GB ::: ivan ::: Can You Feel The Silence?

Review from Q magazine (December 2002): (summarized by Tia Cox)
Reviewer Toby Manning gives the book three stars out of five, which means "Good. Not for everyone, but fine within its field."
The review starts with "Creator of one of rock's most rapturous records, 1969's Astral Weeks, Van Morrison is also one of its most celebrated grumps. This fact seems to have come as a surprise to the author of this sixth biography of the Belfast-born singer-songwriter, '70s star, cult '80s artiste and--bizarrely---Cliff Richard's singing pal on the God-loving hit Whenever God Shines His Light." Manning says that "Heylin's tone throughout is of almost personal pique. Which is a surprising approach from the author of a highly regarded Bob Dylan biography and a fine book on US punk. Heylin dubs Morrison 'a celebrity largely in his own mind,' 'the arch revisionist', and damns 1973's Hard Nose The Highway less for its musical content than its failure to address the break-up of Morrison's marriage."
The reviewer then describes Van's being an intensely private man and tries to guess what brought on Heylin's antipathy. "Most likely Heylin's grievance results from pressure Morrison's camp brought to bear" and refers to the accusing lawyer's letter sent to Heylin. "Heylin should, and could, have risen above it," the review comments. "After all, the 'defamation' amounts to little more than confirming Morrison's rudeness" and then it gives a few examples. "Even so, Morrison's infamous impatience has a certain cussed charm---at a distance, at least."
Manning then summarises Morrison's "first-take-or-bust approach to recording" in his prolific production of albums, his approach to mixing (leaving it to the drummer after the 70s) and his religious quests in the 80s, when he went through "cults like socks."
The review ends with "It's a fascinating story, Heylin unearthing a wealth of satisfying detail. Yet the reader would better be left to interpret the facts for themselves without so much authorial nudging and judging."
Whether you agree with him or not, I think Manning has written an interesting review, with certainly an eye catching photo that will draw in the casual reader.

Comment from Alan Lloyd
Despite [some reservations], this is probably the best biography since Ritchie Yorke's. Did I learn much? Perhaps a little about his recording methods. Not much more that I didn't know. I think by now I've read enough biographies of the man, unless he writes his own.

biography
Clinton Heylin
Can You Feel The Silence?
Van Morrison: A New Biography

publisher: Penguin	published: 2002	ISBN: 0-670-89321-8
language: english	format: hardcover	pages: 560
*dimensions (whd)[mm]: 167 241 * 50**