills near Woodstock. Said Janet .. ""Van fully intended to become Dylan's best friend. Every time we'd drive past Dylan's house ... Van would just stare wistfully out the window at the gravel road leading to Dylan's place. He thought Dylan was the only contemporary worthy of his attention."
Reviewers likened a number of songs on this album to Dylan and/or Band songs. 'Come Running' was compared to 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' and 'Brand New Day' to the Band's 'The Weight' or 'I Shall Be Released'.
Van and Dylan did perform together .. even captured on film in Athens overlooking the Acropolis singing 'Foreign Window', 'One Irish Rover' and 'And It Stoned Me' for a 1989 documentary.
Add in the rest of the tracks on this album and you have an LP worth every penny.
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