The later Van albums may be open to the criticism that they lack ambition and never break new ground, but it's some of the early ones, Tupelo Honey and this one, that I find myself picking off the shelf least frequently.
According to Wikipedia, "[b]y Morrison's own account, this was the first album that was completely produced under his complete control". Which reminds me of one of Johnny Rogan's conclusions when he reaches the end (page 498!) of his Van biography
, that Van should follow Bob Dylan's lead and get someone like Daniel Lanois or Jack Frost to add a "Technicolor depth and vision" to his compositions, instead of producing them himself. Rogan evidently wasn't clued in to Jack Frost's identity: he might as well suggest Van follow Neil Young's lead in getting Bernard Shakey to direct some films.
While Van may have controlled the recording, he didn't control the release. Apparently (based on the Heylin biography
) 30 songs were recorded, including covers of Bring it on Home to Me, Hey Good Lookin' and Goodnight Irene, plus many more originals including some that surfaced 25 years later on The Philosopher's Stone. But Warner turned down Van's proposal for a double album.
Never mind, Van took the band out on the road after these sessions, and recorded one of the greatest double albums ever.
MusicBrainz entry for this album
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