When I was younger I would try to convince others of the worth of a musician, artist, actor, poet, writer, etc by force of argument and debate. No more. Now I will recommend something and then stand back, getting out of your way if you want to pursue, but not badgering if you don’t. I really don’t remember when I discovered the music of Van Morrison. It probably happened with the heavy rotation of “Domino” and “Brown Eyed Girl,” which continues to this day on oldies radio stations. If you didn’t know anything else about the man you would suppose those were the only two songs he sang.
In the 1980’s I went to stay with a cousin in Omaha for the weekend and I was teased relentlessly for being a Van The Man fan. He was into obscure punk stuff, which was fine by me but you can only go so far with punk before it wears you out and you are begging for something with a melody that does not make you want to bang your head against a wall. And that’s when you put on some Van Morrison. His music ranges from contemplative to danceable, and incorporates Celtic, blues, jazz, folk and rock into an easily recognizable style. If you are not familiar with his music I recommend trying the album “Astral Weeks.” If after listening to that you are intrigued to hear more just jump in anywhere, from “Moondance” to “The Prophet Speaks,” and welcome to the club. If not, you can always try GG Allin.
Off The Back Porch 