Van Morrison – Astral Weeks Review

Once a strong singer of relevance and now a pop-up shop of cheap covers, Van Morrison used to matter. His experiences, delivered so beautifully on sophomore record Astral Weeks, are a long road away from his appearance now. A conspiracy nut rattling the cage of his mansion, telling people to get out into the fresh air when a global pandemic rocked the world. It never used to be this way, and if anything, Morrison is proof of brain rot. Astral Weeks comes from a time when the mind was sharp, the writing sharper. Exceptional prose and a hell of a time capturing the experience of a boom in trust and a sincere swerve upwards in musicians who could be trusted to capture the world around them. Morrison is no longer part of that group, but he once was – and in the process, he captured some of the very best songs available. 

Similar to the greatest records of Bob Dylan, the appeal of Astral Weeks in contemporary listening is that of matching a mood, recapturing a time never experienced by those holding their ear to it. Close the day with a dedication to a traipse through childhood streets. This is lightning in a bottle work. Nobody, not even Morrison, could write this or anything similar again. Stars do not align in motions like this anymore. Astral Weeks has Morrison and his listeners venture through the slipstream – the world of possibilities at his feet as he traipses on through, hoping to be found by some distant loved one yet to be met. A seven-minute titan of a track which marks such a shift in quality for Morrison. Slight flute interjections paired with a tender acoustic rhythm, the ultra-specifics and observations made by Morrison are exceptional here.  

Morrison elevates the standard back-and-forth of love from a physical feel to a spiritual exercise, a bonding element to his words which spring to life on Beside You. It is one part to be there in the literal sense, in the flesh, but another entirely to be there in the mind and present on a level beyond expression – the frequency and repetition, the elongation which bookends the “breathe in, breathe out”, is stunning. Chamber folk essentials flow through the four In the Beginning tracks. Celtic Folk influence bleeds through Sweet Thing while the pockets of brass which bring a swinging rhythm to The Way Young Lovers Do is nothing but classy.  

Impressive qualities which will no doubt stump listeners, whether it is their first spin or their hundredth. Astral Weeks has a quality beyond doubt. Shimmering and laid back as Ballerina is, there is a sense of needing an end. Those moments where you just cannot go on. Ring the bell, tap out of it all. Morrison offers listeners an easy way out of their troubles, to admit defeat. But it is passion and a drive for emotional moments which drives us during these tough times – and Morrison captures this perfectly throughout this seven-minute Astral Weeks highlight. Album closer Slim Slow Slider is a heartwarming bit of music, a nice companion to Cyprus Avenue and the frenetic momentum it carries. Astral Weeks is one of the great artistic achievements of modern culture – nothing can or will shake it from this place of true beauty and wonder.