If you're new to Van, start with his GREATEST HITS, VOL.1. If you're an established Van fan & looking for a live album that's nothing but Van, go with IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. But if you're looking for a live album that's a collaborative effort with great guest artists & plenty of soloing by the band, this is the one. I was initially hesitant because I don't care for medleys or extended jams. I expected it to sound fragmented & disjointed, but the whole show flows naturally. Van does indeed prove himself to be a generous artist, allowing others plenty of time in the spotlight, & the show is all the more entertaining for it. The guest artists enhance the performance, rather than getting in the way. Brian Kennedy & Van's own daughter, Shana, are both amazing vocalists. Candy Dulfer is great on sax, as is Georgie Fame on organ. Van, himself, even seems to be enjoying the show, in contrast to his more straight-to-the-point approach on IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. The back of the CD pretty much sums it up; ballads, blues, soul, funk & jazz (and I would add gospel). If you like these varied styles of music and a performer who's great at every one of them, don't hesitate to get this one.

I'm a huge Van Morrison fan and this is absolutely my favorite album! From the big hit albums like Moondance, to the more hardcore fan albums like The Philosopher's Stone and Back on Top, they all contain some amazing music. However, this live album is really Van at his most amazing.

Listen to the nearly 10 minute long "In the Garden/You Send Me/Allegheny" or the 9 minute long "Moondance/My Funny Valentine" and you'll see why he is such a master. The music is perfect for sitting outside on a warm summer evening. You'll feel like you are in that auditorium with him and it is like some kind of musical trance. I also love this version of "Beautiful Vision" and the upbeat "Did Ye Get Healed?". But I think it is the multiple encores that really cap this off as my favorite Van Morrison CD and one of my "Top 10 Desert Island CDs"!

If you love the "feel" of live music, you'll love this album. If you love Van Morrison, you'll love this album. But if you are new to Van Morrison, you may want to check out The Best of Van Morrison first. That too is a fantastic album and probably the best "summary" of his style and his hits. Then once you are hooked, grab this album for some great performances of some of the big hits, plus some more obscure songs.

I'm a huge music fan and Van Morrison is one of my top five artists of all time. I own almost 50 Van Morrison cds and over 1000 cds in all; and I think that a Night In San Francisco may be one of my three top 3 if not my top 1 cd of all time. Van soars in this release. His great voice was never better. He displays his extrodinary versatility with a pallet of blues, rock, soul, jazz and several more genres. His performances of both blues standards of Lonley Avenue and I'll Take care of You, in particular blew me away. His live performance of Vanlose Stairway dwarfs the studio version. I particularly like the the riffs that pay homage to such artists as James Brown, Sly Stone, and the incomparable Sam Cooke, among others. The musicians are phenominal as well. This cd is also graced with guest performances by such artists as John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Junior Wells, James "Blueboy" Hunter, Georgie Fame, Brian Kennedy and Shana Morrison. In addition Candy Dufler blows the hell out of the sax. I purchased this cd the day it came out in 1994, I still listen to it all the time. Its as fresh to me today as the day I bought it. If you are a Van Morrison fan you will love this cd. If you are'nt and you listen to this cd you will become one.

This is not a cd for the casual music listener.
Van Morrison "live" is about a journey. He wants to take you up and then bring you back down, often times using meditative music and vocals to accomplish it.
ANISF brings it all together to showcase all of Van's talents, as well as the talents of musicians he has been inspired by. Junior Wells, John Lee Hooker, Jimmie Witherspoon, Brian Kennedy, Georgie Fame, and even his daugher Shana are all featured on this cd and are given ample time to showcase their talents. Candy Dulpher is the perfect compliment to Van on sax and has some blistering solos as well.
ANISF will likely not jump out at you as a great listen the first time around. There is so much going on on stage with so many musicians and singers it can be a little intimidating or confusing at first. But after a few listens you can feel where the music is going and where Van wants to take you. Ultimately, the cd builds to "I'll take care of you/It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" on disc 2, which clocks in at a spellbinding 16 minutes. By the time the cd closes with "Shakin all over/Gloria" you've come full circle and can't wait to see the man live.
So if it's only Van you are seeking, pull out Moondance or Astral Weeks. But if you are ready to take a journey through soul, blues, jazz, and much more put on ANISF. You will not be disappointed.

Our greatest artists have always shown themselves to be explosive creators at one time, and egotistical polywogs at other times.
I have seen many many concerts, and there is not much that I have missed. When an artist is in a groove, and the right people are around them, the result is memorable. The central artist does not need to out perform the entire group, but works to blend in with them, letting everyone show their own creativity.
Comparing music to a painting, one color should not control the canvas, but be integral in the presentation of the image. Van does not need to control the performance, and in his restraint, allows for a more balanced and professional show. Such is the strength of this album; Balance between a number of singularly great musicians creating a tremendously great musical product, laced with spontaneity and emotion.
With that in mind, you can look at a number of compositions which truly shine in this album. The first disc is highlighted with the Stormy Monday, and Good Morning Little School Girl medleys with stand out performances by Junior Wells and Jimmie Witherspoon.The second disc in this album is tremendous, with an outstanding medley in Lonely Avenue highlighted again by Jimmie Witherspoon.
A friend of mine who leads a blues group on harmonica calls this album one of the best he has ever heard. Its strength is as I have spoken of earlier; spontaneity and emotion.
If you live for the blues, or want to learn to, dont let this album pass you by.