Van Morrison's Mystic Music

The ecstatic song man out of East Belfast, Van Morrison, styled himself on Ray Charles and Mose Allison. Hit the Top 40 with “Gloria” and “Here Comes the Night."

He pulls from the poetry of William Blake and from places in “the mystic,” where fans love to be taken.

Now, cultural critic Greil Marcus takes on Morrison as his subject.

This Hour, On Point: the life and ecstatic music of Van Morrison.Guest:

Greil Marcus, cultural critic and author of the new book "When That Rough God Goes Riding: Listening to Van Morrison." You can read an excerpt. His other books include "A New Literary History of America."

Here's a video of Van Morrison performing with his early band "Them," on a French television show in 1965. It's a medley of "Mystic Eyes" and "Gloria" that our critic today, Greil Marcus, says is an important recording in Morrison's early career:Them - Mystic eyes et gloria
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