Customer Reviews
2007-09-14
Better Van. What's with the Blues Brothers Look....
'The Healing Game' by Van Morrison is the second of his albums I've reviewed, although I've been a Van Morrison fan since 'Moondance' came out on vinyl!!!! Thjis 1998 album is better than the 1978 album, and it reaffirms my notion that once the new Gershwin award (recently awarded to Paul Simon) is given to Bob Dylan, I expect Van Morrison to be near the front of the line, as a composer who has given us lots of good songs over many decades. One thing I notice about this album is the large number of 'quotes' I hear. For example, the song 'Waiting Game' sounds very much like Morrison's thinking 'How would I write a song like Kurt Weill's 'September Song'. But then, I'm a big Kurt Weill fan, so I might be imagining that one. But there are others. The production seems a bit tighter and cleaner than the 'Celtic Motown' of Wavelength. But I hear no trace of 'Blues Brothers' influence, in spite of the distinct Elroy Blues look on the cover pic. If you can get it cheap, this one is a keeper.
2007-03-06
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "SOMETIMES WE STAND UP AND GIVE A STANDING OVATION!"...
You start with a voice that is one of the most distinctive of all-time. It's hard to put a tag on the type of voice Van has. It can provide the silkiest, smooth, blues, to velvety light rock. This CD is a masterpiece! Van's backed by singers, that could go toe to toe with the Raylett's. Song #7 "It Once Was My Life", allows the listener, with a little imagination, to think his own life, was put to music. Song #8, "Sometimes We Cry", is poetry, and once again, with a little imagination you could imagine a hundred different screen plays, brought to the cinema, with this as its theme song. Song #10, "The Healing Game", is cut from the same silky, tapestry, of life. In addition to all of the above, a very important rating criteria to Shaq, "The King Of The World Blues Reviewer", is if the artist wrote any of the songs. EVERY SINGLE SONG ON THIS MARVELOUS CD WAS WRITTEN BY VAN MORRISON. This CD, is an artistic masterpiece. P.S. Van plays the "harp" also!
2006-12-15
Sonic clearity...absolute VANtastic!...
I have almost every Van Morrison CD....but this is the clearest recording of them all. Add to that pleasant surprise was of the 10 songs on this CD..all ten were fantastic and easy to listen to over and over....
A highly enjoyable listening experience....the best song in my opinion was "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"...
WOW! If you like "Van the Man"...this is a must have for your collection!
2006-02-05
Van In Cool Mode...
While it's not up there with his best work, The Healing Game is a very enjoyable Van Morrison album. It's a more cool Van here - -which is a very good thing indeed. "Fire In The Belly" and "Buring Ground" are standouts here, but all the songs are good. If you are a casual Van fan, then this is a good album to pick up to experience his unique brand of Celtic wonder.
2006-02-01
Spectacular...
This is my favorite Van Morrison CD. The first time I heard the title cut, on San Francisco's KFOG in 1997, my stomach was jumping. The second time, under the headphones at Virgin Records, I started to cry. I defy you to find a better song, by anyone. By turns breezy, joyful, heart wrenching and soulful, it completely overshadows the rest of this very fine album, until you take time to listen to it carefully. Rough God Goes Riding, Burning Ground, Fire in the Belly, Sometimes We Cry, The Healing Game. Great, great songs. Sing it out loud.
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