Van Morrison – Under Review 1964-1974

Van Morrison – Under Review 1964-1974 / 2008 MVD / 112 Minutes / http://www.mvdb2b.com /

Van Morrison is a name that individuals will know even if their tastes of music in no way are comparable to the works that Van Morrison has created over the last forty-plus years. “Under Review” has went and covered Van Morrison’s earliest years, giving individuals a documentary that covers the period where Astral Weeks, Moondance, St. Dominic’s Preview, Tupelo Honey, Veedon Fleece and It’s Too Late To Stop Now were released. “Under Review” has went all out to ensure that anyone that was important in the field of Van Morrison studies, or were familiar with Van Morrison during this time period, were present.

This means that Jim Rothermel (The Calonia Soul Orchestra) and a number of biographers, authors, and journalists are tapped to weave together a tremendous narrative. Extras are present on this disc that give individuals even more information about Van Morrison’s early years. However, what may be the best of the best on this DVD are the number of recordings that are present. This means that there are live or studio versions of a number of famous Van Morrison songs, such as “Gloria”, “Jackie Wilson Said”, and “And It Stoned Me”.

The nearly two hour runtime of this documentary leaves no part of Van Morrison’s early musical lifestyle out of the equation. Obviously, Sexy Intellectual has a lot more work to do in regards of the rest of Van Morrison’s career. I could conceivably see at least two more documentaries that should be made, and if they are given the love and care that “1964-1974” was given, I have no doubt in my mind that it will fly off the shelves in a similar matter. Regardless of whether you like Van Morrison, one can gain an appreciation for the time period that is covered by this film. Each presenter give individuals that much more of an idea of the world which Van Morrison worked and lived, and through this, individuals that may not have been alive or cognizant during this period will begin to learn how different of a world 1970 was from today. Make sure to pick up a copy of this DVD; it would be the perfect gift for the individual that is a fan of Van Morrison’s work, no matter what period of eir career that they like.

Rating: 8.2/10