REVIEWS:
Post your comments about Van Morrison
(reviewed by Kevin Baker)
I realized today that my original review of Astral Weeks was, to quote George Starostin, inadequate. Well, he didn't say that about the review, he just says it often. I was too vague about too much, and I think it would fail to tell anyone a bloody thing about this masterpiece, my favorite album in existence now. Now, from a strictly musical standpoint, the description of it doesn't sound like it would be so hot. Van plays his acoustic guitar on everything, and that serves as the "foundation" for the songs. Plus, you get Van's voice at it's most amazing...the man must have deliberately set out to awe the listener, because goodness knows he packs enough emotion into his delivery to achieve that goal. However, it wouldn't be as magical without his backup, which I believe was an assembly of jazz session musicians. You have a lot of flute and woodwind, some strings, acoustic bass, and drums, though the album is very light on percussion as a whole. It's a very soft listen for the most part.
However, volume is not necessary for emotional impact. Lyrically, Van is a poet who uses tons of imagery. He gives you whisps of scenery and visions of a distant place you know but have never been to. You can feel the desire and love in his words, and you can feel the struggles of maturing in his feelings when nobody else wants to grow at all. Maybe that's just how I feel, seeing as how that's been the story of my life for the past few years. Van Morrison is a poet, an artist. His word pictures work unlike so many other attempts by so many other people. Best yet, the backing band must be under some sort of spell, because they play PERFECTLY for the songs. What moodsetting and interplay!
There are eight individual songs, but they really need to be taken as a cycle. The first four (title track, Beside You, Sweet Thing, Cypress Avenue) seem to be an initial falling in love and all the rushes of emotion and fulfillment that come with that first love. I can also relate to the implied theme of that person being younger and immature...Leah. Leah is my junior by 2 years, and while I love her, it can be very frustrating dealing with her. However, the mark of love is in being able to handle the frustration and grow from it, or so I think.
The last four songs are darker and just as rich. This section is called "Afterwards," and to me that implies that perhaps there's been a sudden end to all the sweetness of before. The Way Young Lovers Do sounds violent for a sweet love song, and Madame George is all about maturing and being hurt by the immaturity of the past. I can relate. Ballerina is wishful and weary to me, and in Slim Slow Slider, all is lost when Van's love chooses someone more immature and wordly. My life's story.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
COMMENTS
[email protected] (Jamie Anthony)
This is probably the strongest contender for the title of "My favourite album of all time". In fact I'd probably just say it IS my favourite album ever. Why? I'm not entirely sure. The fact is, the music itself is not totally perfect - rather, the feeling of the album is totally perfect. This album has a personality - a spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness personality, which I like very much.
But that is NOT to say the music isn't excellent - okay, I would say the music probably is perfect, it's just that it doesn't hit you immediately, and it's almost overshadowed by the emotion and...realness (is that a word? it is now!) of the album as a whole.
The music on this album is not really like anything I've heard before or since. It's not quite jazz, but it's not quite anything, really. It's like music which comes straight from the soul, melodies which are being obtained through a trance (sorry if that sounds cheesy, but it's true). The arrangements are indeed perfect, and the backing musicians play as though they know exactly what Van has in mind.
Oh yeah, and Van's poetry rules.
Anyway, this album is pure magic, really. My favourite thing on earth. I just totally dig it.
(reviewed by Kevin Baker)
Van Morrison is one of the most unpredictable musicians there is. He'll follow a jazzy, experimental, poetic album with a radio-friendly pop masterpiece, and then do an album of R'nB favorites if he so pleases. In 1968, the absolutely breathtaking Astral Weeks was released. As beautiful a work as it is, it didn't exactly fly off the shelves unless a strong wind was blowing through the store. However, 1970's Moondance changed all of that.
Basically, Moondance is jazz and soul influenced pop album with strong emphasis on romance. It's no secret why E! chose it as one of the ten best makeout cds of all time. I wouldn't know about that, but this is a very soothing, soft, romantic (I suppose---I have a really abyssmal love life), and also schlockless. That definitely adds points to it in my book. I don't mind slow and romantic unless the schmaltz factor is present. As it is, schmaltz is miles away. The album opener, And It Stoned Me, is a fine outing and probably the closest link you'll find on here to Astral Weeks. The words seem to be some sort of childhood recollection (get used to that if you want to go deeper into the world of Van Morrison's music). It doesn't quite "stone" me as much as some of the others one here, though, so let us move on to.......
The title track, and it is indeed a marvelous one. A piano-based number (with plenty of flutes and saxes or whatever it is that he kept using) that definitely cements the album's reputation as being romantic. Very jazzy. It reminds of Traffic a little bit, just with no pretentiousness and a better singer. Crazy Love is up next, and it's quite interesting. A fabulous love song, and Morrison sings falsetto on it. I've never heard that before. Well, it works if nothing else. This one sounds....unique. I really don't know what else to compare it to.
We follow up with Caravan, an up-tempo pianocentric song reminding me of a cross between Elton Jon and a gospel song. I usually skip over it, not because it's bad but because the next track is....... My personal favorite, Into The Mystic. Oh, I love this one. Soft, resfrshing, beautiful. It seems to compare falling in love or being in love with sailing and also the mystic realm. Van thought that love between a man and a woman was the closest man could get to heaven on earth, and this track is a summation of that to me. Nothing is overdone or underdone. This is Van Morrison at his finest.
Come Running is very gospel and soul-like, from the delivery to the rhythm to the backup singers on the chorus. Also, this is the time when the brass seems to play in a standard soul manner. Elsewhere, they almost take Celtic pipe-styles and adjust them to saxes. Interesting concept. The next song, These Dreams Of You is kinda bluesy and has some harmonica on it. Brand New Day is another major highlight on here. More pianocentric pop, but finally with some audible electric guitar at a few points. This one is really pretty good. Maybe the best vocal delivery on here.
Everyone, the next to last song, has some harpsichord and an upbeat tempo. Louis the XIV meets Louis Armstrong...well, not quite, but that sounded neat so I said it. Ha ha. We close on another uptempo one, Glad Tidings, but I don't quite like it as much. Maybe I'm just Vanned out by this point. Alright, now time to analyze. We have some genuine classics and some genuine nonclassics that aren't half bad. Not really my personal cup of tea but talent can't be denied.......An 8 will do.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(reviewed by Kevin Baker)
Well, lookee here---Van the Man done gone COUNTRY! He's traded in his Celtic pipes and all that jazz for some down-home licks and harmonica playin' and pure ole country rhythms! He's got big ole mudflaps for his new F-350 and a rebel flag bumber sticker! He's got a gunrack and a nice new double-wide down near Decatur! Ok, perhaps he hasn't gone THAT country. This stuff is all very, very country influenced, but this is VAN FRIGGIN' (his real middle name) MORRISON we're talking about, so you know he isn't gonna go totally redneck on us. Matter of fact, I'll bet ole Robert "Sheets" Byrd led the lynch mob to get ole Van for all the soulful vocals influenced by all that jigaboo music he grew up listening to. After all, what self-respecting member of the Master Race whose lot(t) in life is to dominate all the other races would bend to being (gasp) influenced by......NEGROES???? The second "E" was placed there at the behest of American spelling champion Dan Quayle.
I'm sorry; I was channeling the ghost of George Wallace there for a second. Back to the music. There is a very pronounced country feel to the music, but the general feel of the album is more "Southern" than just country---you have some soul, some folkiness, and some gospel influence. Not a lot of jazz stylings with this one, which is a little odd for Van Morrison's music----he usually seemes to delight in inserting lots of jazzamatazz and whatnot for your listen"ing" pleasure. Of course, our dearest favorite short, stumpy, redheaded Irishman hasn't lost his knack for nice, smooth melodies, and for your "lis"tening "p"leasure he packs plenty of pleasant melodies. And Van also know that arrangement is a nice thing to excel at, hence the lovely acoustic guitarmanship (lead guitarwork courtesy of Ronnie Montrose), the really gospel-sounding piano, the light use of brass, and the everpresent (but never obnoxious) percussion and rhythm section. In short, this is an excellently made pop-rock go-round.
"But what songs are on here???" you say. Well, I'll tell you. You get yer Wild Night which is a nice little country rawker, you get yer (Straight To Your Heart) Like A Cannonball which is another nice little country rawker, you get yer Old Old Woodstock which is a very nicely done ballad ode to rural living, you get yer Starting A New Life which is a short n bouncy little upbeat folky thang, and so on. Pleasant country rock, a little folk bounciness, and some genuinely pretty balladry. I normally go for the faster material on an album, but this is the exception. Van the Man outdoes himself on slow numbers like the aforementioned Old Old Woodstock and the title track, which are simply lovely beyond comparison. Just like Elizabeth.....
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! You thought since I'd gone a few reviews without mentioning any females that you'd be safe in this one!!! You poor unfortunate soul----thou hast misguessed! OK, that was overblown. Nah, nothing mushy to say here. Just commenting on the loveliness of a lovely young lady who you can see in a rather old and outdated picture with my biography. Oh, and for the record, Ashley (the redhead) and I broke up back in July in case anyone still remembers back that far. I don't even recall if I mentioned that we were even dating in my reviews. Suffice it to say that it was a bad relationship after the first month and that I am far better off without her. But so it goes. Anyways, this is one dang good listen. It's not too long, not too simplistic, not too fanciful.....just right in about every regard. However, it does fall a little short of the mark of perfection---"just right" only gets you so far. But it's still an absolute essential for any VanFan or any fancier of good music.
Post your comments / reviews for this album