Van Morrison : And It Stoned Me (Everyday Mysticsm)

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Van Morrison is a Dweller on The Threshold.

An Everyday Mystic.

So am I  – and so are you.

Except he holds theses titles in Capital Letters while ours are lower case.

That’s because through his enormous gifts as a songwriter, singer and performer he has been able to make present experiences we have all had but are generally unable to express.

Experiences we so often let pass by.

Pass by.

Experiences he makes present in all their Revelation.

In all their Revelation.

And, it’s everpresent everywhere.

Everpresent everywhere.

The alchemy of his genius is through incandescent song to evoke, make present, states of being that are, at least in this world, necessarily fleeting.

A song like, ‘And it Stoned Me’ is a miraculous transmission from beyond the threshold (one of several such works of wonder on the Moondance Album).

An everyday event – a Boyhood fishing trip in the country blessed by Rain and Sun – gives us glimpses of Eternity.

Glimpses that once seen can neve be unseen.

Oh the Water. Oh the Water. Oh the Water.

Rest and Grace.

Coming to you like a mountain stream.

Oh, Oh, and it will Stone you right to your very Soul.

And, out of the corner of  your inner eye you can see the steps of time dissolve.

And, see yourself and the world in a new light.

Hey! There You Are!

There You Are.

Just like going Home.

Going Home.

 

 

Van’s vocal here flows with the authority of a great River making its peaceful way to The Sea.

On Guitar John Platania, as always, plays with elegant passion.

Jeff Labes, on Piano, makes us feel the flow and dappled delight of that River.

The Horns of Jack Schröer and Colin Tilton bring us the warmth of the Sun.

John Klingberg and Gary Mallaber On Bass and Drums provide the motive current sweeping us along.

Together with their leader they bring us balm and blessing as they stone us to our very Souls.

Dive right In.

Right In.

Dont let it pass you by.

71 thoughts on “Van Morrison : And It Stoned Me (Everyday Mysticsm)”

  1. Going home. Reminded me of the Beatles line “Once there was a way to get back home again.” That was so thought provoking for me on many levels. Home meant the innocent us, the untarnished and uncontaminated us. Once being experienced as in Hendrix’s question “are you experienced ?” seemed to indicate there was no going home, no return to sanity, no freedom from addiction, no return to hope. Music of last several decades has no comparative depth.

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  3. It’s a superb song Thom, from a superb album. Personally I think his finest work was those first seven studio albums from “Astral Weeks” (1968) through to “Veedon Fleece” (1974), together with “Into The Music” (1979), and the magnificent (especially now it’s been expanded,) live set from 1973, “It’s Too Late To Stop Now” and I was lucky enough to have been present at the first of those two remarkable summer nights at London’s Rainbow Theatre 45 years ago.

    Since then ,(in my opinion) there’s been the occasional great song from some very good, but not great records. The three “spiritual” albums from the early 80s, “Common One”, “Beautiful Vision” and “Inarticulate” all had some fine moments, (including of course, “Dweller On The Threshold”, and there’s since been other highlight, “Days Before Rock N’ Roll” from “Enlightenment” warrants a special mention, as do the wonderful duets from the 90s he cut with John lee Hooker. “I Cover The Waterfront” from Hooker’s “Mr. Lucky” or “Wasted Years” from Van’s “Too Long In Exile” are particularly recommended.

    However, very much like those other heroes of mine, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, (again, purely in my opinion) none of these artists has made a really good record for over 30 years,( in Van’s case, almost 40). Neil with “Freedom” from 1989, and that was after a few dodgy efforts), and surely Join’s last great album would have to be “Hejira”, (1986). For me, the only one of these guys who consistently puts out great records would have to be Bob Dylan, from whom we also have those magnificent “Bootleg Series” sets as well.

    Just like to mention whilst writing this, I heard late last night of the death of Tony Joe White at the age of 75, shocking news. There’s another artist who continued to make fine records for most of his career, “Bad Mouthin’” from just a few months back, being the last in a long line of outstanding releases.

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