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Van Morrison – It’s Too Late To Stop Now – Volumes 2,3,4 and DVD

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What does it sound like?:

For the past month I’ve been immersing myself in this mammoth three cd plus dvd set.

Three different shows from the summer of 1973, each capturing Van Morrison at the top of his game, accompanied by the eleven piece Caledonia Soul Orchestra.

Each show has a slightly different ambience, but although all three excel, for me the show at The Rainbow is the pick of the bunch. Five songs from that cd also appear on the DVD, together with a further four performances not featured on the cd.

The set list varies from show to show, some songs appearing in several incarnations, others only once. All the performances though are previously unreleased, so there is no overlap with the original ‘It’s Too Late To Stop Now’ double album, which is also being re-released separately in remastered form as Volume 1 in this series.

What does it all *mean*?

What can I say – this is a superbly put together set, which has been well worth the long wait. This is a hard act to follow, but hopefully more reissues of the studio albums in similar expanded form will now follow

Goes well with…

Classic Van Morrison albums from all eras. This though is Van captured live at arguably the peak of his career.

Release Date:

Might suit people who like…

This monumental set is a must for both fans and for lovers of great music in general.

10

Comments

  5. Volumes 1,2,3,4 and DVD all delivered promptly through the Tax Dodgers and looking forward to hearing these later after work.
    I have been on a bit of a Vanfest of late so this dovetails nicely and might go well with a few glasses of Teeling Whiskey later tonight.

  6. I got the downloads on my pc/tablet and phone yesterday so was able to enjoy the double cd last night. Physical product arrived 5 minutes ago….looking forward to playing it over the weekend.

    As an aside….I was hoping for the new Earle/Colvin effort to arrive too as it is also released today. Email tells me it won’t get here for another 10 days or so….don’t have the autorip either. The ordinary cd was nearly £25 until a day or so ago. The expanded version(the one I want) was £11. I don’t understand amazon’s pricing policy!?

  7. Cor blimmin’ blimey knock me dhan wiv a feathery duster. One of the world’s great people has gifted me a copy of this disc based loveliness.
    That’s brought today’s painting jag to an abrupt end. I don’t feel too wicked though ‘cos I’ve been working. I’ve been working so hard…

    Gawd bless ya.

  11. Well I must admit I did find myself thinking “this is all well and good but what it needs is more of a medium paced blues/R&B trudge. And maybe a half-arsed double speed version of Moondance…”

    • I bumped into a former manager of Van this morning who was eulogising about it was all so different. I, naturally, delivered the obvious rejoinder that nothing Van has done has sounded remotely different since he started wearing the Blues Brothers outfits. That’d be the last 20-odd years. Perhaps he needs to release a huge box set of that era: ‘A Period of Stagnation’.

  15. The tragedy of it all is that the whole package – video included – has been available at the Eel Farm for some time. I strongly urge everyone to stay legal, stay safe, and buy the product from a reputable retailer, preferably at the highest available price to minimise the personal losses suffered by Mr Morrison caused by copyright contravention.

  16. Without wishing to rush to judgement, having listened to nearly two of the discs through one ear last night I can categorically state that it’s BLINKING AMAZEBALLS!

    For goodness sake, if you have even the slightest liking for the work of Mr Morisson, BUY THIS NOW. You included, tigger.

    • I ordered my copy of the boxed set from the Tax Dodgers Marketplace, so it’s still in transit between their enormo-warehouse and the bijou duco01 Towers right here in sunny Stockholm. I can’t wait.
      I wish I’d paid a bit extra to have it sent on the Celtic Ray….

    • Been playing it on rotation here in Castle Wrongness. Agree a lot of it is Amazeballs but bloody hell there is a lot of it ! (too much of it methinks).
      Play it one more time today and Mrs W may be having a sharp word or two in my delicate little ear.

      • Re: “bloody hell there is a lot of it !”

        Can’t see that being too much of a problem for me. I’m a Deadhead, so I’m well accustomed to live boxed sets with lots of complete shows from the 1970s on them which go on and on for hours and hours. Hurrah!

        • Clinton Heylin informed me recently that they had still somehow managed managed to omit a track from the Troubadour recording. That’s the kind of thing one would expect Clinton to know, and it’s reassuring that he did.

  19. Watching the “DVD” right now.

    THIS is the best band ever, in the history of the universe in space. But apart from all that, it’s also a very well-shot and edited movie. No wanky camera movements or FX, nice mix of medium and close-up, everyone gets a bit of attention. And the sound is just miraculous.

    Sometimes, like right now, Van seems even greater than Dylan. Greater than Elvis. I mean, he’s not, of course … is he?

  24. Is it the same film as the footage of the rainbow concert that has been available as a boot for some time?

    If it is, I love David Hayes on bass. Could just be me but it looks like coke fuelled engagement. The camera person did seem to have a particular interest in the rather attractive cellist.

  27. I started with the DVD. I recognise some of the footage from Old Grey Whistle Test and similar TV shows back in the day.

    Only just started watching it, but look out for Van coming in too soon at the very start of Brown Eyed Girl

  28. No PG sticker or otherwise here. Just a gold sticker showing contents on the shrink wrap which is really annoying because I have to cut it off and place it inside the booklet for safe keeping.

    Mine is region 0 too, which is often the case for music DVDs

  29. Been listening to this all week and have now caught up with the DVD. ‘It’s Too Late to Stop Now’ is so familiar that I think I’d stopped noticing how brilliant it is. Hearing this stuff fresh it is simply incomparably good – Van’s vocal performance, the band, everything. The string section comes through particularly well – I’m normally allergic to strings being lumped into a band as background noise but here they really play their part – credit to Nathin Rubin’s arrangements. Great to hear songs not on the original album like San Anselmo and Moonshine Whiskey, and covers like Hey Good Lookin’ and, bless him, Buona Sera (twice!). And the final run in of Domino, Caravan and Cyprus Avenue is just fantastic. And the DVD – the shirts, the beret, the watch strapped outside his shirtcuff so he can check the time even as he’s being transported – oh, it’s brilliant. Have you bought it yet @tiggerlion ? It’s indispensable I tell you.

    • Pardon? Did someone say something?

      *removes headphones*

      Oh yes. Van the man. Over the years, I’ve bought quite a number of Van albums. I’ve seen him live twice, last time in 1979. There was a moment when I was completely in thrall to Astral Weeks. Nowadays, when I go back to him, I’m disappointed (apart from Moondance, which always makes me think of a young Jenny Agutter taking a shower). I’ve never liked his stream of consciousness lyric style with the swooping vocal that Colin H mimics so well. Those albums sit on the shelf, neglected.

      Judging by this thread, his Scottish Orchestra sound great! I’ll think about it.

      *snuggles back under headphones with the Ray Charles box set*

  30. Bloody hell, this thread is now longer than the set.

    Spoke to my Dad today who vividly remembers watching the BBC broadcast in ’74 with the simulcast on the radio (which indeed he did turn up). He loved it, of course – and I think it was a huge moment for VM in cementing his reputation in the UK.

    (PS. Pere Moose remembers the cellist very well. He would.

    hurrrr)

  31. I was listening to one of the discs from the set late last night via headphones, while Mr Breakfast watched the telly. I’d been listening for over an hour and it was around five minutes from the end, so Van was busily working himself and his audience towards the climax, when Mr B waved a hand to get my attention. I took out an earbud to hear him ask, “I’m going to bed now, are you gonna turn that off and come up too?”

    I took a huge amount of pleasure in replying, “Not yet dear, IT’S TOO LATE TOO STOP NOW!”.

    Skiddley bop.

    • Playin’ aranbee in Santa Monica wi’ Frank Zappa, growin’ moustaches, growin’ moustaches, puerile homour, puerile humour, supercilious attitudes, weird hand gestures, Gibson SGs, Gibson SGs, interpolatin’ East European avant-garde atonal string quartet music inta tha three-chord Celtic soul grooves, hidin’ in the shed ta get away from Frank’s squabbling family, squabbling family… lawsuits, lawsuits, cosmic debris an’ Celtic rays, and it stoned me, yes it did, yes it did, YES IT BLOODY WELL DID!

  33. Call any vegetable yes call any vegetable
    CALL IT BY NAME
    and you know , you know its true
    you know , you know its true
    you know that vegetable
    that vegetable will respond to you

  34. I remember seeing the concert and buying the double album as a lad. My musical bent was already heading in the direction of the jazz end of rock towards Weather Report and Bitches Brew era Miles but loved the unique inflections that Van brought to R&B based songs like St. Dominic’s Preview and Caravan. There was a parallel in that Van was a kind of Bop vocalist, improvising and extemporising around a central theme or riff. Been listening to the audio version via Spotify and will be investing in the DVD. Great set of comments and reviews on this thread so thanks for the inspiration and for my ever growing shopping list 🙂

  35. Listened to vol 2 and 3 over weekend, it is, of course, excellent. However like in may cases, I wonder if they got it right with the original selection for the album? Haven’t really heard much that would beat that track selection yet.

  36. Agree with Dai. The duplicated tracks are better on the original – as they should be I suppose. The 2 songs I was really looking forward to hearing – Buona Sera and Moonshine Whiskey – just don’t transcend as they do on other Van recordings. Since I Fell For You, There There Child and I Paid The Price are nice additions tho. Being Green meh. John Platania absolutely on fire throughout. And great sound.

    • Oh and 2 other thoughts. One: Van’s vocal variations and experimentation throughout is wonderful to hear. Although again, most of the best variations are on the original album. Secondly, hearing it all through did make me seek out and appreciate the original again – which has got to be a good thing. Although I’ve got many versions of the original, overfamiliarity does dull the senses. It’s great to be reminded of how wonderful an album the original is.

  37. Heard it all now and watched the DVD now in the space of 2 days.

    Perhaps I should have spaced it out a bit because I’m suffering a little Van-fatigue after such a marathon session. But in case the point hasn’t already been made strongly enough up thread, let me say, this is about as good as live rock music can get.

    That’s all.

    • Agree that spacing out is a good idea. After all it is really an extended version of ITLTSN even though diff songs so can get a bit much.

      Disc 1 of the new set , labelled vol 2 is my preferred disc of the new set so far in my listening.

        • JC -here’s one for a glass of wine while cooking the pasta.

          Period of Transition. More of a soul jam, Van in fine voice, not as heavy, less of the vocal repetition where he tries to copy our Colin 😉 Great early evening stuff and underrated.
          Go to track – The Eternal Kansas /city.

          • Thanks Junior. Y’know, it’s a funny thing, I don’t really consider myself an obsessive Van fan, but I just went to my shelves to check and it seems I have 32 of his CDs.

            32! How did that happen?

            And yet I don’t have Period of Transition. Hmmm.

              • This review from All Music covers it well. Note Preceded by Veeden and ITLTSN. The happy go lucky jazz ,funk groove with Dr John co producing was totally unexpected aftet the brooding Celtic VF.
                I’m sure he said later that they were really just jamming trying to get something going and it ended up a record. It’s not up there in the pantheon, but ,as I said earlier, it’s good to have on while you are doing something else. And after a couple of years off his voice is in fine fettle.

                Titles rarely come as explicit as A Period of Transition, a record Van Morrison released three years after Veedon Fleece, an uncommonly long period of inactivity for this prolific artist. It was his longest rest, before or since, and in many ways, he emerges from a cocoon here, leaving behind the lushly dark introspection of Veedon Fleece for a mellow, good-natured R&B-flavored singer/songwriter sound that may turn introspective but never feels dark — it’s warm, welcoming, infused with spirituality and humor. Still, like any period of transition, this is somewhat tentative and uneven, with its best moments being, at best, minor masterpieces. Yet there’s a charm to the album Morrison and co-producer Mac Rebennack have made, a laid-back organic feel that may not be exciting but it’s inviting — all the more so when it’s seen as the transitional effort it is.

  38. “When that foghorn blows, I wanna hear it…”

    Amazingly, we have had nearly 300 posts on a thread about Van Morrison without a single video clip of The Man. It’s time we rectified and sailed, if you will, into the mystic. You know it makes sense.

    Note for Johnny C: Includes Van playing a guitar solo, from 3:40… he just wants to rock your soul…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpPSBzGEklE

  39. Well, if the whole world was like the Afterword Massive, Van the Man would be raking it in.
    I have just become the umpteenth Afterworder to take delivery of this handsome set, as my copy finally made it to – ha! – “Scandinavia”.
    I opened up the corrugated board package last night, and there it was, enclosed within. How much more Van could it be? None. None more Van. I can hear Mahalia Jackson coming through the ether. And Big Bill Broonzy. And quite a few other top gospel and blues names O solo mio!

    • ‘Goin’ down to the Stockholm archipelago, playin’ R’n’B an’ hardanger fiddle wi’ Duco an’ Locust an’ kaisfatdadKaisfatdadKaisfatdad… Eatin’ fermented potted herring an’ almondy pies an’ blueberry soup – blåbärssoppablåbärssoppablåbärssoppa… Pasty suppers wi’ lingonberry jam an’ cabbage rolls – kåldolmar, ärtsoppa, smörgåsbord smörgåsbord, pancakes an’ crayfish, Wallenbergare, Kroppkakor, Korv Stroganoff, GrisfötterGrisfötterGrisfötter – an’ a Paris bun in case we get famished… Playin’ Celtic soul wi’ Ingrid Bergman, Ulrika Jonsson an’ Saint Bridget – Agnetha Fältskog an’ Emanuel Swedenborg comin’ through the ether, comin’ through the erther, Radio Luxembourg, Helvetia, Sunne och Torsby Radio Fryksdalen 100, Stockholm Järva och Västerorts närradioförening Spånga och Vällingby 90, timmy Mallett, TIMMY MALLETT, ED STEWART, DAVE CASH DAVE CASH ELTON WELLESBY BO HANSSON TOM BOMBADIL ARTHUR ASKEY SVEN GOREN ERIKKSEN THAT GUY IN THE MUPPETS THAT GUY IN THE MUPPETS!!!!!

      Take me way back – the days before rock’n’roll, rock’n’roll, Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, Olof Skötkonung, Karl Gustav von Wrangel, Raoul Wallenberg – who are these people? Who are these people? I SAID WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!!?!”

      (continues for several hours; appears in 2030 on deluxe 6CD box set ‘We Tried But We Couldn’t Stop Him Now: Live in Sweden’)

  40. Any love out there for The Philosopher’s Stone?

    I think it’s foogin top. That earlier version of Wonderful Remark is much better than the rather sugary famous version.

    It’s gorra floot on it!

  42. I must have seen the old feller nearly a dozen times. On many of those occasions, he’s been distracted, desultory and disappointing. Other times, as if dancing in sunlight and snowflakes, he has been talismanic, tender, transcendent.

    Rave on.

      • Seen him maybe eight times, going back to ’74. Wonderful every time, and very professional. That sounds like a slight, but it’s not. He knows how to do a show, how to pace it. And he simply does not give a fuck if you like it or not. He knows exactly how good he is.

        There’s a “t” you missed, Fin – transporting (nb not trainspotting, moose). At his best, he lifts you up there with him. Nobody else has quite that power – at some point, he throws his head back, eyes shut, and lets it all pour out. Beyond lyrics, beyond music (although he needs both to get there). He lifts you up, he lifts you up … maybe just for a moment, but that moment happens again and again.

  43. Reading this in deepest Languedoc, thinking Mr M must be the most contrary old sod ever, ritually trying to alienate his audience year on year, with awkward utterances, silent onstage grumps, shifts of style, ignoring requests, all the things that would destroy most other careers, yet he goes from strength to unwanted strength. Maybe only Dylan and Shakey can upset so many yet carry on regardless. Maybe that is the defining point of greatness, a who gives a fuck mentality.
    Having read all of these comments I am minded to stick to my double album version ITLTSN, for fear of comparing different Cassoulets rather than enjoying them.

  45. Just thought I’d nudge this thread back up the rankings. I’m looking forward to people talking about music and having a bit of fun with it again… 🙂

    Anybody got anything new to say about Van, then?

  50. I didn’t see Van until 1982 at Birmingham Odeon. It was disappointing. You could see he was trying to get in the zone, but it just wasn’t happening that night so he just shrugged and launched into all the greatest hits instead, which he can sing on complete autopilot. Funny thing is that audiences always go nuts for the hits. I next saw him in October 1989 at the Alexandra Theatre in Brum with Georgie Fame as band leader. This show was wonderful and featured several of those trad. songs from Irish Heartbeat, including Carrickfergus. At the end the band all sneaked on behind him dressed as ghosts (white sheets with eye holes). Van was at the front singing something deep like Raglan Road unaccompanied. He noticed the audience sniggering and turned round. He literally collapsed on the stage in fits of laughter.

    I’ve seen him many times since then but great shows have become rarer especially since he took the pledge in 1999 following drinking buddy George Best’s first liver transplant. However, the Astral Weeks show I saw at the Albert Hall in 2009 was an exception. John Platania was back on board and the show was beyond belief great. New album due in September.

  51. One of the main claims and selling points of “It’s Too late to stop Now Vols II, III and IV” was that no performances on it are the same as on the original double album (now “Vol. 1”).

    From what I can gather from another music forum, this is a pork pie: it turns out that one of the two performances of “Into the Mystic” (i.e. from either Santa Monica or London) – I don’t know which – is the exact same one as on the original album.

    A slight disappointment.

    • SH forum by any chance? Where some people are more interested in looking at dynamic range readings than actually listening to the music? They make even the nerdiest AWer look positively normal.

      • As Carol From Luton always tells me, there’s people on there who seem more excited about the ‘shipping dates’ on products they’ve bought than the products themselves. If someone started a band called The Shipping Dates there’s a squad of guys on there whose heads would explode at the sheer excitement of it.

      • Yes, you’re correct, Mini. The SH forum.
        Some of the guys – at least I presume they’re men – on that forum are simply obsessed with dynamic range readings on different CD and LP editions. Immediately after David Bowie’s death in January, some chap popped up and asked about the dynamic range of the first vinyl pressing of Blackstar compared with the second….

        • The “shipping dates” thing is hilarious – it’s their equivalent of YouTube unboxing clips. And they’re much more interested in the sound a disc makes than the music it delivers. I think it was there I first learned about “artefacts” and “soundstages.” And their total adoration of Steve Hoffman (an industry joke who gets the gigs others aren’t interested in) is always heartwarming.

  52. The new Van is called ‘Keep me Singing’. He doesn’t spend a huge amount of time on his album titles these days does he? Expectations low to be honest but looking forward to the November tour dates, with two in Liverpool…

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