Interestingly the cover contains words from the excellent marketing department which I presume they thought would help sell this record. Different times, different approach. Well anyone of the time who was aware of the brilliance of a young Van Morrison knew that the gritty, slightly angry sounding blues music within, did not need any help from a sharp suited marketing exec in Soho. None more so than the amazingly earthy ‘I put a spell on you’ with a small but perfectly formed brass interlude.
There are some punishing tracks on here and with 16 of them all told, you certainly get a wide ranging insight into where the band could go in those early days. I suspect it worked both ways live. The band would relish a dark, packed underground club atmosphere and in turn the heat and energy from the crowd would drive the band to reach into every corner. Many of the songs lend themselves to being extended and I suspect the nights were memorable and electric.
There are some great tracks on here, witness ‘It’s all over you, baby blue’ on Side 2 and whilst a Dylan song, Morrison takes it to another level. If you like Van’s earlier solo stuff, this is an absolute must. There was no one who could really take words the way he did and wrap and blend them around the music in such great form.
