One song does a lot to make this album!
Rock songwriting has explored a lot of themes and subject matter over the last 35 years or so but no song written has quite the effect of "T.B. Sheets". Young people do not tend to see the world (and life in general) as a survival ground. They view it as a playground. In "T.B. Sheets", Van Morrison's playground world clashes with the grim reality of survival, and his reaction is real and fantastic. What 20-something can sit by a deathbed? Van Morrison wants to do the right thing but is simply ill-equipped to handle the situation. It's an amazing song, and oddly, it's surrounded by a cluster of party gems (aka."Brown Eyed Girl") that are classics as well. This album was the one previous to the acclaimed "Astral Weeks" album that most critics feel kicked-off the high-water period of Van Morrison's career. I would argue that this work belongs in that company. It suffers from questionable sound quality but features a very appealing song list. "I.....I gotta go baby.....I gotta go"
Odes to Sickness and Delight
Van the Man, the Lion of Belfast, the young man who once wailed in rhapsodic tribute to the wicked charms of a girl named G-l-o-r-i-a, here sings love songs to the dying and ditties about red sports cars. I'm not impressed by the supposedly popular sentiment that this is a lesser work of Van Morrison's solo career, after he left Them in 1970; this is, in fact, one of my favorite Morrison recordings. "Madame George" and "T.B. Sheets" alternate between those typical Irish preoccupations, sin and salvation, sex and spirit, with the fire of an Otis Redding and the lyrical gifts of a William Butler Yeats. Van is capable of being sour and unpleasant on stage and in interviews, but you'd never know it from the boyish charm and effortless wit he flaunts on "Ro Ro Rosey" and "Who Drove the Red Sports Car?" The problem with saying Van Morrison has put out a less than completely satisfying work, as I see it, is this: any album put out by Van Morrison is superior to the complete recording careers of a hundred other musicians, so even his "lesser" accomplishments are records of stature and power, grace and pleasure - and this is no second-rate album, believe me. "T.B. Sheets" was recommended to me by a damn good friend of mine, who is himself a musician of impressive and abundant talents, and it made a believer out of me.
turning his insides out
Well, unlike the popular opinion (it seems), this happens to be one of my favorite Van Morrison albums. I put it right up there with Moondance, Tupelo Honey and His Band & Street Choir. The title track itself is an experiment in groove and worth the purchase alone ~ T.B. Sheets (track 5) is just over 9 minutes of a single musical theme while Van wails out vocals about having to face the untimely death of a dear friend, (based upon an actual event in his life, I believe. Yes, TB = tuberculosis.) It's bitter sweet, with his voice at the pinnacle of decadence, and his heart in every word as only Van Morrison can deliver.
Surprisingly, each of the other tunes are just as good. Considering that 'Brown Eyed Girl' appears here, which is probably what people notice first and end up buying the CD for, it actually manages to take a back seat to the other tracks. Perhaps due to so much air play and commercial over-saturation, I find myself listening to the lesser known tunes most of all.
It is difficult to sum up in only a few words, but the album seems to me a more free form recording than anything else he's released (live albums aside). Almost as if you've walked into a corner pub that Van Morrison happens to be playing at before his great popularity, and sit down to witness a blues artist turning his insides out. Although the album was indeed recorded in a studio, the songs, each one of them, are so very raw that this image always comes to mind when I listen to it.
'Madame George' is here, a quicker tempo version of the song, (the sorrowful 10 minute version to be found on Astral Weeks), and probably exemplifies the improvisational facet of the CD best of all. 'He Ain't Give You None, Beside You, It's All Right,' and 'Who Drove The Red Sports Car?' are all wonderful songs in a similar vein ~ blues driven and soulful. And, 'Ro Ro Rosey,' being the only truly UPbeat tune on the CD, adds a bit of the rock/pop element.
Excellent musicianship, soulful delivery, well produced and RAW ~ even if you do buy this CD for 'Brown Eyed girl,' you'll end up keeping in the changer for everything else.
CLASSIC VAN
Original versions of "Beside You", "Madame George", and "T.B. Sheets" which was later recorded by John Lee Hooker on his "You'll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive" that included VM himself. Was a good party album in the 70's.
