You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River

Infobox Song
Name = You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River


Caption =
Type =
Artist = Van Morrison
alt Artist =
Album = Veedon Fleece
Published =
Released = October 1974
track_no = 5
Recorded = November 1973
Genre = Folk rock
Length = 8:51
Writer = Van Morrison
Composer = Van Morrison
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Producer = Van Morrison
Chart position =
Tracks = #"Fair Play" – 6:14
#"Linden Arden Stole The Highlights" – 2:37
#"Who Was That Masked Man" – 2:55
#"Streets of Arklow" – 4:22
#"You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River" – 8:51
#"Bulbs" – 4:18
#"Cul de Sac" – 5:51
#"Comfort You" – 4:25
#"Come Here My Love" – 2:21
#"Country Fair" – 5:42
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Misc = "You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River" is a nine-minute song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It appears on the album "Veedon Fleece", released in 1974.

"You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push The River" is often said to be one of Morrison's most accomplished compositions, and biographer Johnny Rogan confirms this opinion by remarking: "Morrison's most accomplished composition to date, an experimental peak which took a step beyond even his most ambitious work." [Rogan, No Surrender, p. 299] Morrison revealed that it owed a lot to his readings in Gestalt therapy. It begins as a love song celebrating a young girl's childhood (obviously, a musical tribute to his companion Carol Guida) and then goes into a journey along the west coast of Ireland and then suddenly goes into a mythological search for an object he calls the "Veedon Fleece". Musically, it combines a woodwind section and strings, both played in blocked chords. The transition between the real and mythological phases is transmitted in a dramatic fashion with the use of flute and strings. The song originally lasted twelve minutes, so pianist Jeff Labes suggested a cut, which got it down to nine minutes. He later wrote some string and woodwind arrangements. [Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p.283]

Personnel on original release

*Van Morrison - guitar, vocal
*Theresa Adams - cello
*David Hayes - bass guitar
*James Rothermel - flute
*Nathan Rubin - violin
*Jack Schroer - soprano saxophone
*Dahaud Shaar - drums
*James Trumbo - piano
*Ralph Wash - guitar

Notes

References

*Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press ISBN 1-55652-542-7
*Rogan, Johnny (2006). Van Morrison:No Surrender, London:Vintage Books ISBN 9780099431831

External links

* [http://www.vanmorrison.co.uk/?m=Content&Content(record_id)=b2950180e54389f3cf9d93ad908ac00e Lyrics and audio sample] Veedon Fleece 1970s