Saint Dominic's Preview - Van Morrison

OK it's old (released in 1972), but for me Van Morrison's music is ageless, timeless. Like most of Van's material, Saint Dominic's Preview is a fusion of rock, middle-of-the-road pop, blues, R&B, all presented with a very Celtic flavour, and this album lives up to the growing reputation Van was earning at the time for being impassioned, intense, and a little mystical. It has always saddened me that (unless there is an error on the everyhit.com website) Saint Dominic's Preview has never entered the top 40 British Album Charts, as for me this is one of Van's best pieces of work. The album contains a total of 7 tracks that are overall ...  Read the complete review

After years of Van by the yard, one forgets that he once rang the changes with each album he released. 1972's Saint Dominic's Preview can be seen as one of his strangest. His sixth album, consisting of just the seven tracks, opens with the excellent and boisterous Jackie Wilson Said, essentially a Tupelo Honey re-write, but no harm in that. Astral Weeks fans will especially enjoy the eleven minute ramble of Listen to the Lion and the sharp lyrics of the title track, ("Just to be hip and get wet with the jet set. But they're flying too high to see my point of view" being a standout). The album closes with the lengthy, minimalist rumination of Almost ...  Read the complete review

Never bought a Van Morrison album? Buy Moondance. Want a deeply intense album for "those moods"? Buy Astral Weeks. Want an album that is oh-so-listenable to, with songs you can sing along to and more than a touch of intelligence? You've come to the right place! Some of the most beautiful music ever made by Van is on this album, the particular highlights being the majestic title track and "Listen to the Lion", a song that goes right to the heart of the musician's soul. Van's voice has never been so perfect since he recorded this album in 1972 and these tracks, particularly when put alongside the ...  Read the complete review