Search - Van Morrison :: Too Long in Exile

One Of Van's Best

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 02/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In some of my other reviews of Van Morrison recordings, Too Long In Exile has served as a point of comparison, but for some reason I never got around to reviewing the CD itself.
I bought this on cassette way back when it was issued but hadn't listened to it for years until I recently bought it on CD. When I shoved it in the CD player, it brought forth a flood of memories.
When originally released, the big selling point was a couple of duets Van did with his long time idol John Lee Hooker. I am going to go against the general positive commentary on the results of their collaboration. I think both songs they did together pollute and dilute the CD both musically and in spirit. Gloria was lame and commercial in the original and the insertion of Hooker into the remake made it worse. Wasted Years is in fact a waste of vinyl.
It is the strength of most of the other material which makes Too Long In Exile one of Van's best despite the aforementioned duets. Highlights are Big-Time Operators, his rant against those who tried to cheat him in the music business; a heartfelt version of the 50s classic Lonely Avenue; Van's surrender to love on Ball and Chain; an excellent bluesy rendition of Good Morning Little Schoolgirl; the jazzy vocal expression on Lonesome Road and Moody's Mood For Love; and the soulful I'll Take Care of You which segues with a dreamy instrumental interlude into the finale.
There are not enough superlatives in the lexicon to describe how good this CD is when you disregard the Morrison/Hooker duets. Too Long In Exile sets the bar high and indeed Morrison will not issue another CD of this quality for 10 years until the issue of Down the Road.
If you are an old fan of Van Morrison who has somehow missed this, don't miss it for another day. If you are new to Morrison's music and are reading this out of curiosity, why not start with this? Neither of you will be disappointed!"

Perfect "get you out of your present mood" music

JWFaull@hotmail.com | Renton, Washington, USA | 06/22/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got into this album during my post college depression and while dealing with breaking up with my girlfriend. It made me laugh (Van does some crazy stuff with his voice in "In the Forest" that made me laugh so hard i had to keep replaying it, cry (his duet with John Lee Hooker on "Wasted Years" will make anyone contemplate their life, and get inspired (if "Till We Get the Healing Done" doesn't make you want to make a change nothing will. Don't buy this album if you can't turn it up loud, you need to allow the soul to enter you body and get the healing started. Might as well buy "The Healing Game" also."

A recording which needs to be re-evaluated.

buitman@mediaone.net | Boston, MA | 12/10/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recently, I began listening to Van Morrison's Too Long in Exile after a long period of time away from Van the Man. The songs had new meaning and seemed to speak in a different way from what I remembered when the disc was first released. The timeless blues rifts seemed to have more meaning and the quality of the recording have made this release stand the test of time. Van's later works should be as fine as this one. The highlight of the CD is an excellent interp. of Lonely Ave., the Doc Pomus classic from the late 50's."