The Philosopher's Stone (1998)

About this title: Van Morrison has always been a prolific artist, releasing nearly an album a year for 30 years. All the while, he had a stockpile of unreleased material in the vaults, much of which became legendary among collectors. A selection of this material was planned for inclusion in a box set, but when he realized the sheer amount of worthy material, he decided to separate the unreleased cuts and release them as the double-disc set The Philosopher's Stone. Certainly, the collection is for fans, but not just hardcore fans -- there are a number of great songs here, from "Madame Joy" and "Naked in the ... read more

Tracks:

1. Really Don't Know [Morrison]
2. Ordinary People [Morrison]
3. Wonderful Remark [Morrison]
4. Not Supposed to Break Down [Morrison]
5. Laughing in the Wind [Morrison]
6. Madame Joy [Morrison]
7. Contemplation Rose [Morrison]
8. Don't Worry About Tomorrow [Morrison]
9. Try for Sleep [Morrison/Platania]
10. Lover's Prayer [Morrison]
11. Drumshanbo Hustle [Morrison]
12. Twilight Zone [Morrison]
13. Foggy Mountain Top [Morrison]
14. Naked in the Jungle [Morrison]
15. There There Child [Morrison/Platania]
16. The Street Only Knew Your Name [Morrison]
17. John Henry [Traditional]
18. Western Plain [Leadbelly/Lomax]
19. Joyous Sound [Morrison]
20. I Have Finally Come to Realise [Morrison]
21. Flamingoes Fly [Morrison]
22. Stepping Out Queen, Pt. 2 [Morrison]
23. Bright Side of the Road [Morrison]
24. Street Theory [Morrison]
25. Real Real Gone [Morrison]
26. Showbusiness [Morrison]
27. For Mr. Thomas [Williamson]
28. Crazy Jane on God [Mathieu/Yeats]
29. Song of Being a Child [Handke/Morrison]
30. High Spirits [Morrison/Moloney]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.