RE: one of Van Morrison’s top five albums....
Do you mean Born To Sing...No Plan B (or You’re Driving Me Crazy with Joey Defrancesco). Assume Born To Sing.
What are your other four in the list, please?
Also, did you see the updated book/magazine Ultimate Van Morrison Music Guide from Uncut? $19.95 but nice.
Though that song appears on the albums you mention, the original version was on "Too Long in Exile", which is the version I linked to.
‘best’ may not have been the right word choice. How about “favorite”? Naturally, there are many great songs on his other albums, but these albums are consistently great, IMHO.
I will say this, after about 2000, he had a series of albums, (You Win Again, Pay the Devil, Magic Time) that I felt were not up to his past standards. They all had a few good songs, and many at a lower level. As a result, my list is all pre 2000 stuff.
My favorites:
Wavelength
Poetic Champions Compose
Too Long in Exile
Days Like This
Back on Top
Close: Irish Heartbeat (Not really a ‘Van Morrison’ album, but a collaboration with the Chieftans), The Healing Game and Avalon Sunset.
On a personal note: I first saw him perform in the early ’70’s, the first album with him that I bought, was when he was with ‘Them” , I have been to six of his concerts and have about 20 of his albums/CD/Discs.
Not trying too brag, but just added info as to my regard for him.