"Redwood Tree" is the sixth song on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview. When released as a single it was not as successful as Rolling Stone reviewer Steven Holden had anticipated: "The affirmation of Saint Dominic's Preview is translated to the past in 'Redwood Tree', an ecstatic boyhood reminiscence centering on the image of a sheltering redwood tree. This beautiful, sensuous cut has the album's greatest potential as a hit single."[1] It was released as a single but only charted at number ninety-eight on the Billboard Hot 100, which made it less of a success than the album's lead single "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)", which reached number sixty-one.[2]
Biographer
Johnny Rogan believes "'Redwood Tree' enshrined the beauty of Marin county," which was where Morrison was living at the time.
[3] John Collis describes the song as "A charming if somewhat folksy reminder of Morrison's interest in country music at the time."
[4] Another biographer,
Brian Hinton remarks:
'Redwood Tree' is a song of reconciliation, which seems to graft Van's Belfast childhood onto California, where redwoods actually grow, "Keep us from all harm", an invocation to the spirit of the ancient wood.[5]
Personnel on the original release
Notes
- ↑ Holden, Stephen (1972-08-31). "Van Morrison:Saint Dominic's Review". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
- ↑ "Van Morrison: Charts and awards: billboard singles". allmusic.com.
- ↑ Rogan, No Surrender, p.275
- ↑ Collis. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, p.132
- ↑ Hinton. Celtic Crossroads, p.143
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