Van Morrison - 1978-11-01 - Bottom Line, New York, NY (FM)

Van Morrison 
1978-11-01
The Bottom Line
New York, NY
WNEW-FM Broadcast
320 kbps
Artwork Included

Early Show
01. Moondance
02. Wavelength
03. Into The Mystic
04. Checkin' It Out
05. Brown Eyed Girl
06. Kingdom Hall
07. Hungry For Your Love
08. Natalia
09. Tupelo Honey
10. Wild Night
11. Caravan

Late Show
01. Moondance
02. Wavelength
03. Into The Mystic
04. Checkin' It Out
05. Hungry For Your Love
06. Brown Eyed Girl
07. Crazy Love
08. Kingdom Hall
09. Tupelo Honey
10. Natalia
11. Help Me
12. Wild Night
13. Joyous Sound
14. Caravan
15. Cyprus Avenue

Van Morrison - 1978-11-01 - Bottom Line, New York, NY (FM)

I've seen Van Morrison 7 times, across 3 decades - the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s - and each time has been unique. Van changes up the set list from tour to tour, and you never know what mood he'll be in for a concert. For example, his September 1990 show at the Garden State Art's Center was a contemplative, introspective performance. In contrast, his April 1992 concert at the Paramount in New York was an upbeat religious celebration. Then again, his 1989 show at The Beacon Theatre was a bluesy affair, with a guest appearance by John Lee Hooker. With Van, you never quite know what you'll be seeing or hearing, which is part of the fun. In any event, my wife and I are hoping that one day will get to see him play Some One Like You, as that's our wedding song.

Today's post goes back to well before I ever saw Van Morrison live, to his fabled comeback tour in 1978.  After releasing 6 albums between 1970 to 1974, Van took 3 years off, not releasing another album until 1977’s aptly named “A Period Of Transition”, a collaboration with Doctor John. Van’s real return; however, came in the spring of 1978, when he released Wavelength, which at the time became the fastest selling album of his career. Most critics also praised the disc, with Time magazine, for example, stating that “Wavelength is good enough to stand close by Morrison's best work, a record of sinuous, sensuous magic. The man just can't be beat.” Perhaps energized by his new album, Van took to the road in the fall of 1978, playing a host of shows at small intimate theaters, such as his November 1 shows at The Bottom Line in New York, 41 years ago today. This FM broadcast captures the both the early and late show in their entirety, with Van in complete control of an enraptured audience.  Download these 2 shows, then stop back on November 4 for another one from this tour from +Van The Man.  By the way, I've included multiple sources for both the early and late shows in the download folder.