The Philosopher's Stone (Remastered) Van Morrison

• 1Really Don't Know03:37
• 2Ordinary People05:20
• 3Wonderful Remark (Philosopher's Stone Version)08:01
• 4Not Supposed to Break Down05:23
• 5Laughing in the Wind04:10
• 6Madame Joy04:23
• 7Contemplation Rose05:15
• 8Don't Worry About Tomorrow05:20
• 9Try for Sleep06:05
• 10Lover's Prayer03:57
• 11Drumshanbo Hustle04:48
• 12Twilight Zone08:23
• 13Foggy Mountain Top05:27
• 14Naked in the Jungle04:36
• 15There There Child02:59
• 16The Street Only Knew Your Name (Extended Version)06:25
• 17John Henry05:48
• 18Western Plain05:42
• 19Joyous Sound (Alternative Version)02:30
• 20I Have Finally Come to Realise05:10
• 21Flamingoes Fly06:28
• 22Stepping Out Queen, Pt. 204:26
• 23Bright Side of the Road04:02
• 24Street Theory04:53
• 25Real Real Gone03:45
• 26Showbusiness09:21
• 27For Mr. Thomas04:14
• 28Crazy Jane on God04:05
• 29Song of Being a Child04:09
• 30High Spirits04:20
• Total Runtime02:33:02

Info for The Philosopher's Stone (Remastered)

The Philosopher's Stone is a compilation album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison released in 1998.

The songs released on this thirty-track album were previously unreleased outtakes from 1969 to 1988. The album features twenty-five songs that had never been released and alternative renditions of "The Street Only Knew Your Name" (Inarticulate Speech of the Heart), "Wonderful Remark" (The Best of Van Morrison), "Real Real Gone" (Enlightenment), "Joyous Sound" (A Period of Transition), "Flamingos Fly" (A Period of Transition) and "Bright Side of the Road" (Into the Music).

"Van Morrison has always been a prolific artist, releasing nearly an album a year for 30 years. All the while, he had a stockpile of unreleased material in the vaults, much of which became legendary among collectors. A selection of this material was planned for inclusion in a box set, but when he realized the sheer amount of worthy material, he decided to separate the unreleased cuts and release them as the double-disc set The Philosopher's Stone. Certainly, the collection is for fans, but not just hardcore fans -- there are a number of great songs here, from "Madame Joy" and "Naked in the Jungle" to "Crazy Jane on God" and "The Street Only Knew Your Name." A full 25 of the 30 tracks on the album have never been released in any form, while the remaining five -- "Wonderful Remark," "Real Real Gone," "Flamingoes Fly," "The Street Only Knew Your Name," and "Bright Side of the Road" -- are present in alternate takes. In all, The Philosopher's Stone is a welcome addition to Van Morrison's official catalog -- some of these songs are so good, it would have been a shame if they had stayed locked in the vaults." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)

Van Morrison

Digitally remastered

Van Morrison
One of music’s true originals Van Morrison’s unique and inspirational musical legacy is rooted in postwar Belfast.

Born in 1945 Van heard his Shipyard worker father’s collection of blues, country and gospel early in life.

Feeding off musical greats such as Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Muddy Waters, Mahalia Jackson and Leadbelly he was a travelling musician at 13 and singing, playing guitar and sax, in several bands, before forming Them in 1964.

Making their name at Belfast’s Maritime Club Them soon established Van as a major force in the British R&B scene. Morrison’s matchless vocal and songwriting talents produced instant classics such as the much covered ‘Gloria’ and ‘Here Comes The Night’.

Those talents found full astonishing range in Van’s solo career.

After working with Them’s New York producer Bert Berns on beautiful Top 40 pop hit ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ (1967), Morrison moved to another realm.

Recorded over 3 days with legendary jazz musicians Astral Weeks (1968) is a still singular album combining street poetry, jazz improvisation, Celtic invocation and Afro Celtic Blues wailing.

Morrison would weave these and myriad other influences into the albums that followed in quick succession.

Reflecting on new life in America on the joyous Sinatra soul of Moondance (1970) and the country inflected Tupelo Honey (1971) he summoned old spiritual and ancestral life in the epic St Dominic’s Preview (1972) closer track Listen To The Lion.

Double live album Too Late To Stop Now (1973) highlighted Morrison’s superlative performing and bandleader skills. Mapping out a richly varied musical course throughout the 70s he shone among an all-star cast including Bob Dylan and Muddy Waters on The Band’s Last Waltz.

Indeed, borne of his Irish Showband instincts, the magic of the live performance has been a consistent feature of Morrison’s career.

Settling back into life in the UK in 1980 he released Common One an album centring on Summertime In England an extraordinary invocation of literary, sensual and spiritual pleasure the song would often become a thrilling improvised centrepiece to his live shows.

Steering his own course throughout the 80s on albums such as No Guru, No Method, No Teacher he claimed Celtic roots with The Chieftains on Irish Heartbeat. Teaming with Georgie Fame brought new impetus to his live show while Avalon Sunset saw him back in the album and single charts by the decades end.

Van Morrison continued to advance on his status as a game- changing artist through the 90s and into the 21st century.

Awards and accolades - a Brit, an OBE, an Ivor Novello, 6 Grammys, honourary doctorates from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster, entry into The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and the French Ordres Des Artes Et Des Lettres - attested to the international reach of Van’s musical art.

Yet there was never any suggestion that Morrison, one of the most prolific recording artists and hardest working live performers of his era, would ever rest on his laurels.

Collaborations with, among others, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles, Lonnie Donegan, Mose Allison and Tom Jones confirmed the breadth of his musical reach.

Morrison’s visionary songwriting and mastery of many genres continued to shine on albums celebrating and re-exploring his blues, jazz, skiffle and country roots.

The influence of the musical journey that began back in Post War Belfast stretches across the generations, and Morrison’s questing hunger insures that the journey itself continues.

Constantly reshaping his musical history in live performance, Morrison reclaimed Astral Weeks on 2009’s album Live At The Hollywood Bowl.

The subtitle of Van Morrison's latest album, Born to Sing: No Plan B, indicates the power that music still holds for this living legend. "No Plan B means this is not a rehearsal," says Morrison. "That’s the main thing—it’s not a hobby, it’s real, happening now, in real time."

With one of the most revered catalogues in music history and his unparalleled talents as composer, singer and performer Morrison’s past achievements loom large. But, as throughout his extraordinary career, how that past informs his future achievements and still stirs excitement and keen anticipation.

This album contains no booklet.