VAN MORRISON
Astral Weeks
Rating: 3 (library disc)
Well, what do you know... yet another "rock classic" turns out to be a passionately sung collection of two-note melodies performed by a group that grossly overestimates the musical interest provided by endless jazzy vamping on folksy chord progressions. I wish I could say I'm surprised.
READER COMMENTS
From Ben Griffin:
Give it another try - and, no, I'm not a Van fanatic. But since you say it was a library disc, I
think you should keep at it. I loved St. Dominic's Preview and It's Too Late To Stop Now, so I got Astral Weeks and after a couple of spins it sat neglected and regretted for at least a year.
I started to find myself humming the title song's bass line one day, though,
and brought the disc out. Now I think it's fantastic. You don't need to be
troubled and narcotized to see the beauty of this; (tho' it helps).
From Alexander Fong:
Great site! I regularly check in for updates. By the way, I think Van Morrison's Astral Weeks is classic but not as strong as the more carefully constructed Moondance! I think he sings two-note melodies because he doesn't have much vocal range...it gets better by Tupelo Honey, but he really gets by on his phrasing and delivery.
Regards to Abe and the family.
From Michael Hughes:
I see on your website that you are a big reader. You should read Lester Bangs' review/memoir about "Astral Weeks" and it might give you a new perspective. You can find it in the Lester collection Psychotic Reactions And Carburator Dung. His description of what AW meant to him at a tough time during his life is fantastic.
Complaints, criticisms, or bribery reviews: Contact me!
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