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Astral Weeks

by: Van Morrison

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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0075992717625
Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
MPN: 1768
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Warner Bros / Wea
Release Date: October 25, 1990
Studio: Warner Bros / Wea

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Editorial Review:
Never mind that Van Morrison is one of the most indelible songwriters of the 20th century--take each album on its own terms. On 1968's seminal Astral Weeks, a twentysomething Van Morrison can be found belting his gospelly, bluesy vocals in just as fine a form as he would be 20 years hence. In the sociopolitical context of the times, the album cried out about such ubiquitous '60s themes as cultural oppression and social upheaval. But it is Morrison's vocal dexterity and passion that maintains such timeless appeal. Take tracks like "Madame George" or "Cyprus Avenue" and you'll find such beautiful mourning, it'll be clear why modern songwriter Sinéad O'Connor once publicly exclaimed: "Van Morrison should be friggin' canonized." --Nick Heil

Customer Reviews

Average Rating:

Rating:

- Astral Squeaks
I know that this is a classic, I know that it has sold a zillion copies and that it estblished Van as a "great and as an innovator." I know that everybody has covered "Moondance", probably even The New Christie Minstrels.

In spite of all that, I cannot stand it. I am not concerned that it is very much of its time. I am not concerned that it was the start of endless records of two/three chord bashes. I am not concerned that it encouraged Van to play sax, which is not good. No, my dislike ... Read More

Rating:

- Delicious Exasperation
What is expressed in these songs, in the energy contained in them is something that I connected with very deeply. I think that is a lot of what art is: how well something is expressed, some feeling, emotion, struggle.... To me it soothed my soul, brought meaning to my pain - told me that through it - works such as these can be accomplished. This piece of music is a pinnacle example of the outpouring of a person's soul. When people talk of this album, I have heard of them speak of it in terms of soul. ... Read More

Rating:

- pretty instrumentation, but...
I like the instrumentation of this CD; it's got a lot going on in ways that you don't normally hear, but the actual melodies get kinda boggy about halfway through (or sooner), and if Van Morrison CAN sing (like a pro) he blatantly refuses to do so. Another perfect example of how this "they/we write their/our own songs, so they're/we're better" mentality is ruining music; not that it's a new thing, obviously; this album came out in 1968 after all, before The Beatles broke up, but I think music would be more ... Read More

Rating:

- REMASTER AVAILABLE! But ONLY In Japan! Why, Edgar... WHY?

The good news?

20+ years after their debut on CD, FINALLY, there are full remasters of Moondance, [[ASIN: B00171LFG4 Street Choir]] and [[ASIN: B00171LFFK Astral Weeks]].

The bad news?

They're not available domestically from Warner Music Group USA: All three were released in June 2008 by Warner in Japan only, and Amazon is FINALLY getting around to stocking them.

The catalog numbers for the three Japan Warner remasters are WPCR-75419, -20 and ... Read More

Rating:

- Ah, some of the astral-Celtic sound
It's hard to think of Van as an introverted mystic, but this is where it all started. Yea, he had a first life as a Belfast bluesman and some time on Bang records when he produced one of the great pop singles of all timee, but this documents Van's summer of guitar. If you don't study this album, you're not a Van fan. As a matter of fact, find it on vinyl and digest it in twenty minute doses of mysticism.

Essential.

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