George Ivan Morrison (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. He plays a variety of instruments, including the guitar, harmonica, keyboards, drums, and saxophone. Featuring his characteristic growl ??? a unique mix of folk, blues, Irish, scat, and Celtic influences ??? Morrison is widely considered one of the most unusual and influential vocalists in the history of rock and roll.Critic Greil Marcus has gone so far as to say that "no white man sings like Van Morrison." Known as "Van the Man" by his fans, Morrison first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Northern Irish band Them, penning their seminal 1964 hit "Gloria". A few years later, Morrison left the band for a successful solo career, which commenced with Astral Weeks, an album consistently rated on both critics and listeners "best" lists. Morrison has pursued an idiosyncratic musical path. Much of his music is tightly structured around the conventions of American soul and R&B, such as the popular singles "Brown Eyed Girl", "Moondance", "Domino" and "Wild Night". An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, loosely connected, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz, and stream-of-consciousness narrative, such as his classic album Astral Weeks and lesser known works such as Veedon Fleece and Common One. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic Soul". Morrison's career, spanning some five decades, has influenced many popular musical artists. In 1993 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2000, Morrison ranked #25 on American cable music channel VH1's list of its 100 greatest artists of rock and roll, and in 2004,
1 | Gloria | The Best of Van Morrison |
2 | Sweet Thing | The Best of Van Morrison |
3 | Spanish Rose | Blowin' Your Mind! |
4 | New Biography | Back on Top |
5 | Beside You | Astral Weeks |
6 | Queen Of The Slipstream | The Best of Van Morrison |
7 | High Summer | Back on Top |
8 | Cyprus Avenue | Astral Weeks |
9 | Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile) | The Best of Van Morrison |
10 | Bright Side Of The Road | The Best of Van Morrison |
11 | Meet Me In The Indian Summer | Down The Road |
12 | Golden Autumn Day | Back on Top |
13 | Midnight Special (Alternate Take) | Blowin' Your Mind! |
14 | Brown Eyed Girl | Simply The Best 60's (Disc 1) |
15 | Down The Road | Down The Road |
16 | In The Midnight | Back on Top |
17 | Full Force Gale | The Best of Van Morrison |
18 | Here Comes The Night | The Best of Van Morrison |
19 | Midnight Special | Blowin' Your Mind! |
20 | Starting A New Life | Tupelo Honey |