Best Van Morrison Songs - The Best of the Rest

The following songs did not fit neatly into the categories I designated for my Best Van Morrison Songs series. Because all three of these move me immensely, I wanted to include them somehow.

"Linden Arden Stole the Highlights"- Veedon Fleece (1974)

I suppose there's been much speculation about this Linden Arden, and I think there's no definitive answer. My guess is Van read a story in a newspaper - I think I've heard it was a character in a little known play? - and ran with the idea. This is a tale of tender man ("loved to go to church on Sunday," "and he loved the little children like they were his very own") on the run and struggling with his own demons ("whiskey ran like water in his veins," "he took the law into his own hands," "cleaved their heads off with a hatchet"). With the gentle upright bass and piano backing, there's a feeling of compassion similar to Astral Weeks' "Madame George" that makes this an essential track.

"Celtic New Year"- Magic Time (2005)

I realize I could have created another category of Van Morrison songs - Songs of Home - as the theme of home and belonging crops up often in his records. "Celtic New Year" is a great example. There are many lines in this one that I don't quite understand, and I hesitate to overanalyze; I find I'm better-served sticking to the feeling I get when I'm listening. Here I feel an intense longing, the kind you feel when you clearly belong in a particular place at particular time - like home for the holidays, to use a bad example. There are lines that support that feeling - "Won't you come back, I want you to be of good cheer, come back home in the Celtic New Year."

"Saint Dominic's Preview"- Saint Dominic's Preview (1972)

Now, diving into this third song, I realize the common thread among them - they're really kind of mysterious to me. What is Celtic New Year (forgive me, I didn't do the research) and what does it have to do with Louisiana and playing cards? Who was Linden Arden (I did do my research) anyway, and did he really decapitate a bunch of dudes? And what in the world is "Saint Dominic's Preview" (again, I did the research, and there's no conclusive answer). The latter in particular feels very Dylanesque, in the jumping of time frames and seemingly disconnected images - window cleaning in Paris, restaurant business meetings, recording sessions, Safeway supermarkets, and cocktail parties. What's it all about? No idea, to be honest. But it's not so important. What I hear is defiance, determination, and a communal effort towards... something. And it feels pretty damn good.

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You can read the other articles in my Best Van Morrison Songs: 30 Essentials series, available at my profile.