When that rough God goes riding : listening to Van Morrison by Marcus, Greil - 2010

New York: Public Affairs (2010), 2010. First Edition. 'Van Morrison', says Greil Marcus, 'remains a singer who can be compared to no other in the history of modern popular music'. When ""Astral Weeks"" was released in 1968, it was largely ignored. When it was re-released as a live album in 2009 it reached the top of the Billboard charts, a first for any Van Morrison recording. The wild swings in the music, mirroring the swings in Morrison's success and in people's appreciation (or lack of it) of his music, make Van Morrison one of the most perplexing and mysterious figures in popular modern music, and a perfect subject for the wise and insightful scrutiny of Greil Marcus, one of America's most dedicated cultural critics. This book is Marcus' quest to understand Van Morrison's particular genius through the extraordinary and unclassifiable moments in his long career, beginning in 1965 and continuing in full force to this day. In these dislocations Marcus finds the singer on his own artistic quest precisely to reach some extreme musical threshold, the moments that are not enclosed by the will or the intention of the performer but which somehow emerge at the limits of the musician and his song. An exceptional copy; fine in an equally fine dw. Particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight, bright, clean and especially sharp-cornered. Literally as new.; 8vo 8"" - 9"" tall; 195 pages; Physical desc.: 195 p. ; 22 cm. Subjects: Morrison, Van (1945-) --Criticism and interpretation --Rock music --History and criticism --Composers and musicians --Rock and pop..