More of the Music of Van Morrison
- This original WB Green Label pressing is chock full of that vintage Tubey Magic we prize so highly here at Better Records, earning STUNNING Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or close to them on both sides
- “Wild Night” and the title track sound wonderfully rich and full-bodied, with the warmth and naturalness that distinguishes a merely good sounding LP from a truly outstanding Hot Stamper copy like the one we’re offering here
- 4 1/2 stars on AllMusic and featuring some of Stephen Barncard‘s best engineering – this is analog sound at its best
- “Tupelo Honey is in one sense but another example of the artist making increased use of the album as the unit of communication as opposed to merely the song or the cut. Everything on it is perfectly integrated.”
There are actually real dynamics on this recording, which really helps kick up the life force of the music. Just listen to the energetic build-up during “Wild Night” — that’s how it would happen in a live setting, and that’s the way we want to hear it at home as well.
If you’ve been stuck with the average copy of any of the classic albums Van put out in the ’70s you would have no way of knowing just how well-recorded some of them are.
Our favorite Morrison record for sound is still His Band And The Street Choir, but after finishing this shootout we now know that the best copies of Tupelo Honey are in that same league. The title track (just to take one example) can sound exceptionally sweet, delicate, and Tubey Magical. For that, you can thank Stephen Barncard. If you know his work, it’s easy to spot his sound.