Veedon Fleece
Songs written on a three-week trip to Ireland, poorly received at release and reassessed in later years.
Van Morrison, 1974
- Released
- October 1974
- Recorded
- November 1973 and spring 1974
- Studio
- Caledonia Studios, California; Mercury Studios, New York
- Label
- Warner Bros. Records
- Producer
- Van Morrison
- Length
- 47:36
After the 1973 tour with the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, Morrison took a holiday in Ireland, arriving on 20 October 1973. He visited the south of the island and not Northern Ireland, which was in the Troubles. In under three weeks he wrote most of the songs. He recorded them in California and New York, and Jef Labes arranged the strings and woodwinds. Bulbs and Cul de Sac were recut in New York with other musicians and released as the album's single.
It sold poorly and was received unfavourably by critics at Rolling Stone and Melody Maker, and it was followed by a three-year gap in his recording. It reached number 53 in the US and 41 in the UK. Later writers revalued it: Rob Sheffield of The Rolling Stone Album Guide called it the culmination of everything Morrison was doing to that point, and Sinead O'Connor named it a record she always comes back to. Morrison said he had no clue what the title means, and that Veedon Fleece is a person's name.
Track listing
- Fair Play6:12
- Linden Arden Stole the Highlights2:36
- Who Was That Masked Man2:42
- Streets of Arklow4:32
- You Don't Pull No Punches, but You Don't Push the River8:48
- Bulbs4:15
- Cul de Sac5:42
- Comfort You4:21
- Come Here My Love2:18
- Country Fair5:35
Personnel
- Van Morrison vocals, guitar, producer
- James Trumbo piano
- Jef Labes piano on Bulbs and Cul de Sac, string and woodwind arrangements
- Ralph Walsh guitar
- John Tropea guitar on Bulbs and Cul de Sac
- David Hayes bass
- Joe Macho bass on Bulbs and Cul de Sac
- Dahaud Shaar (David Shaw) drums
- Allan Schwartzberg drums on Bulbs and Cul de Sac
- Nathan Rubin violin
- Terry Adams cello
- James Rothermel flute, recorder
- Jack Schroer soprano saxophone
- Tom Collins cover photograph
More from Van Morrison
Blowin' Your Mind! (1967), Astral Weeks (1968), Moondance (1970), Saint Dominic's Preview (1972), It's Too Late to Stop Now (1974)
Sources
- Veedon Fleece, Wikipedia
- It's Too Late to Stop Now, Wikipedia