Van Morrison - At the Movies: Soundtrack Hits

Genre rock Publisher EMI Records External Links Official Van Morrison Website Official EMI Records Website

Van Morrison is one of the most under appreciated artists in music. Sure, critics have praised him ever since Astral Weeks came out in 1968 and continue to do so today. However, the casual music fan knows Morrison just as the man who sings "Brown Eyed Girl."

This is despite dozens of motion pictures featuring the singer's songs over the years. A new release, Van Morrison At The Movies attempts to correct this as it is loaded with 19 songs that have appeared in films. The reason for the release is to help listeners reacquaint themselves with Van's classic songs and maybe even to showcase some lesser known numbers.

That said, a release like this is perfect for Morrison. His best music is always emotional and even theatrical which is why so many movies feature his songs. There is a minor problem with At The Movies though. It is not that the tracks are inferior; they are not. Some of his more well-known cuts such as "Gloria" and "Have I Told You Lately" (and of course, "Brown Eyed Girl") are on the compilation.

The main quibble is the majority of the tracks have been featured on Morrison's past Best Of releases. And in a couple of cases, At The Movies features live tracks that are not as memorable as the original songs. The live version of "Moondance" is one such culprit.

Still, the release is perfect for a Van Morrison newcomer. Besides the normal selections, the CD also includes a few inspired, rare choices. "Comfortably Numb" from this year's Best Picture winner The Departed is a welcome addition to Van's canon and "Irish Heartbeat" is a beautiful number that features the Chieftains.

While everyone complains about songs left off of releases like this, replacing some of the standard love songs from romantic comedies with stunning tracks like "Tupelo Honey" (from 1997's Ulee's Gold) or "Philosopher's Stone" (from 2000's Wonder Boys
One can't complain too much because At The Movies wisely includes the live version of "Caravan" from The Last Waltz, arguably one of Morrison's best live performances ever. That track alone is worth the CD's cost.