With a back catalogue of more than 30 albums due for the deluxe reissue treatment over the next couple of years, this comprehensive collection is the perfect sampler to remind us which tracks came from where. Much more satisfying than previous “greatest hits” offerings (Van has had only one Top 20 charter under his own name, and that was in the company of Cliff Richard), it’s a dizzying non-linear ride through some of his most uplifting work.
The standard double-disc version ticks all the obvious boxes, but for every radio-friendly Brown Eyed Girl or Bright Side Of The Road there’s equal space for songs that have arguably been overlooked since their first appearance, like the monumental Tore Down A La Rimbaud from 1984’s A Sense Of Wonder or the orchestral grandeur of Little Village from 2003’s What’s Wrong With This Picture?.
A limited edition three-disc set delves even deeper into Morrison’s esoteric spiritual psyche on the spoken word oddity Coney Island, or the full 11-minute rendition of Listen To The Lion from 1972’s Saint Dominic’s Preview, and boosts the initial set to a staggering 51 tracks of passionate and poetic blue-eyed soul.
