The 1967 New York Sessions are comprised of the (much compiled) recordings
Van Morrison made for
Bang! after his split from
Them. Teaming with
Brill Building vet producer
Bert Berns,
Morrison's wild-eyed lyricism is often a tight fit with
Berns' straight-ahead commercial sound (see the silly but fun
"Chick-a-Boom" for an example). Still, a number of great songs can be found here, including the all-time great
"Brown Eyed Girl," "The Back Room," "He Ain't Give You None," and
"Ro Ro Rosey." Early versions of tracks from
Astral Weeks,
"T.B. Sheets" and
"Madame George," also appear. Despite
Van's objections to being a
pop artist, the conflict between the two styles makes for some very interesting and invigorating listening. These sessions aren't vital to the casual
Morrison fan, but anyone whose love of the man goes beyond the hits needs to add these to their collection. ~ Tim Sendra
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