Van Morrison - Days Like This (1995)

In an era when most old rock stars are left to recycle their greatest hits for megatours and MTV Unplugged, it's refreshing to know that Van Morrison still pours on all the originality and wit he had when he made Moondance. On Days Like This, Morrison continues his lifelong exploration of the human psyche, offering up highly entertaining and danceable (yes, danceable!) tunes about everything from love to manic depression. As always, Morrison's vocals rumble along through intelligent lyrics, plowing up a range of emotions almost too numerous to catalog. Needless to say, the sweet, soulful harmonies of Morrison's adroit backup singers and Pee Wee Ellis's fabulous horn arrangements serve as fabulous counterpoints to Van the Man's energetic and pointed performances. When all is said and done Morrison sums it up best in "Songwriter," a self-effacing ditty about the job he has done, and still does, so very well.

Review by L.A. Smith

Strangely enough, it seems in my survey that most hard-core Van Morrison fans despise this release, just absolutely loathe it, and I can't quite figure out why. While not necessarily my favorite VM album of all time (Live at the Grand Opera House-Belfast, No Guru, No Method, No Teacher), this is one I keep coming back to on a regular basis, and usually listening all the way through, at least four or five times through.

The tone for this recording is set on the first track with the irresistible "Perfect Fit." If you don't find this song entertaining and infectious with its rhythm, horn arrangements, and simple yet compelling backbeat and bass line, then you're musically inaccessible and/or dead.

The album is a superb collection of songs exploring common emotions and situations with which we are all familiar, yet those not too often explored by the more mainstream artists, or let out into the open by us, the public. A great example is "Underlying Depression," exploring the blues we are all susceptible too, the blues which are caused by and obvious in everything around us, yet which communicates an unspoken hope. The same is true of "Melancholia." Then there is the subtle it's-me-against-the-world message of "Russian Roulette." The same is true on "Days Like This" with its "poor me" attitude couched in a naturally seductive melody.

Also on the CD are a two odes to Morrison's Christian mysticism, "No Religion" and "Ancient Highway." "Religion" laments the distractions of modern life and the inherent contradictions which challenge faith. "Highway" is a serene and finally intense emotional exploration of inequity, betrayal, falsity, and VM's stated requirement for a spiritual grounding in order to escape and ultimately triumph over the difficulties we experience each day. "Highway" is highly reminiscent of "Rave On" from the "Live at the Royal Opera House" release.

An interesting bit of VM trivia: both "Raincheck" and "No Religion" are banned in Malaysia. Both are considered to be subversive, and possibly even heretical in questioning the authority and the strength/presence of religion.

All in all, this is one of my favorite VM recordings, getting play at least four or five times a month. It is thematically and musically consistent and fluid throughout, an enjoyable musical experience, and a vigorous emotional, spiritual, and intellectual workout if you choose to take that challenge.

Review by Sir Charles Panther, Amazon

Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 3 from 29. August 2011

EAC extraction logfile from 4. July 2013, 2:33

Van Morrison / Days Like This

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Range status and errors

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Extraction speed 6.3 X
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Test CRC 591ECFA5
Copy CRC 591ECFA5
Copy OK

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foobar2000 1.2 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2015-12-23 18:56:41

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Van Morrison / Days Like This
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR10 -0.06 dB -11.42 dB 4:36 01-Perfect Fit
DR10 -0.06 dB -11.17 dB 4:00 02-Russian Roulette
DR9 -0.02 dB -10.78 dB 5:55 03-Raincheck
DR10 -0.24 dB -12.81 dB 4:36 04-You Don't Know Me
DR10 -0.26 dB -11.65 dB 5:18 05-No Religion
DR10 -0.16 dB -12.30 dB 4:38 06-Underlying Depression
DR10 -0.06 dB -11.81 dB 2:51 07-Songwriter
DR10 -0.05 dB -12.21 dB 3:17 08-Days Like This
DR10 -0.25 dB -12.10 dB 3:42 09-I'll Never Be Free
DR10 -0.05 dB -12.55 dB 3:59 10-Melancholia
DR9 0.00 dB -12.12 dB 8:55 11-Ancient Highway
DR11 -0.02 dB -13.36 dB 6:23 12-In the Afternoon
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Number of tracks: 12
Official DR value: DR10

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 888 kbps
Codec: FLAC
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