Van Morrison: Hard Nose The Highway (Waner Bros. Edition) CD Track Listing

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Van Morrison Hard Nose The Highway (Waner Bros. Edition) (1973)
Hard Nose The Highway (Waner Bros. Edition)\n\nOriginally Released August 1973\nWB CD Edition Released \nRemastered CD Edition Released June 3, 1997\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Although it marks a decline from the astonishing run of five great albums Van Morrison had made from 1968 through 1972, Hard Nose the Highway is still a respectable, if uneven, effort, notably containing "Snow in San Anselmo" (which features the Oakland Symphony Chamber Chorus) and "Warm Love." Nevertheless, it marks the end of Morrison's greatest period of creativity and accomplishment. - William Ruhlmann\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nPossibly his weakest album, March 14, 2005\nReviewer: M. McM "AOTT-TMF" (Los Angeles, CA)\nA bold but failed experiment, this was widely regarded as Van Morrison's worst album in the 1970's, and time hasn't been kinder to it. Released in 1973, it was the first album Van recorded at his very-own Caledonia Studios. He recorded a wealth of material there, enough that a double-Lp was even considered. HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY was the eventual release, and though it's one of his most ambitious works, much of the material fails to work. \n\nThere are plenty of interesting moments, with Van trying out new approaches. For example, the opening cut, "Snow In San Anselmo" has a striking if bizarre arrangement that weaves some jazz improvisation with the Oakland Symphony Chamber Chorus; it's interesting, but it's too cluttered and the two elements ultimately work against each other. Van's singing never falters, but most of the songs aren't very good. He's often a great interpreter, but his covers of "Bein' Green" and the traditional "Purple Heather" (aka "Wild Mountain Thyme") are pretty ordinary and aren't all that revealing (though to be fair, most listeners are only familiar with Kermit the Frog's rendition of "Bein' Green"). The title track is okay, but "The Great Deception" is just bitter and cranky. "Autumn Song," an impressionistic, low-key composition, is pretty in spots, but a bit boring; it drags after awhile. The same can be said about "Wild Children" (which is a touch more enjoyable on Van's live album, IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW.) \n\nThe best track is the single, "Warm Love." Though it's the least ambitious track on the album, it's actually charming and sweet, a nice, relaxed pop confection. Fortunately, you can get it on THE BEST OF VAN MORRISON (the Polydor/PolyGram CD). \n\nThis album could've been much better: 25 years later, Van released a number of outtakes on PHILOSOPHER'S STONE, a two-disc collection, and a number of them are surprisingly strong. However, as is, HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY is very disappointing. Unless you're a completist, I'd avoid it altogether, because "Warm Love" is available elsewhere and the outtakes on PHILOSOPHER'S STONE are far, far better.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nMellow Mellow And Bright!, October 7, 2004\nReviewer: allismile0 "allismile0" (Oakland, CA USA)\nThere is just something about this album. I'll agree with anyone that it's not in the same category as something like Moondance, Tupelo Honey, and St. Dominic's Preview; but neither is Astral Weeks and Vleeden Fleece. The first three albums (Moondance, etc.) can be considered pop albums for their time while the second two (Astral Weeks...) as well as Hard Nose The Highway can be seen as very personal statements about the artist's life and love of music. \n\nI think the reason why many fan's of Van Morrison don't go to this album as an artistic high point or their favorite is that it doesn't have the emotional extremes that Astral Weeks through Vleeden Fleece have. Instead he touches on the ordinary facets of life with a calm objectiveness that makes for the mellow mood throughout much of the record. The feel kind of reminds me of Frank Sinatra circa 1950's; something like "Song For Swinging Lovers!" \n\nLike Bill Evans (the jazz pianist) the music is very passionate yet not confrontational; instead it is inviting and mature, relaxing yet fun, while maintaining an interesting introspection that is consistent in most of Morrison's work. \n\nEvery song on this album is excellent. I always feel quite satisfied after listening to it. Every other album of Morrison's has a couple of songs on it that I either have to be in a certain mood or just don't think is as consistent in it's quality as the other songs. Hard Nose The Highway I have no such complaint; each song is unique yet melody and production-wise relates to each other quite well. I also think it's interesting that he did two covers on this album considering how many songs that he recorded around this time (many of them are on Philosopher's Stone). \n\nSnow In San Anselmo may be the strangest and most experimental song Morrsion ever did. A full choir and very jazzy interludes that follow a somewhat surreal observations. I am especially fond of Autumn Song, it just gently sways in it's on special way, but so does everything on this album.... \n\nOverall I think that it took a great deal of confidence for an artist to make an album so cool and mellow. This was 1973 after all. The music of the day was progressive/glam rock which was out to impress the listener with musicianship and bombast. You listen to this and it sets your mind at ease- it looks back on things with a simple fondness and enjoys the present without a worry of tomorrow. \nHighly Recommended.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nVan's American period was coming to an end by now, August 28, 2001\nReviewer: 25-year old wallflower "Eric N Andrews" (West Lafayette, IN)\nAfter the somewhat stilted SAINT DOMINIC'S PREVIEW (1972), Van Morrison could have been disappointed by it all. But seeing as how Van never considered himself a musical artist (always the modest one, like Bob Dylan) more like a person doing his job, he must have just brushed it off & got down to business on his next project. That would be his 1973 album HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY. This album was recorded while Van was still making his home in America, but HIGHWAY has a few more hints of Van's Irish upbringing, which would culminate in him moving back to Europe after this album. But the opening "Snow In San Anselmo" is firmly rooted in the States with its celebration of something the normally-warm state of California wouldn't have too much of. The music & lyrics are a thing of beauty just like California itself, so maybe Van traveled there during his time in America. "Warm Love" continues the shiny feel of the previous song, and while Van may have not been worried about commercial success anymore by now, this song very nearly became a hit single. It's only appropriate because it's a song that manages to be commercial without selling out to do so. The title track, "Wild Children" (which could be about Van's childhood) & "The Great Deception" are other great examples of great, if rather underrated lyricism. But what has to be this album's most baffling yet appropriate moment is Van's cover of "Bein' Green". Those who watched SESAME STREET as a kid will know that this song is Kermit The Frog's theme song almost. While Van Morrison doing a song like this would easily have people running for cover, he doesn't do too bad of a job actually. He turns the song into a statement of individuality & how it can have its side effects from people who want you to be something else you're not. A stroke of genius, I think. Near the end, HIGHWAY returns to the countryside (American, of course) sound of albums like TUPELO HONEY (1971) with the epic "Autumn Song" (a 10-minute epic like that of SAINT DOMINIC'S PREVIEW, but it works this time) & the closing traditional "Purple Heather". But those songs could easily be coming from someone who was a bit homesick for his native Ireland. Indeed, after this album, Van would move back to Europe & record the very Irish VEEDON FLEECE (1974). After that, Van would temporarily retire from music, claiming writer's block. So with HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY, Van may have been nearing the end of his most prolific period. But while Van Morrison has always been prolific in a sense, even he can hit a wall sometimes. In that respect, HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY, while it may be a good album if not spectacular, is a good marking point in Van's long career.\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Jackie DeShannon \nProducer: Van Morrison \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel include: Van Morrison (vocals, guitar); John Platania (guitar); Nathan Rubin, John Tenney, Teresa Adams (strings); Jules Broussard, Jack Schroer, William Atwood (horns); Jeff Labes (piano); Gary Mallaber (vibraphone, drums); Rick Schlosser (bass instrument, drums); David Hayes (bass instrument); Jackie DeShannon (background vocals).\n\nRecording information: Caledonia Studios, San Francisco, California.\n\nBy 1973, Van Morrison had shifted out of his easygoing, living-in-the-country phase, and was moving into the kind of artistic searching and willful obscurantism that would mark much of his career for the next decade or so. HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY is one of the most overlooked of Morrison's '70s albums, partly because it's difficult to categorize a record that moves from gentle, romantic R&B ("Warm Love") to sweeping social observations ("Wild Children") to a cover of a tune best known for being sung by Kermit the Frog ("Bein' Green"). The impressive thing is that--partly due to his enormous artistic gift and partly due to sheer indomitable force of will--Van pulls the whole gambit off beautifully. Nearly every track works on its own, and they all somehow hang together as a whole, creating one of the quirkier chapters in a career that would only grow more pleasingly unpredictable over the next several years.
This rock cd contains 8 tracks and runs 43min 12sec.
Freedb: 680a1e08
Buy: from Amazon.com

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