Fair Play/Linden Arden Stole The Highlights/Who Was That Masked Man/Streets Of Arklow/You Don't Pull No Punches/Bulbs/Cul-De-Sac/Comfort You/Come Here My Love/Country Fair
Veedon Fleece has been described as bringing singer songwriter Van Morrison’s love of Irish and country music to the fore. Alas, the result is a lot of unmemorable tunes which might account for the relatively low chart placing. (US:53 UK:41)
“Van’s music is all about feeling, and this release touches some indefinable essence of gentle reflective beauty. His singing is also a very big part of his music and here he’s the nicest I’ve ever heard him, with lots of lovely falsetto. The overall effect is just a daydreaming afternoon.”
“An extremely intimate song-cycle, Veedon Fleece is similar in depth and mood as Astral Weeks, but it is no mere imitation. Where as the latter is a unclassifiable melding of folk, jazz and blues, Veedon Fleece brings Van's love of Irish music and country music to the fore. Instead of jazz-infused improvised magic, Veedon is a deliberate, thoughtful and unheralded masterpiece that casts a powerful spell.”
“Effortlessly cathartic and verbose, Veedon Fleece, sounds like the wiser, road-weary cousin of Astral Weeks. Van's stream of consciousness style speaks descriptively through characters, most notably Linden Arlen, a man misunderstood and consumed by his own nature. The beautiful companion piece, Who Was That Masked Man, is helplessly love-struck and yearning for the divine in hopes of reaching one's higher nature.”
“Beautifully delicate, but to be painfully honest I found it to be incredibly boring. I expected so much more, and I can't sit here pretending that I'm enjoying this drab release. The main problem is that Veedon Fleece has nothing memorable. Van Morrison's voice, which I've never had a problem with, is becoming increasingly annoying. The album is devoid of any good melodies and seems uninspired.”
“Veedon Fleece finds Van Morrison vocally returning to the stream of consciousness approach that was so distinctive on Astral Weeks, but this time set against a solid folk rock musical backdrop, often resorting to something as simple as a bare piano track to provide backing for his vocal performance. The change in tone is stark.”
“It's got strains of R & B, jazz, and even country running through it, and was a logical, if unexpected progression of Van's music at the time.”
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