The Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 2

When it comes to best-ofs with an artist like Van Morrison, it's hard to stop at one, so thankfully Polydor didn't. His big radio hits and pop-rock-oriented "accesible" material were featured on the first volume, so here we get to venture a little further into the mystic with the Celtic blues prophet. What comes across on this collection, which centers on the second half of Morrison's career, is his staunch individualism.

As evidenced by spiritually-flavored cuts like "In the Garden," "The Mystery" and "Hymns to the Silence," when a particular philosphical/musical notion strikes Morrison he follows it to the end, heedless of the way he bends traditional song structures. It's this devotion to the muse that makes Morrison such a vital artist. Morrison couldn't abandon melodicism if his life depended on it, though, so there are also overwhelmingly infectious tunes like "When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God," the simple, moving "One Irish Rover" and the rocking "Real Real Gone."