'The Essential Van Morrison' (Legacy Recordings) lovingly meanders from his early pre-punk 1960s days in Them ("Gloria") and his mystical hippie period ("Astral Weeks") to his "Moondance" break-out and "Tupelo Honey" stardom onward to such beloved albums as 'Veedon Fleece' (1974), 'Wave Length' (1978) and a host of exquisite '80s, '90s and '00s projects. It's the first such look-back and signals what promises to be one of the most important and culturally satisfying rollout projects yet.
