interpretation
Ken Brooks
In Search Of…
Van Morrison


publisher: Agenda published: 1999-04 ISBN: 1-899882-95-2
language: english format: paperback pages: 180
dimensions (w*h*d)[mm]: 145 * 203 * 11
Review by Warren Samuel:
I just finished reading Ken Brooks' In Search of Van Morrison - this guy has one hell of a chip on his shoulder.
He trashes VM time after time about his dislike of the music business and his reference to it in his songs, trashes VM about his lyrical ability, trashes Van about his reluctance to explain his songs (as though it is a right of the public to have Van explain his songs).
* Takes interviews years apart given by VM and finds inconsistencies in his statements.
* Trashes VM about his claim he "is only doing a job"
* Trashes VM about the fact he has no formal education past 14 whilst Mr Brooks has an engineering degree and designed some product that is probably obsolete now - big fucking deal.
This guy uses amateur psychology to explain Van's mentality - "Is he scared to open up in case we find he doesn't have a brain?" he asks. "Is it all an act [his interview performance] in order to create mysticism around himself and hence help out his promotion/spin doctors team?" Throws in the old bullshit (IMO) line about Van losing the plot in the 90s. This guy needs to get a life and find someone to write about whom he appreciates more.
[The author] makes the claim that [Van] will be remembered basically for Astral Weeks: "Van Morrison will be remembered for ever for Astral Weeks, he has lived a lifetime having everything he does compared to an album made in 1969."
He also claims that the reason Van doesn't stop performing is because he has nothing else to do other than window cleaning. Mr Brooks of course is an engineer so when he is not a so called journalist he has another trade to fall back on.

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