Common One

Common One
Studio album by Van Morrison
Released	August, 1980 Reissued June 2008
Recorded	February 11 to February 19, 1980
Genre	Jazz R&B
Length	55:01
Label	UK Mercury USA Warner Bros.
Producer	Van Morrison
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Rolling stone (Not Rated) link Robert Christgau (B-) link
Van Morrison chronology
Into the Music (1979) Common One (1980) Beautiful Vision (1982)

Common One is the twelfth album by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1980 (see 1980 in music). It has been said to be one of his most ambitious and daring albums since Astral Weeks. The album was recorded over a nine day period in Super Bear Studios located in a monastery in the French Alps that was said to be haunted by the massacre of a number of members of a religious society in hiding there. (It burned down several weeks later.)^[1]

The title of the album comes from the 3/4 section of the song "Summertime in England", where Morrison sings the lyrics "Oh, my common one with the coat so old and the light in her head".

The June, 2008 re-issued and re-mastered version of the album contains an alternative take of "Haunts of Ancient Peace" and "When Heart is Open".^[2]

Songs

In contrast to many of his previous albums, Common One ventures more into the realms of free jazz than the usual Van Morrison R&B, with the sax playing of Pee Wee Ellis coming to the fore. The songs are also somewhat longer than on his previous albums. Morrison said that the original concept was even more esoteric and was heavily influenced by his reading of nature poets.^[3]

The opening track, "Haunts of Ancient Peace" was named from a (1902) book by Alfred Austin (Poet Laureate 1896-1912), and features the twin brothers of Morrison's voice against the answering saxophone of Pee Wee Ellis, with the trumpet of Mark Isham.^[4]

"Summertime in England" was the longest track and proved to be a successful live performance for some time to come. Morrison said it "was actually a part of a poem I was writing and the poem and the song sorta merged." The lyrics include images of Wordsworth and Coleridge smokin' up in Kendal (Brian Hinton says they are "smokin' with poetry not spliffs.")^[5]It ends with the music being brought down to nothing and the words, "Can you feel the silence?"

"Spirit" played with sudden tempo changes and the ending fifteen minute track, "When Heart is Open" was experimental in form with no discernible melody or tempo. (pre-empting the era of New Age music.)^[3]

Critical reception

The album was generally not well received upon release and some of the reviews were scathing and merciless. Clinton Heylin contends that Morrison was bruised by the reaction and "would not attempt anything quite so ambitious again." In 1982, Lester Bangs argued for a reassessment, saying, "Van was making holy music even though he thought he was, and us rock critics had made our usual mistake of paying too much attention to the lyrics."^[6]

Upon the album's reissue on CD in late 1988, the British music magazine Q gave it a five-star rating.

Track listing

All songs written by Van Morrison.

Side one

1. "Haunts of Ancient Peace" – 7:07
2. "Summertime in England" – 15:35
3. "Satisfied" 6.01

Side two

1. "Wild Honey" – 5:49
2. "Spirit" – 5:10
3. "When Heart is Open" – 15:05

Bonus tracks (2008 CD reissue)

1. "Haunts of Ancient Peace" - 7:44 (alternative take)
2. "When Heart is Open" - 7:43 (alternative take)

Personnel

Musicians

• Van Morrison - guitar, harmonica, vocals
• David Hayes - bass, backing vocals
• Mark Isham - trumpet, flugelhorn
• John Allair - organ, piano, electric piano, backing vocals
• Herbie Armstrong - guitar, backing vocals
• Pee Wee Ellis - tenor and alto saxophones, flute
• Mick Cox - guitar
• Pete Brewis - backing vocals
• Peter Van Hooke - drums

2008 reissue

• Toni Marcus - sitar, violin
• Mark Jordan - keyboards

Production

• Producer: Van Morrison with Henry Lewy
• Musical Director: Pee Wee Ellis
• Horn Arrangement: Pee Wee Ellis
• String and Choir Arrangement: Jeff Labes
• Engineers: Henry Lewy, Dave Burgess and Chris Martyn
• Photography: Rudy Legname

Charts

Album

Billboard (North America)

UK Album Chart

Notes

References

• Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press ISBN 1-55652-542-7
• Hinton, Brian (2000). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074169X
• Rogan, Johnny (2006). Van Morrison: No Surrender, London:Vintage Books ISBN 9780099431831