Hymns to the Silence : Inside the Words and Music of Van Morrison

Hymns to the Silence is a thoroughly informed and enlightened study of the art of a pop music maverick that will delight fans the world over. In 1991, Van Morrison said, Music is spiritual, the music business isn’t. Peter Mills’ groundbreaking book investigates the oppositions and harmonies within the work of Van Morrison, proceeding from this identified starting point. Hymns to the Silence is a detailed investigative study of Morrison as singer, performer, lyricist, musician and writer with particular attention paid throughout to the contradictions and tensions that are central to any understanding of his work as a whole. The book takes several intriguing angles. It looks at Morrison as a writer, specifically as an Irish writer who has recorded musical settings of Yeats poems, collaborated with Seamus Heaney, Paul Durcan and Gerald Dawe, and who regularly drops quotes from James Joyce and Samuel Beckett into his live performances. It looks at him as a singer, at how he uses his voice as an interpretive instrument. And there are chapters on his use of mythology, on his stage performances, and on his continuing fascination with America and its musical forms. Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Author’s Note......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 1. Imagining America: Jazz, Blues, Country and the Mythologies of the West......Page 20 2. What Makes the Irish Heart Beat?: The Irishness of Van Morrison......Page 72 3. Get the Words on the Page: Van Morrison as Writer......Page 102 4. Caught One More Time: Themes and Thematics......Page 126 5. Listening to the Lion: Van Morrison as Singer and Musician......Page 160 6. On the Burning Ground: ‘Liveness’ and the Recording Studio......Page 222 7. Down the Road: Exile, Place and the Idea of Eternal Movement......Page 270 8. A Three-cornered Quartet: Van Morrison and the Art of Through-composition......Page 294 Postscript: Make It Real One More Time Again: Astral Weeks Live......Page 378 Appendix One: The 2006 Shows......Page 384 Appendix Two: Recording Studios......Page 390 Notes......Page 392 Bibliography......Page 420 Discography......Page 430 B......Page 440 C......Page 441 G......Page 442 I......Page 443 M......Page 444 P......Page 445 S......Page 446 W......Page 447 Z......Page 448 Neither biography nor chronological trawl, Hymns to the Silence is a detailed investigative study of Van Morrison's remarkable career. Peter Mills engages with his subject in a fresh and accessible style - often challenging the received wisdom. He looks at Morrison as a songwriter and specifically as an Irish writer, yet one who has worked primarily with American musical forms. Key themes and motifs are examined, as well as the ideas of place, home and exile and Morrison's periodic use of through-composition in major case studies of four of his best-regarded albums. Each section is full of det "Neither biography nor chronological trawl, Hymns to the Silence is a detailed investigative study of Van Morrison's remarkable career. Peter Mills engages with his subject in a fresh and accessible style - often challenging the received wisdom. He looks at Morrison as a songwriter and specifically as an Irish writer, yet one who has worked primarily with American musical forms. ... Key themes and motifs are examined, as well as the ideas of place, home and exile and Morrison's periodic use of through-composition in major case studies of four of his best-regarded albums."--Back cover Imagining America : jazz, blues, country and the mythologies of the west -- What makes the Irish heart beat? : the Irishness of Van Morrison -- Get the words on the page : Van Morrison as a writer -- Caught one more time : themes and thematics -- Listening to the lion : Van Morrison as singer and musician -- On the burning ground : "liveness" and the recording studio -- Down the road : exile, place and the idea of eternal movement -- A three-cornered quartet : Van Morrison and the art of through-composition -- Postscript. Make it real one more time : Astral weeks live Investigates the oppositions and harmonies within the work of Van Morrison. This book looks at Morrison as a writer, specifically as an Irish writer who has recorded musical settings of Yeats poems, and collaborated with Seamus Heaney, Paul Durcan and Gerald Dawe. A groundbreaking study of every aspect of Van Morrison's artistic career - his influences, lyrical themes, vocal performances, his relationship with America, and more. By Peter Mills. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Includes Discography.