FSOTD #44/Into The Mystic (1970)

Before launching into FSOTD #44, a brief comment about the last out of last night's 5th and final game of basball's NLCS: How cool is it that the final out was caught by a guy named Victorino?

Today's FOSTD is actually from yesterday, and in truth, is a holdover from the Allman Brothers concert I raved about in 43-A.   It was midway through their set, and they had just finished what was at least a 15-minute "One Way Out" complete with 6 or 7 minute drum solo.  I was actually out taking a break in the commons area during the entire song, coming back to the seats for the opening strains of Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic" as sung by Warren Haynes.  Warren, undoubtedly the new hardest working man in show business, performs this song in all his incarnations: The Allmans, The Dead, Gov't Mule and solo.    He's a big and hairy dude, gnarly-looking but oh-so-soulful, especially when all sweaty.  As I have gushed so often, I just love Warren Haynes.  I have even gone on record paraphrasing C.S. Lewis, positing that if Warren Haynes did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.  The "Into The Mystic" version I put on the FSOTD player is from Gov't Mule sometime in the last few years.

As for Van Morrison's original recording, "Into The Mystic" was released on his classic 1970 album Moondance.  The singles from Moondance were "Come Running" and "Crazy Love".  "Moondance" wasn't truly released as a single until 1977(!), but by then it was an FM staple.  "Into The Mystic" was never a single but has steadily gained a following through the years, evidenced quite clearly by its status a Warren Haynes staple.

There is, oddly, one small affliction I have with this song, and it happened at the concert.  It concerns the inclusion of the word "foghorn" in the lyrics.  Every time I hear this word sung - whether by Van or Warren - I flash to the Looney Tunes character Foghorn Leghorn, and it saps some of the otherwise ethereal quality from the lyrics, while at the same time yanking a smile from my heart.  Perhaps now you, too, will be so afflicted.  I guess it's one of those things that once you have you have it.  But then, it's not like if I hear someone sing about Yosemite I think visualize Yosemite Sam.   Perhaps I've always had a thing for farm animals.  Quien sabe?