 = Van Morrison : Too Late to Stop Now = 
 
 Van Morrison : Too Late to Stop Now is a biography of musician Van Morrison , written by Steve Turner . It was first published in 1993 in the United States by Penguin Group , and in Great Britain by Bloomsbury Publishing . Turner first met Van Morrison in 1985 ; he interviewed approximately 40 people that knew the subject in his research for the biography . Van Morrison did not think positively of the biography , and multiple newspapers reported he attempted to purchase all of the book 's 25 @,@ 000 copies . He sent a letter to the author asserting the 40 individuals interviewed for the book were not his friends , and accused Turner of " peddling distortions and inaccuracies about me personally " . 
 The biography takes a pictorial format , and includes many photographs of Van Morrison and scenes relating to his life , including close @-@ up shots and contact prints . Turner discusses Van Morrison 's youth in Belfast , Northern Ireland , and how early experiences shaped his perceptions . Flautist John Payne was interviewed for the book , and comments on his work with Van Morrison on the album Astral Weeks . Turner discusses Van Morrison 's reluctance to be interviewed or engage with the public , and includes quotes from the musician about this desire for privacy . The author discusses Van Morrison 's efforts to seek out creativity , and his exploration of spirituality . The book concludes with an assessment of Van Morrison 's experiences with religion . 
 The book was selected as " Editor 's Choice " in the Sunday Age . Publishers Weekly 's review of the book was critical of its " adulatory " tone , but called it a " necessity for fans " , due the inclusion of the discography . A review of the book for The Boston Globe commented " The value of the book is that it has at its heart the same subjects that most of Morrison 's music has featured ... religion and spirituality . " The Palm Beach Post noted that the biography provides " insights and updates as well as a solid background on Morrison 's early life " . The Sunday Times wrote that " the really interesting story here is told by the photographs " . The Irish Times was critical of the book 's text but wrote positively of the included photographs . 
 
 = = Research and publication = = 
 
 Prior to his work on the biography , Steve Turner had previously written a book about the music group U2 , titled U2 : Rattle & Hum , and Eric Clapton , titled Conversations With Eric Clapton . Turner first met Van Morrison in 1985 , while writing a book on religion 's place in rock music . Turner characterised himself as someone who is " drawn to artists bothered by spiritual issues " . In his research for the book , the author interviewed approximately 40 people that knew Van Morrison . Turner spoke with Van Morrison , and they discussed the musician 's views on philosophy . Some of the photographs included in the book were obtained by Turner from a guitarist with Van Morrison 's band Them . 
 According to The Sunday People , " though critics said it was an affectionate tribute about a nice man . Van went on to urge fans not to buy it . " According to The Boston Globe , Van Morrison " disdained the book " . In an interview with The Boston Globe , Turner commented on this : " He considers anything that reveals details of family background or anything like that an invasion of his privacy . He doesn 't believe in biographies , and I do . " When the biography came out in hardcover , Van Morrison sent Turner 36 statements from the book that he called " lies , gross exaggerations and innuendo " . Van Morrison told Turner that none of the 40 individuals the author had interviewed for the biography were currently friends of his . The letter from Van Morrison to Turner concluded with : " I am very sorry that you feel you are entitled to earn a living by peddling distortions and inaccuracies about me personally . " In his reply letter to Van Morrison , Turner wrote : " You may not think you are ' difficult ' or ' introvert ' but other people do and have the right to express their opinions . " The Sunday Times reported that " Allegedly , Van 's management even considered buying up all 25 @,@ 000 copies of the book to pulp them , " and this was also reported in The Independent . The Evening Times wrote that Van Morrison " reportedly tried to buy all the copies of a biography by Steve Turner . " Representatives for Van Morrison did not confirm whether he attempted to purchase the 25 @,@ 000 copies of the biography , and confirmed that " representatives of the singer discussed various possibilities " . Van Morrison 's manager , Chris O 'Donnell , said of the musician : " He is not happy about books , period . He is an artist and stands up for himself – he doesn 't want his private life raked over . " 
 Steve Turner appeared on a panel of experts in the 2008 documentary Van Morrison : Under Review 1964 – 1974 . Along with Turner was Johnny Rogan , author of the biographies Van Morrison : A Portrait of the Artist ( 1984 ) and Van Morrison : No Surrender ( 2005 ) . 
 
 = = Contents = = 
 
 The introduction to the book includes an analysis by the author of Van Morrison 's skill to use " the stuff of his life " . Turner compares Van Morrison with other musicians of the time period , including Robbie Robertson , Bob Dylan , and Neil Young . The book 's 10 chapters contain a pictorial overview of the musician 's professional work . The book 's chapters are structured according to record releases of the musician . Pictures include images from locations where Van Morrison grew up in Belfast , contact prints from a photo shoot for a cover album with his wife at the time Janet Planet , and archived marketing photographs of a younger Van Morrison . The beginning of the book includes 10 close @-@ up shots of the musician . The book also contains a complete discography of Van Morrison 's work . 
 Turner describes Van Morrison 's early life as George Ivan Morrison on Hyndford Street in Belfast . " I 'm definitely Irish " , Van Morrison is quoted as stating in the book . He asserts that Van Morrison was affected by his mother 's religious conversion to the Jehovah 's Witnesses when he was a child . Turner states that this experience contributed to his position as an outcast : " Who else in Belfast had a father who played Jelly Roll Morton records , and a mother who indulged in doorstep evangelism ? " Turner discusses Van Morrison 's musical colleagues , his successes , the break @-@ ups of his various bands , and his efforts to seek out creative expression . The author includes commentary and images from Van Morrison 's first release with the band Them in 1964 , through to his latest album at the time of the book 's publication . 
 Turner interviewed flautist John Payne for the book , who had sat in on sessions with Van Morrison and later collaborated with him . Payne comments on their work together on the album Astral Weeks , which also included musicians Connie Kay , Warren Smith , Jay Berliner , and Richard Davis : " Ironically , the image you have when you listen to the album now is of these guys who are all together , and they realise they are creating a monumental work of art . The fact is that it was just another session for them . " Payne states of his observations of Van Morrison 's performance style : " When ( Van ) was on stage , he would look like a space cadet , but then he 'd open his mouth and you would realize that he had channeled everything into the sound of his voice . The rest of it was just a shell that was there for the purpose of producing this noise . " 
 The book notes the artist 's reluctance to be interviewed or engage with the public , and quotes him as saying : " It 's very hard for me to relate to people asking questions that are not only boring but don 't have anything to do with my life ... It 's a waste of time on my part because it drains me from doing what I really want to do , which is just to play music . " Van Morrison describes his perceived musical role : " I just feel I 'm doing the job . My job is to play music and deliver the show ... It 's more emotional for the audience ... what they sort of think you are . " He states that one of his motivations is " ideally to induce states of meditation and ecstasy , as well as to make people think " . 
 The author notes Van Morrison 's dislike of conformity , and quotes him as saying : " I hate organizations . " Of his period in his life of experimentation , Van Morrison comments : " I 'm not searching for anything in particular . I 'm just groping in the dark ... for a bit more light . That 's it really . " Turner notes how musical styles including rhythm and blues and Motown influenced the musician . Van Morrison 's exploration of spirituality is discussed in the book , including his experiences with mysticism , Christianity , and Dianetics . In the last chapter of the book , Turner comments on Van Morrison 's experiences in religion , writing : " His development of religion as a normal topic of discourse in popular song may turn out to be his most lasting contribution . " 
 
 = = Reception = = 
 
 The book was selected as " Editor 's Choice " in the Sunday Age , where Michael Gordon wrote : " This is not the whole story , but it is a well @-@ researched and superbly presented summary of the story so far – a kind of companion to the John Lennon book , ' Imagine ' – including the temper tantrums . Fans may , however , disagree with the closing assessment that Morrison may be running out of themes and ideas to express . " Publishers Weekly was critical of the book 's tone , commenting : " Turner is more adulatory than probing . " The review noted : " A complete discography makes this book a necessity for fans of the Irish Rover . " Writing for The Boston Globe , Thomas C. Palmer Jr. called the book " a coffee @-@ table biography that fills an extensive void , both for those hungry for gossip and for those who have wondered at the source of the creativity in this prolific producer of often stunningly original – if difficult to categorize – music " . Palmer commented on the book 's value : " The value of the book is that it has at its heart the same subjects that most of Morrison 's music has featured , subtly or otherwise ( but never as blatantly as Dylan in his " Saved " period ) : religion and spirituality . " Robert Sandall reviewed the book for The Sunday Times , and wrote : " Steve Turner has performed his task as a biographer diligently enough in Too Late To Stop Now , but the really interesting story here is told by the photographs . " Sandall commented : " Thirty years of constant rowing with anybody who has ever tried to get close to him , and a fitful and irritable hankering after religion ( any religion ) have left him looking bloated , sad and , as Turner has the courage and decency to point out , not as great a musician now as his current reputation would suggest . It 's all there in the pictures . " 
 Bernard Perusse of The Gazette described the book as " more superficial but more positive " than the 2006 biography Van Morrison : No Surrender by Johnny Rogan . In a review of the book for The Palm Beach Post , Lisa McDonough wrote " Steve Turner 's Van Morrison : Too Late To Stop Now is not the final answer on Morrison – only Morrison could give that – but he does provide insights and updates as well as a solid background on Morrison 's early life . " Writing for The Irish Times , John Boland was critical of the book 's text but wrote positively of its images : " Steve Turner 's Van Morrison : Too Late to Stop Now , has a trite , fanzine style text and isn 't very informative about the great man , but it has some splendid pictures and in its coffee table format is well worth the asking price " . A review in the Herald Sun was critical : " Too Late To Stop Now is more suited to the coffee table than a library shelf . It is browsing material , fleshed with snapshots , album covers , PR shots , posters and prints . The words are mere stitches , there to hold the pictures in place . " The Herald Sun noted that the author left out critical quotes from individuals that knew Van Morrison , and questioned Turner 's objectivity . 
 
 