This album did not grow on me like other great albums, it grabbed me and never let go. It’s poetry, art, and Jazz conducting an aural assault on your senses. It can teach, it can cure, it can enlighten, and it can inspire. Greatest album ever
Astral Weeks was the first Van Morisson album I heard, and I was transported. It was 1989, I was 21, a student activist, living in a digs in Observatory, Cape Town, hanging out at friend's houses, sitting on the floor, smoking, and listening to records. One of my friends was housesitting for a professor, who had, literally, a wall of records. This is where we first heard Van Morisson. David Bruce, I love the way you describe that golden, shimmering quality. I love the way the music hovers and swoops and freewheels, the timing and the motion of this album is unmatched. The poetry, how evocative it is. Van's improvisation. This is when i discovered this fact: that repetition, over and over and over again in music, can actually send you into a trance
This album sent me into a dreamy world of wonderment when it first arrived. I was 17 and had just finished high school and was on the adventure of being a person free to chart my own destiny. I didn't know how to interpret this mysterious sound and more mysterious lyrics. The bass was to me the instrument that pulled it all together...such a great contribution to an incredible collection of songs.
My absolute favorite album of all time. That is saying alot, considering that I'm a complete, obsessive Beatles nut, one would be shocked that one of their albums isn't my fave. I am 50, and for 30 years, this album has been a constant companion. I am sure there will never be any music ever made in the future, that will compare....not even close.
There is no word to describe this album. Van's voice, the music and the texts. Still after 50 years it is amazing. Every song. The perfect album. And Veedom Fleece is perhaps at the same level! Which one is better depends on opinions
First time I heard Dylans song was way better than him was "its all over now baby blue " by Van Morrison when he was with them. I was 17, 18 and wore out my needle playing it over & over. When Astrial Weeks came out I was in love with his music.I played it for my friends on the way back from Woodstock 69 and all of us on acid & we played it from N.Y. to Brockton Ma. That blew there minds. Still the best album I ever heard.
This has long been one of my top five favorite albums, ever. And you have shed some light on its extraordinary magic here. It could not possibly have been planned ahead. It was a beautiful accident, and had it not been importantly an accident it could not have been as glorious as it is.
I fell in love with girl and this album at the same time during the summer of 97. Hearing the music and seeing the album cover transports me instantly back to that magical to for me personally. I can feel it all so vividly while driving through the hills of upstate New York. The words the sounds felt so beautiful at the time I could tell then I would remember it forever and I still do.
Hypnotic & inspiring album. The first time I heard it; I was overwhelmed with thanks for hearing it like no album I have heard before or since. I’ve shared it with my close friends and they loved it too. Just amazing. You are right; the bass is singular and emerges throughout In evocative ways. Thanks!
Easily one of my favorite albums. The bass playing is absolutely bonkers and proves that this instrument can guide feeling, melodies and fill the void. Ryan H. Walsh wrote a book about the recording process of this album a few short years ago. I highly recommend reading it!
It's hard to say what my favorite Van Morrison album is. Astral Weeks and Veedon Fleece are definitely up there. Nearly everything he's done has something very special to offer.
YES I always felt the bass playing on this incredible album was a huge contribution to what made it feel so free, will have to look into more Lewis Merenstein n Richard Davis' work, thanks for this great video man
I got Astral Weeks in the late 80's after Rolling Stone ranked it among the top 10 albums ever. For a long time I didn't necessarily "enjoy" the album, but there was something about it that compelled me to keep listening. At some point I came to love it- and I realized that it was the bass playing that wouldn't let me give up on the album. Thanks for giving Richard Davis his due!
Thanks for posting. Astral Weeks was a sound I didn't get when I first heard it. I was introduced to the album as a teen visiting my uncle Joe in 1985 (nearly 20 years after the albums release). Joe would blast the album nearly daily for the whole summer I stayed with him. By the end of the summer-I loved it.
Very interesting, I'll listen to it differently now ( in a good way - the bass especially). Like for everyone else it has been a very important album for me but I remember being surprised ,after googling around the album, that it has been a really life saving album for many many people, with a positive energy that helped people through hard times and depression. Strange that it came out of such tension.
Agreed on all you said , that bass, the tension , it’s importance & it’s help with depression . The album I revisited last night and now am hooked re-finding out as much as I already know of it . It’s very strange it didn’t immediately hit when released and sold very few though overtime people caught on. I wasn’t born lol but heard and instantly connected
I think I bought this album in 1968 when it was first released. It was really good to listen to after a joint or two, but I didn't appreciate how legendary it would become until years later. As you say, it is in a genre all of its own. That's a fantastic achievement and unlike thousands of albums over the years, it is still wonderful to hear. Undated. Timeless.
From the first time i played this album, in the fall of 1968, living in LA Beverly Glen, this record has totally entranced me. i played it oppressively, for hours and days on end, although none of my friends then could get into it. so much so , that i wrote to warner bros, imploring them to keep van on contact. And they actually got back to me, saying, of course he was great, not to worry!' ...and my then roommate tore up the letter without me knowing... and where is he today, on crutches and unhappy guy, lonely and lost... and Astral Weeks is...
❤ had a magical effect on me when a boyfriend first played it. I immediately felt I knew this music yet I had not heard it before. I have not had that experience before or since
Astral Weeks was about the fourth Van Morrison album I bought and it was so different to my previous purchases that I rejected it. But over time I came back to appreciate it.
Thanks for this. Been a fan of Morrison since I was a kid. But while I slowly moved away a bit from much of Morrison’s music (I’ve not heard nor wanted to hear Moondance for many moons), and find his personality a little hard to take... Astral Weeks remains the one constant. It’s just timeless. It doesn’t sound overly romantic like much of his other stuff. Or hokey like much of the later stuff. I put most of that down to Richard Davis bass, depthless musicality and band leadership. He turned something mystical and Celtic sounding into something mesmeric that defies all categories.
Can't remember where I read it but it was recently. Van sang and played the acoustic guitar to create the foundation/mood and the others were left to improv over top. Also - the bass on this album is spiritual, inspirational (from a musical stand point).
Thank you David Bruce for your story, I love how you recall that strange cray man driving at breakneck speed around the Irish countryside as he played Astral Weeks at full volume, you may be talking about me, nice to meet you again, I was in a great hurry that day, there was a bank robbery in a nearby town and the police had a habit of picking me for any crime that was committed, even sheep steeling and cattle rustling all that I was am innocent off. I love how Astral Weeks and Van Morrisons music has such a profound effect on most people who stoped and listen to his music for a short time and got brought into the mystic
1971 kaufte ich diesen Album Astral Weeks weil ich fan von Them war, fand es erst ein wenig schwer zu hören. 10 Jahre später habe ich ein Gefühl gehabt für diese Songs und jetzt ist es mein absolute Favorit Album. Thanks Van Morrison.
thank u so very very much for this eloquent and brilliantly constructed analysis of my Favorite Album of All Time. you describe the indescribable. i love everything about Astral Weeks, including its enigmatic and obtuse backstory. And Richard Davis is a treasure and a GOAT. 🏆💕 highly recommend the Andrew Hill album Point of Departure, on which he plays.
Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes the music just doesn't fit your tastes very well. But you can grow your tastes. I like the folky feel of this album, but I do not care for the music of Bartok. If I really want to like Bartok's music, I need to listen to it more. Eventually, I will like Bartok. Hope that helps.
yah, that album totally floored me when i first stumbled upon it, and it never shed that magic entirely for me. thanks for unravelling a little why that may be. hehe well done
I love the story of how you came by it, and I know such characters here in the west of Ireland, but truly, you did a good job of explaining this album's power, and particularly when you talk of the Bass lines. I honestly find this the most amazing album ever because it's the closest thing to poetry music has ever got, and lyrically speaking Cyprus Avenue is pure poetry.
Great video! I love how you say listening to this album takes you to another world. I have felt this way about this album since my first listen. There is a golden, shimmery light that exists throughout. I have never been a big Van Morrison fan, but I love this album!
succinct, clear, annotated: wonderful presentation on a challenging topic. challenging because the album is revealing for van at that period & in my opinion, influenced the industry as much as any other album. your analysis is enlightening. thanks.
Great video. Love this Album. Veedon Fleece touches me even more but I guess that is just personal taste. Along with King Creosotes Diamond Mine, they are my absolute favourites. Thanks.
uncategorizable. you've now permanently lodged that doozy deep in my lexicon. can't wait to drop that on the carbon copy hipsters here in portland, oregon, usa. they'll probably have an espresso toast and share their favorite new adjective (and possibly adverb) which they've instantly woven into their latest "must-be-read-aloud" epic poetry. i'll certainly give you props as I vacate another toxified coffee shop, wishing cooler people listened to Van's Astral Weeks. then remembering that my cat fucking loves it. and my deceased grandfather. and it's raining? hurrah! good day, indeed! thank you, Mr. Morrison
alexishtar xxxXXV I am 71 years old and I have no fucking idea what you just said. Perhaps, because when I was listening to this I was in the jungles and rice patties or Vietnam. Semper Fi
Yep, sadly Astral Weeks was ignored in 1968, while the LP that the industry was obsessed with was Laura Nyro's revolutionary pop masterpiece 'Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'. Jay Berliner was the guitarist on Nyro's debut LP 1967. Richard Davis also played on Nyro LP's and was in her 1976 touring band along with other jazz luminaries which culminated in her double live Season of Lights LP, 1977.
I was the guy who picked you up and give you a ride. I was living in Dublin and had had an argument with my the girlfriend. That's why I drove fast and acted like a lunatic. My name back then was Daniel Weaver. I'm so sorry if I scared you Dave, I needed a vibe and you were the victim brother. Forgive me.
Definitely one of the greatest albums ever made !Richard Davis is incredible, The producer deserves a huge round of applause for allowing it to just breathe, Is capturing that vibe! I heard Davis was in defacto band leader , Van sat in the corner, facing away from muso's Richard Davis , Interpreted or taught the songs to the other players ...have you read 'Here Comes the Night '? The Burt Burns story about the mob ,music in NYC ? He was the writer on Them's Here Comes The Night' produced it @EMI where Jimmy Page played the guitar lick ( with capo!) showed the White lab coated engineers there how to overdub.. that book has some great Van the Man insights! Yet Burt Burns widow claims hassling with Van Morrison about is the morrison about the BANG records contract, trying to get another 'Brown Eyed Girl' was what killed Burt Burns haha .A famous producer friend from the Boston area told me that 'Madame George' was written about a cross dressing professor around Cambridge Mass... I always thought it was about a heroin dealer or something haha I wish I could interview Van Kama I would ask him some interesting fun questions. Thanks for trying to tackle such an interesting, great subject
This is one of those “whole” albums that every artist wants to make , but only a chosen few manage to pull from the ether. As his albums go , this is his legacy recording.
The only problem Morrison has with the album is that he doesn’t own it - he doesn’t own the first 3 Warner Bros’ albums. This has bothered him down the years now and then, and at the time of recording or releasing the album Van was basically starving. He was given one more chance with Moondance - which had to be a hit (otherwise he was getting dropped), hence the big change in style between the 2 albums. I’m quite sure that for Van Morrison “Moondance” was the more important record because it was successful. The “myth” of Astral Weeks came years later.
Yes you're right. I'm pretty sure he was with Bang Records then. He had done "Brown Eyed Girl," and it was a hit, but he made no money on it. Bert Bernes the owner of Bang, had a heart attack and died and I think that's when Van went to Warner Bros'. Bernes's wife sued Van and tried to get him deported, she tried to blame him for Berts death, which was absurd. Van was 22/23 yrs old when he wrote this album under really stressful circumstances. I didn't know that Warners owned Van's first 3 albums. I think he has always and still is an awesome talent. I've been listening to him for over 50+yrs.
@Pamela Macneil - Thank you for the reply. I love his music too - I’m especially into ‘80’s Van, which was when I first got into his music. That 10 year period from “Common One” until “Enlightenment” is incredible and sadly over looked by many people. I can’t think of many other people who emerged from the 60’s who have been as consistent as Ivan has. And this is the thing - he hasn’t stopped and is in the middle of a purple patch right now - what is it, 4 albums in the last 3 years? Amazing. I have a personal connection with “Astral Weeks” for many reasons one of which is that I grew up in Belfast and had family in East Belfast, and he made a very personal album about his own childhood/adolescence into something universal. I read a really good article on Van recently - one of the best - if you’re interested I can send you a link. All the best to you.
@@edwardmulholland7912 Thank you, I would love read that letter. Can you send the link to me on this site or do you want my email. I'm not sure what the rules are regarding what one can or cannot do on anothers site. I think his latest album is called "You're Driving Me Crazy," It's a jazz album with Joey De Francesco, who is no slouch. Anyway you probably know that. The last time I saw him live in Toronto was on his 70th birthday. He was to come for one night, but tickets sold out within an hour, so he agreed to also come the next night. I was able to get tickets and tickets sold out in 3hrs. He was to say the least astonishing! Have you seen the interviews, I think there were 6 of them, where what he talked about, which I love to listen to, was music, including his own. I subscribe to his channel and that's where I heard of them. They even asked people to send in questions and he would answer them. I'm amazed at the scale of music that he has written and how unique and even profound much of it is. Songs like "Not supposed to break down," "Just Like Greta Garbo," and "Listen to the Lion." There's many many more, but I'm sure you know that. Anyway, I won't go on and finish by saying, speaking of Ireland, I love listening to "Hyndford Street." (not sure if I spelled it correctly) Go Well!
@Pamela Macneil let me try sending the link here www.theringer.com/music/2018/11/28/18115160/van-morrison-life-career-albums-astral-weeks I don’t know what you think about bootlegs, I only have a few of those with Van - but there are two that are worth checking out. In ‘73 Van appeared on Irish Television and sang some songs. I’ve not seen the video footage but I have the audio on a bootleg called “Irish troubadour” - he sings an incredible version of “Madame George”. It’s on RU-vid, I’ll try to send you that link. Another great bootleg is an unreleased album called “Chopping Wood” - which again is incredible. The whole unreleased album is also on RU-vid. I’ve seen Van live 3/4 times myself and never been disappointed.
Thank you! I love it myself, but 2 things: the first time I heard it, I didn't understand the long, detailed and informative Wiki page on it, nor did it "floor" me the way other masterpiece albums immediately did. However, something drew in and back to it... as If something was calling me, like an unfinished book, I couldn't quite understand. I immediately wrote a song based on 2 chords and even had the term "astral plane" in it and I still find myself going back to the album from time to time and it still has that strange pull to it. 2nd, I constantly run into people who are huge Morrison fans that have never heard of the album. I'm not sure why, many are just unaware of this gap Brown Eyed Girl and Moondance. And yes, the bass makes the album, imo lol
One of the best music records ever made you can really feel the heartblood that is in this work. I would say the Beatles are the only artist who are in the same atmosphere than Van Morrsion
I didn’t discover this until a few years ago but it definitely is mystical. One of the best. But genius is never genius at the time it’s made but only when it slips it’s way into world consciousness.
the sameyness is the numinous patina over gold. i don't listen to it now, like pet sounds i know it's there but is too much melancholy for these days anymore. now is the time for schubert and his unrequited love.
To a lot less loose extent, I see Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom as being like this--Elvis kind of gave his ego and control over to someone else with his own vision and it worked great.
Astral Weeks' is on my Top Ten! A similarly dense and resonant album is Tom Waits' 'Saturday Night' -- I've played it overandoverandover for 46 years, and yet feel that I've neglected it. American pop music from the 30's to the mid 60's is reverentially given its due by a passionately and intuitively creative and intelligent polymath. Hell, I think Tom Waits could have been president (wish he had) or cured cancer or come up with the Theory of Everything, but he made the best choice of all. Would you consider unpacking this album, David?
The album could've been very different. Among the outtakes was an early version of "I've Been Working," which ended up on the Streetchoir album. Van had recorded early versions of "Beside You" and "Madame George" for the Bang label, and he only re-recorded them because his legal settlement with Bang obligated him to include two songs he'd recorded for them. Also, calling the two sides "In the Beginning" and "Afterwards" was Merenstein's idea, not Van's.
@Scott Halloween ok here it is, I bought front seat ticket 3,4 months in advance. 2 persons was sitting there & I told them I have ticket for the seat & I man showed me his ticket for same seat & I told him I have the real ticket. He didn't realize his tickes were fake, ( boot legs ) but he refused to move. Now I was talking so loud that Van stop playing & wanted the fuck is going on? Next 2 ushers carried down a beautiful leather lounge chair & Van told them to put right there in front stage. I sat in it & Van ask if I am comfortable? Yes thank you Van. He ask my permission to if can go back on. He did and he started playing again. Intermittent band took a 20 min break. So I went out to my limo lit up smoke put did a few lines and than his back up girls were out side freezing & smoking. I told them to jump in and get warm. They did few lines with me & started talking about how I stopped the show? They all thought it was very funny how it turned out nice for me. Than I ask them is there any way I could Van and get his autograph? Laughing and said, not after I pissed him off he wouldn't meet me? I was introduced & turned on to his music since I was 17yr old have everything Van put out. I even use to text Shana his daughter and we got to kmow each other very well. I love this mans music and I will always play till the day I die. I'm 71yr old. and a Woodstock 69 survivor' thanks for your reply back Scott & hope I didn't bore you with all this? My love started with this " its all over now baby blue" he did it way better than Dylan? Listen to it Scott on the Them album?
I agree. VM never convinced (appealed to) me as r'n'b/soul singer. This album: it sounds to me that the bass is the music, and its sense of jazz improvisation is what allows Van's improvised vocal style to sound at home/ok (even to me, for a change). This album makes me think of how bluesy contemporaries of Van could've benefitted from playing with a jazz bassist. In my head, doing that could've made Rory Gallagher a better guitarist. Doing that is what made John Mayall the most successful 60s bluesman in the UK. To keep doing that, though, would've put pressure on these guys to develop as musicians, rather than "just being a singer/songwriter" in their own comfort zone, and I'd say why that's why VM wasn't interested in that direction and a lot of his (rock) contemporaries didn't even try. Maybe the disappointing output of a contemporary sort-of-jazz-bassist (Jack Bruce) partly discouraged the idea, in that circle of bluesy 60s musicians in (or about) the UK.
