Admired as much for his uncompromising vision as for his tough, soulful voice, Van Morrison is one of a select group of legendary performers who started out in the sixties and are still at the top of their profession. This is mostly through his own refusal to to co-operate with the media. From his early days as the surly lead singer with the Belfast rhythm and blues group "Them" through his long reclusive sojourn in America he has studiously avoided opening his soul to any medium but his music.;Through personal interview, conversations with friends and fellow musicians and visits to the places that inspired such great songs as "Madame George", "Cyprus Avenue" and "Astral Weeks", this book pieces together the story of the search and reveals the man behind the mystic.;What emerges is a portrait of a rock visionary who feels driven to make music, but who genuinely yearns for anonymity.;Other work by the author includes "Conversations with Eric Clapton", "Hungry for Heaven: Rock and Roll and the Search for Redemption", and "U2: Rattle and Hum". His rock journalism has appeared in "Rolling Stone", "New Musical Express", the "Sunday Times","The Times", the "Independent" and "Die Welt".