The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

Menu

Navigation

You are here: Home / Forum / 50 years of Veedon Fleece

50 years of Veedon Fleece

by 65 Comments

50 years of Veedon Fleece

Damned with faint praise on release, VF has arguably gone on to establish itself as the richest and most satisfying of VTM’s peerless run of eight great albums from the late 60s mid-70s.

As it’s the only vinyl album I have ever managed to wear out not once but twice, I
certainly think so.

Sinead O’Connor would seem to agree, hailing it as: “the record I always come back to again and again…It is far superior to Astral Weeks and I love Astral Weeks. This is the definitive Van album with the definitive Van song, “Who Was That Masked Man”…It’s the most obvious album he’s ever done about Ireland…Veedon Fleece is the only thing I listen to just before I go on stage.”[35] When asked in an interview in 2005 to name something she considered “a mind-altering work of art”, she answered: “Van Morrison’s Veedon Fleece.”

Recorded following his divorce from Janet Planet and the end of an exhausting Too Late to Stop Now Tour – VF marked a suitably inspiring end to the first phase of Mr. M’s career. It was also the start of a lengthy fairly fallow period that wouldn’t end until Van began to get his groove back on 1979’s Into the Music and 1980’s criminally under-rated Common One.

Chock full of the imagery and ambience (That cover! Those words!) of an autumnal Ireland, VF remains the most Irish of all VTM’s albums – his collaboration with The Chieftans a decade and a half later included. Its 10 tracks are also amongst the most rarely played in his massive back catalogue.

Probably the best £2.99 I ever spent at Virgin Records Coventry

4

Comments

  2. It’s my favourite Van album and in my ever so ‘umble opinion his finest. I was playing it only t’other day.
    I was pondering over how certain albums seem for no apparent reason to have a seasonal vibe and VF certainly has an autumnal feel for me at least. There’s a thread topic in there somewhere.

  3. Yes, I agree, I agree. His greatest work. An unqualified masterpiece.

    “And we was contemplating Baba, William Blake and the Eternals
    Goin’ down to the Sisters of Mercy
    Looking for the Veedon Fleece…”

  4. It’s a great album, comes in about 5th for me though, doesn’t quite blow me away like a few others

    Astral Weeks
    St Dominic’s Preview
    Moondance
    Beautiful Vision
    Veedon Fleece

  5. VF by a clear head. You dont pull no punches but you don’t push the river
    VF
    ASTRAL
    INTO THE MUSIC
    ST DOMINICS
    BEAUTIFUL VISION

    RE fallow period 2 albums in 2.5 years. Transition , the jam recording and has its merits as well argued by HP some time ago. Wavelength had plenty of good songs but with the slimmed down buff Van on the cover it was just too slick.

  6. It’s right up there at the very peak for me, too. I was with him all the way on vinyl, right up until the Hymns To The Silence album, which my wife bought for me probably as a hint to stop me raving about the man’s music. My CD purchasing era for Van, continuing to date, has covered a lot of great music, but nothing quite as mysteriously, thrillingly brilliant as this.

    • Falls away – sheesh !

      “Fair Play” – 6:14
      “Linden Arden Stole the Highlights” – 2:37
      “Who Was That Masked Man” – 2:55
      “Streets of Arklow” – 4:22
      “You Don’t Pull No Punches, but You Don’t Push the River” – 8:51
      Side two
      “Bulbs” – 4:18
      “Cul de Sac” – 5:51
      “Comfort You” – 4:25
      “Come Here My Love” – 2:21
      “Country Fair” – 5:42

          • I realise I am in the minority. Maybe it is Moondance specifically that deserves that epithet. Heartily sick of that song. Some of the vocals sound too …. searches for word… precious perhaps. Crazy Love the main offender.

            Of these tracks I only rate 1, 4 and 5. OOAA.
            1. “And It Stoned Me” 4:30
            2. “Moondance” 4:35
            3. “Crazy Love” 2:34
            4. “Caravan” 4:57
            5. “Into the Mystic” 3:25
            Side two
            No. Title Length
            1. “Come Running” 2:30
            2. “These Dreams of You” 3:50
            3. “Brand New Day” 5:09
            4. “Everyone” 3:31
            5. “Glad Tidings” 3:13

  11. So far this year, three anniversaries from 1974 have piqued my interest:
    1. Bagpuss.
    2. The Conversation.
    3. Charly Records.

    I’ve time for Dr. Feelgood, no doubt that’s coming soon.

    For God sake, don’t tell anyone at Record Collector.

  12. Better than Safe European Home, English Civil War and Tommy Gun at the front of Give Em Enough Rope?
    And then back in VM land, the front 3 of St Dominics Preview is none too shabby

  13. It’s ages since I last heard it and a recent thread led me to check out the track listing; I had been quite surprised it was rated highly. Anyway I could only remember tracks 1,2 and 5; couldn’t recall anything from Side 2. I guess because I had it on vinyl and have lost it during various house moves, or maybe it’s not so accessible? Something like Into the Music has to be more listener friendly.

  14. I put it just behind Astral Weeks, and it’s certainly the album that comes closest to it in feel, before the pipes and alto sax crept in later in the decade. The second side has a few simple pop songs, which is why some listeners get a bit sniffy about it, but positioned after the longer, exploratory songs on side 1 they are perfect.

  15. Way back , way way way back in the early 70s my brother in law (who’s house bizarrely I am staying in as I write this) lent me a huge pile of VM albums over one summer. I was at the time totally into prog and rock and thought very little of Van the Man. But I thought ok let’s see what the fuss is all about. VF was the one that stopped me cold – no idea why but something clicked and from that moment I was a fan.
    Veedon Fleece remains for me his masterpiece and Dont Pull No Punches one of the finest pieces of recorded popular music ever made.

  16. Yes, a magnificent record and I’m maybe in a minority in loving side 2 as much as I love side 1. One of three albums along with Common One and Astral Weeks that have a very particular mix of specific time and place on the one hand and an open universal mystical atmosphere on the other. You can’t imagine anyone other than Morrison making those records.

  17. Veedon Fleece and Common One for me. Beautiful music to lose myself in. With Avalon Sunset as the album Van was promoting when I first heard his music (Live at Glastonbury ’89).

    Astral Weeks, like Marquee Moon, Pet Sounds and Forever Changes, being one of those albums that HAS to be loved as the best literally in the world ever, could never meet the expectations laid upon it on my first and subsequent listening. I really like music I discover for myself (and then find it is popular, maybe).

          • In fairness, Dai, there are a lot of Van fans (myself included) who stuck with him well past the point at which his albums became increasingly bland and homogeneous.

            The fact that I’ve been one of the more vocal of critics of Van’s more recent releases on here, does not detract from my love of his earlier albums up to and including The Healing Game.

            I’ve also been quick to give the man credit when he has stepped outside of his cocktail lounge-styled comfort zone – his wonderful skiffle album and tour of early last year (which I reviewed very positively on this very board) being two examples.

Leave a Reply