Van: He’s Still the Very Best

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Irish Voice Entertainment

Van: He’s Still the Very Best

October 25, 2007

By Mike Farragher

MORE than 40 years since bursting out of Belfast with his group Them, Van Morrison continues to make great music, continues to tour the world, continues to inspire and engage new generations of fans and artists alike. His latest, Still On Top - The Greatest Hits, are 21 classic tracks which chronicle Van’s incredible journey so far, all remaining true to his mantra “it’s always been about soul.”

The selections span his work from 1964 to 2005, and the CD is the definitive collection of Van’s original recordings. There are musical milestones from five decades of prolific recording, including — for the first time on a greatest hits collection — his powerful songs from the 1990s and new millennium.

Among the gems included are 1995’s “Days Like This,” an alternative version of 1997’s “Healing Game,” and already a classic from 2005, “Stranded.” Still On Top moves seamlessly across the genres, reflecting a career which began in the ‘60s with the hat-trick of “Here Comes the Night,” “Gloria” and “Brown Eyed Girl” and has not faltered since.

Highlights from the ‘70s include “Domino,” “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)” and “Warm Love.” Among those selected from the ‘80s are the romantic ballad “Someone Like You” (one of many Van songs borrowed by the big screen, in this case for Bridget Jones’s Diary) and the glorious “Have I Told You Lately?”

The full track listing is as follows:“Gloria” (performed by Them), “Here Comes the Night” (performed by Them), “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Moondance,” “Crazy Love,” “Domino,” “Wild Night,” “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile),” “Warm Love,” “Wavelength,” “Bright Side of the Road,” “Dweller on the Threshold” (live), “Tore Down a La Rimbaud,” “In the Garden,” “Someone Like You,” “Have I Told You Lately?” “Real Real Game,” “Days Like This,” “The Healing Game” (alternative version), “Precious Time,” “Stranded.”

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