Moondance Music

Average Rating:

And he came up with this album. THere is not a bad song on it. Wheter it's the sexual confusion of Moondance or the strange romance of "Crazy Love" and "Into the Mystic" this CD will make you remember the weirdest girl you ever loved, the friends you don't keep touch with and the moments outside under a summer moon with a tequila bottle, strangers that you love and a fire. Or maybe other things.

But for this CD, I can forgive Van Morrison the pain that is Astral Weeks. I can almost forgive the entire 60s music scene with its 5 hour guitar solos, but I won't go that far. Just play "Brand New Day" a couple of times, and you will be in a forgiving mood too.

ItÕs also the only one of his albums I know of Ð the only album by anyone, for that matter Ð that is rewarding to listen to no matter what kind of music youÕre in the mood for. Unlike Astral Weeks, or Veedon Fleece, which you wonÕt appreciate unless youÕre willing to sit down and listen carefully, Moondance can work as high-energy background music while youÕre doing something else. The horns, the rhythm, that soothing, but never bland voice Ð it has a soulful, jazzy groove that wonÕt quit and is fun to listen to over and over.

But it has another side. When youÕre ready, sit down and pay attention and youÕll find lyrics as deep and poetic as anything on Astral Weeks, and fine, subtle, soulful singing that youÕll miss when youÕre just focusing on the big, brassy sound. ItÕs not just that Van Morrison has a gorgeous, soul-shaking voice, and brilliant phrasing, although he certainly does. He sings with so much genuine passion that he makes you see the world in a whole new way. And It Stoned Me, for instance, is about nothing more than water Ð fishing, swimming, rain and drinking Ð but the way he sings "oh, the water" makes the experience shine like great poetry.

I donÕt know any other album that has it all the way Moondance does. No matter how many times you listen to it, you can never exhaust its possibilities. I have hundreds of CDs, but, hands down, this is the one I play the most.

This must be the most well known and thus general favourite of all of the Van Morrison albums. Coming early as it does in his solo career and with some great songs with catchy lines and recognisable lyrics this album encapsulates in a sense all of Van's career.

Along with Astral Weeks this album carves out it's own territory. It is hard to remember how different those vocals sounded to people back in 1970. Sung in what was essentially a revolutionary way with very different phrasing Van Morrison's singing style was a counterpoint to the soft San Francisco vocals and a step removed from the blues style vocals which characterised Britain's blues scene.

The quality of the songs is exceptionally high both lyrically and instrumentally. Van conveys his emotions very clearly and the result is an album which seems light and summery but which transmits themes of spirituality and romance with the celtic mysticism which was to become a more important part of the maestro's work in later years.

The sun was shining yesterday and it was a glorious day to revisit the album. Strangely enough when the album was over I turned on the radio only to hear the first bars of Moondance behind the DJs mindless chatter. I was glad when he shut up and I could hear it's magnetic refrain once again.

Enjoy.