VAN MORRISON – AUSTIN 1974 SOUNDBOARD MASTER (2 CD-R)

Description

Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX, USA 12th January 1974 SBD
★First-ever appearance of this soundboard!!

　JEMS has suddenly unearthed a soundboard recording of Van Morrison at his peak in 1974! The recording was made in Austin in January. A black and white video of him at Winterland a month later, filmed with a fixed camera, is famous from this period and was actually released as “WINTERLAND 1974”.

　However, this time the sound quality is excellent thanks to the full PA output soundboard recording. The only regrettable thing is that towards the end of the live performance, during “Cyprus Avenue,” the engineer accidentally lowered the recording level, causing the sound to cut out for a brief moment.

　The quality is so high that, if it weren’t for these recording-related problems, it would have easily been possible to release it on pressed CD.

　The year before he released the legendary live album “The Journey of the Soul,” Morrison’s activities were mainly centered around the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, but 1974 saw him embark on a very diverse range of live performances.

　However, as of January, the stage performance was essentially the same as the previous year’s lineup but without the strings, and Morrison himself introduced the backing band as the Caledonia Soul Orchestra.

　At least at this point, this soundboard recording clearly proves that he was leading a large band, though perhaps not as large as the previous year.

　However, typical of Morrison, the sound and repertoire are completely different from the previous year, and the show opens with a thrilling falsetto from Morrison with the previously unreleased new song “4 O’Clock In The Morning (Try For Sleep).”

　This alone confirms that this is a different live performance from the previous year, but the first half of the show alone is a veritable explosion of 1974 vibes, including a cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Don’t Look Back,” a song he’s been singing since his Them days.

　Of course, he also performs his own classics one after another, but even the absolutely essential “Into The Mystic” is played in a slower tempo, R&B ballad-like arrangement. As you can see from this, the stage has an even stronger R&B influence than the previous year, which is a major attraction.

　Even with “Cyprus Avenue,” which had the aforementioned recording problem, the familiar “It’s Too Late to Stop Now” and Morrison’s screaming ending are clearly recorded.

　Interestingly, just when we thought the show was over, Morrison seemed to be in a good mood, and after an announcement that “there will be an encore today,” he performed another killer song, “Gloria.” He then closed the show with a country cover of “The Wild Side of Life.”

　This amazing new soundboard recording captures what turned out to be the final performance of the Caledonia Soul Orchestra in superb sound quality. It’s a soulful performance, completely different from their 1974 Montreux summer show, and truly moving!

Disc:1 (55:44)
1. 4 O’Clock In The Morning (Try For Sleep)
2. Come Running
3. Moondance
4. Don’t Look Back
5. Ain’t Nothin’ You Can Do
6. Into The Mystic
7. I Just Want To Make Love To You
8. Warm Love
9. Listen To The Lion
10. I’ve Been Working
11. Domino

Disc:2 (31:48)
1. Caravan
2. Cyprus Avenue
3. Gloria
4. The Wild Side Of Life

Van Morrison – vocal
Dahaud Shaar – drums
James Trumbo – keyboards
Ralph Wash – guitar
David Hayes – bass

SOUNDBOARD RECORDING