Linden Arden POLL the Highlights--ILM Van Morrison Poll Results

half a mile from the county fair, and the rain came pouring down

one of the greatest opening lines ever. It's like *boom* and you're there

Thanks for running this poll
Madam George was my personal no.1 but you get up into that territory and all these songs are incredible, singular works of art it's hard to call it

Thanks Kornrulez for running a fabulous poll. I was one of Astral Weeks #1 votes. Can't say that I would have predicted it would top the poll or even top the AW songs in the poll. Love that Linden Arden got the Sway vote, so well deserved. Not much to argue with in the results, the man has a lot great songs.

thanks so much for doing this man. I don't do these ballot-submission polls -- or haven't, anyway -- but I had a lot of fun following this. these were my picks, I gave them all equal weight.

into the mystic
astral weeks
sweet thing
raglan road
in the garden
cyprus avenue
the way young lovers do
bright side of the road
stepping out queen
queen of the slipstream
the burning ground
linden arden stole the highlights
you don't pull no punches, but you don't push the river
caravan
and it stoned me
summertime in england
rough god goes riding
she moved through the fair
ballerina
madame george
wild night
domino
vanlose stairway
whenever God shines His light on me
and the healing has begun
moondance
sometimes we cry
brown-eyed girl
goin down to monte carlo
tupelo honey

agreed, this was fun! thanks for running the poll. ranked poll:

Gloria
Sweet Thing
Into The Mystic
And It Stoned Me
Virgo Clowns
Warm Love
Linden Arden Stole The Highlights
Stepping Out Queen
(Straight to Your Heart) Like a Cannonball
Real Real Gone
My Lonely Sad Eyes
Old Old Woodstock
Purple Heather
Whenever God Shines His Light
Ivory Tower
Someone Like You
I'm Not Feeling It Anymore
In The Garden
Days Like This
Saint Dominic's Preview
I'll Be Your Lover, Too
Fair Play
Kingdom Hall
Haunts Of Ancient Peace
Country Fair
Take It Where You Find It
She Gives Me Religion
Sometimes We Cry
So Quiet In Here
Cry For Home

thank you so much kornrulez! here's my ranked ballot

Summertime in England
Irish Heartbeat
Cul de Sac
Tir Na Nog
Almost Independence Day
Linden Arden Stole the Highlights
Caravan
Steppin' Out Queen
Wonderful Remark
Take Me Back
Avalon of the Heart
Thanks for the Information
Saint Dominic's Preview
Orangefield
I Forgot That Love Existed
In the Garden
You Don't Pull no Punches, But You Don't Push the River
You're My Woman
Rave On, John Donne
And the Healing Has Begun
Sweet Thing
Slim Slow Slider
Cleaning Windows
So Quiet in Here
Contemplation Rose
A Sense of Wonder
And it Stoned Me
My Lonely Sad Eyes
Wavelength
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)

albums
Common One
"...It's Too Late to Stop Now..."
Veedon Fleece
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
Into the Music

My list and commentary.

1. Full Force Gale
2. Listen to the Lion
3. Madame George
4. Jackie Wilson Said
5. Wild Night
6. Almost Independence Day
7. Cleaning Windows
8. Into the Mystic
9. Tupelo Honey
10. Someone Like You
11. Did Ye Get Healed?
12. Domino
13. Crazy Love
14. Give Me the Rapture
15. You Don’t Pull No Punches, But You Don’t Push the River
16. Wonderful Remark
17. And It Stoned Me
18. When the Leaves Come Falling Down
19. Fair Play
20. Queen of the Slipstream
21. Enlightenment
22. Caravan
23. Here Comes the Night
24. Sweet Thing
25. I’d Love to Write Another Song
26. In the Garden
27. And the Healing Has Begun
28. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
29. Moondance
30. Gloria
31. Mystic Eyes
32. Real Real Gone

awesome poll, thank you kornrulez

Tracks (ranked)
Caravan (Live)
Everyone
Stepping Out Queen
Cyprus Avenue
Linden Arden Stole the Highlights
Glad Tidings
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)
The Way Young Lovers Do
Cul De Sac
Sweet Thing
Here Comes the Night (Them)
Streets of Arklow
And It Stoned Me
Astral Weeks
Redwood Tree
Into The Mystic
You Know What They're Writing About
Listen to the Lion
These Dreams of You
Spanish Rose
I've Been Working
Fair Play
Friday's Child (Them)
Saint Dominic's Preview
Warm Love
Mystic Eyes (Them)
Contemplation Rose
Who Was That Masked Man
Summertime in England
If I Ever Needed Someone

ALBUMS
Moondance
Veedon Fleece
Astral Weeks
St. Dominic's Preview
Into The Music

Thanks, kornrulez! awesome poll. glad you started at 52.

Songs:
Country Fair
Ballerina
Almost Independence Day
Summertime In England
You Know What They're Writing About
You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River
Saint Dominic's Preview
Madame George
Cul De Sac
When Heart Is Open
Tir Na Nog
Astral Weeks
Fair Play
Haunts Of Ancient Peace
Stepping Out Queen
Cyprus Avenue
Linden Arden Stole the Highlights
Sweet Thing
Who Was that Masked Man
Wild Children
Redwood Tree
Snow In San Anselmo
Listen to the Lion
Troubadours
Dweller on the Threshold
Bright Side of the Road
Everyone
You Make Me Feel So Free
Spirit
Into the Mystic

Albums:
Veedon Fleece
Astral Weeks
Common One
Saint Dominic's Preview
Into the Music

Albums
1 Astral Weeks
2 It’s Too Late to Stop Now
3 Veedon Fleece
3 Common One
4 St Dominic’s Preview

Songs
1 Madam George
2 Lindon Arden Stole the Highlights
3 Caravan
4 Summertime in England
5 Snow in San Anselmo
6 Astral Weeks
7 Into the Mystic
9 Listen to the Lion
10 And it Stoned Me
11 Cyprus Avenue
12 The Way Young Lovers Do
13 The Lion this Time
14 Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)
15 Domino
16 Streets of Arklow
17 It’s Ain’t Easy Bein’ Green
18 Rough God Goes Riding
19 Haunts of Ancient Peace
20 Gypsy Queen
21 Come Running
22 Fair Play
23 In Tiburon
24 Tupelo Honey
25 Full Force Gale

26 Slim Slow Slider

27 Orangefield

28 Glad Tiding

29 Ballerina

30 Celtic New Year

My ballot

Astral Weeks
St Dominic's Preview
Linden Arden Stole The Highlights
Slim Slow Slider
You Don't Pull No Punches But You Don't Push The River
Caravan
Cleaning Windows
Wild Night
Almost Independence Day
Listen To The Lion
Not Supposed To Break Down
Ballerina
Bulbs
Contemplation Rose
And The Healing Has Begun
It's All In The Game
Who Was That Masked Man
Here Comes The Night
Cyprus Avenue
Brown-Eyed Girl
Gloria
And It Stoned Me
Into The Mystic
Higher Than The World
Irish Heartbeat
Friday's Child
Moonshine Whiskey
I've Been Working
Wild Children
Mystic Eyes

this Belfast 79 show rules

an odd thing I noticed a while back is how "St Dominic's Preview" kinda borrows the tune of "The Wind Cries Mary," and "Bulbs" swipes the line about the streetlights turning blue.

That was brilliant, thank you.

Spotify playlist is all up to date: https://open.spotify.com/user/thepoacher/playlist/5DPeJd4pUzQMIQMBvzvU9M

My ballot:

Albums

Astral Weeks
Too Late to Stop Now
Veedon Fleece
St Dominic's Preview
Moondance

Tracks

Madam George
Ballerina
Into the Mystic
Summertime in England
St Dominic's Preview
Cyprus Avenue
And it Stoned Me
Redwood Tree
Listen to the Lion
Sweet Thing
The Way Young Lovers Do
Glad Tidings
Tir Na Nog
Astral Weeks
TB Sheets
Contemplation Rose
Fair Play
Wavelength
Almost Independence Day
Gloria
Brown-Eyed Girl
Take Me Back
Caravan
Steppin Out Queen
And the Healing Has Begun

yeah thanks for running this, it's been a spiritual journey

(slightly O/T but just to reiterate w/thanks: as a former van sceptic of many puzzled years' standing, brad's essay on 80s VM has totally and i assume permanently swung me into the mancamp) (currently loving the weird buzzy instruments on COMMON ONE, which i choose to believe are druidic vuvuzelas)

(obviously POLLS are still bad and you should all feel bad)

"druidic vuvuzelas" is excellent; thank you mark s for providing me with my next band name

I'm so glad everyone enjoyed this. Like the best ILM polls, I discovered a ton of great new music here, like the No Guru album and the absolutely fantastic song Goin Down To Monte Carlo (Thanks Joan Crawford Loves Chachi)

I can't believe I'm the only one who voted for Satisfied. It sticks out on Common One, but it's really incredible.

My ballot:

Saint Dominic’s Preview
Astral Weeks
Almost Independence Day
And It Stoned Me
Sweet Thing
Wild Night
Domino
Wonderful Remark
Cyprus Avenue
And the Healing Has Begun
Gloria
Into the Mystic
Slim Slow Slider
Ballerina
Listen to the Lion
Linden Arden Stole the Highlights
Real Real Gone
TB Sheets
Celtic Ray
Moonshine Whiskey
Brown-Eyed Girl
Caravan
I’ve Been Working
Streets of Arklow
Full Force Gale
Jackie Wilson Said
Satisfied
Goin Down To Monte Carlo
You Know What They’re Writing About
Moondance

Albums:
Dominic
Astral
Moondance
Into the Music
Band Street Choir

the poll results spotify thread is a really enjoyable listen

I want to think this thread for getting me to listen to Van again. Im high af right now and Astral Weeks is kicking my ass. Years since Ive heard it as a teen and I did not get it then at all. It took intervening years of listening to jazz, now it makes sense. Some of the songs have an almost symphonic structure as well. Veedon Fleece also rules. You ppl rule. Thanks for this thread.

I hadn't listened to Astral Weeks in many years either and... yeah, it is overwhelming.

Got my hands on the Glastonbury set. Holy shit what a band. I've mostly avoided boots, and now I'm wondering at my stupidity. Are there any other obvious Van ones I should get?

Is there a 'best boots of evah!' thread somewhere?

this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y-CsUw_-AY

(hat tip to tylerw)

Definitely get the Pacific High Studio set. And if you haven't gotten volumes 2, 3 and 4 from It's Too Late, by all means, pick that up as well.

xps to Chinaski

Your favourite bootleg -as in 'Unofficial Live Recording-

Watching this 74 Van Morrison show and he covers Dylan's "Just Like A Woman" and after "please don't let on that you knew me when" instead of "I was hungry and it was your world" he mutters "I was weird.... everybody was....." Van the Man #1

In the '71 Pacific High Studio version of "Just Like A Woman" (which, after a slow first 3 minutes, really gets intense) on the second time the "please don't..." line comes up he says "I was weird... and you were weird, too." Van must have liked that spin.

an odd thing I noticed a while back is how "St Dominic's Preview" kinda borrows the tune of "The Wind Cries Mary," and "Bulbs" swipes the line about the streetlights turning blue.

― JoeStork, Monday, August 7, 2017 9:47 PM (one week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

will never unhear this now

lol yeah the verse chords are the same in wind cries mary and st. dominic.

I can't be the only person who thinks of Wish You Were Here when listening to Almost Independence Day (of course in this case, van's version came first)

In the '71 Pacific High Studio version of "Just Like A Woman" (which, after a slow first 3 minutes, really gets intense) on the second time the "please don't..." line comes up he says "I was weird... and you were weird, too." Van must have liked that spin.

― that's not my post, Monday, August 14, 2017 11:35 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

haha that's funny, it seemed so off the cuff

there's really a great amount of well shot full Van concerts on YouTube

yeah, it's nice -- for a while there his people were super vigilant about scrubbing any/all vids ...

via Midnight Bootlegs, a 1990 set in FLAC: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/bf6mkTXx4Oyx2bb4rfBro1As2R9yHsF9l7f88drsUcY?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&mgh=1

Man, just listened to Into the Music properly for the first ever, probably. Dexys entire career for a start, but more.
I saw Van maybe 20 times, work related, between 1988-2000ish. I know most of those 80s records from seeing him live, must pick up No Guru, Poetic Champs etc.

born to sing: no plan b is just the loveliest record. the horns are so wonderful

but does no plan b refer to born, sing, or both

who knows, at least a third of the record is a critique of capitalism so

because of this poll back on top and the healing game are now two of my absolute favorite van records

you check out magic time?
that was one that grew on me when I was listening to them all on Spotify

yeah magic time is great, especially "just like greta" which is overwhelming

less a definitive ranking than maybe a potentially useful order for people trying to get into van's '90s records:

the healing game
enlightenment
back on top
hymns to the silence
days like this
too long in exile

the first five are basically all variously great, days like this ends with two of van's best songs ever. too long in exile is a real mess though, maybe my least favorite van record ever, and yet the title track is still so awesome

i always feel like i underrate keep me singing when i'm listening to it bc the first five tracks are all so gorgeous

Let me step in for some fair play...to you.

Excellent. But I will always remember this poll for introducing me to No Guru...my god what an album.

you inspire me to check the wavelength album more closely (i am sold on the song).

Not a great album, but with Morrison it's especially hard to distinguish mediocre from good or good from great

wavelength has a great title track

oh which has been covered, lol

alfred have you heard all of common one

shhh I'm about to exercise while listening to "Got to Go Back."