Wavelength - Van Morrison

It's Too Late To Stop Now - Van Morrison

Having completed a sequence of great studio albums, Van Morrison embarked on an expansive tour with this searing 1974 live set, backed up by the superb Caledonia soul orchestra and blazing through Los Angeles , Santa Monica and London. There is a wide range of material on offer here. Van performs some of his most popular songs with aplomb but also leaves plenty of room for influences such as Ray Charles (I believe to my soul) and Bobby Bland (Ain t nothing you can do). Being culled from a variety of gigs helps bring in welcome changes of pace between a meandering but beautiful Listen to the Lion and the uptight and outta-sight I ve Been Working, Van s insistence on ...

Astral Weeks - Van Morrison

"Madame George". At 9 minutes and 25 seconds long, this is a very serious piece of Van Morrison music. Great evocative lyrics, still in this predominately couldn't-give-a-monkey's style that is so relaxed it's almost dismissive, this song is the one that most people will close their eyes and go "Ahhh yesss" to. If you want to lie down, not move and just drift Ophelia-like on a lake with your fingers tickling the water surface, you could do far worse than to take this along. Unpretentious. Consistent. A minor masterpiece. ...

Astral Weeks - Van Morrison

Brown Eyed Girl. Naturally, Van the Man hated it with a passion, and he liked the two albums Bang salvaged from those same sessions (Blowin' Your Mind, The Best Of Van Morrison ) even less. Yet it was here that the seeds for Astral Weeks were sown, not least the dry runs for Beside You and Madame George. Berns' sudden death allowed Morrison to quickly find a more sympathetic home for his muse. hether Warners expected or wanted anything like Astral Weeks, though, is unlikely. Framed by Richard Davis' lithe acostic bass and Connie Kay's even tempered drums, its eight songs were lingering, gently undulating affairs with their own inner rhythm and dreamy ...