Van Morrison – The Best Of Van Morrison, Volume 3

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

When the news trickled in that Van Morrison was releasing a new recording a few months ago, the hearts of many die-hard Van fans skipped a few beats. That excitement quickly turned to disappointment, however, when it was learned the "new" release was yet another compilation of the singer's work.

Making matters more frustrating for many was this new best-of came only five months after a CD showcasing a bunch of Van Morrison hits that were featured in movies was released. Thus, the cries of "Enough already" were heard on various message boards dedicated to Van the Man.

So, why did The Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 3 get released and is it worthwhile?

As for the why, a look at the track listing answers that. The songs here are all stuff released after 1993 which was when the second volume of Van's greatest hits collections was released. That is great for those not familiar with what Morrison has been doing for the past 14 years. For those more hard-core fans, the set includes some hard-to-find selections that previously have been heard on tribute albums or other people's albums.

More importantly though, is this two-CD set worthwhile? Well, yes and no. There is no doubt about it; there are some real gems here. The live tracks "Help Me" and "Lonely Avenue" showcase Van's funky, blues side perfectly, "Little Village" is classic 70s era acoustic soul, and "The Healing Game" is uplifting gospel-inspired R&B.

The biggest surprises, however, are hearing some long neglected album tracks like the sublime "Ancient Highway" and the romantic "When The Leaves Come Falling Down" along with such rarely heard cuts as the Celtic-inspired "Shenandoah" and the bluesy "Blue and Green."

Despite that, the entire set does not live up to its title. Some of the tracks included here are among the singer's less inspired numbers, in particular the majority of the stuff that ends the first disc. The song selection might be a conscious effort though as the compilation is possibly meant to show that Morrison finds his muse today in covering songs and playing with other celebrated musicians. (Nearly half of the tracks here feature major guest contributions from others.)

Still, shouldn't a best-of CD be just that? Where's "The Philosopher's Stone," "Celtic New Year," and "The Beauty of Days Gone By?" Well, those great cuts will probably come out on Van's next compilation which, at this rate, will be out . . . next week.