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View Full Version : Album Club Week 75: 09.01.2013: Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)



Alex_UK
09-01-2013, 21:08
Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RV37clhWL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
http://open.spotify.com/album/1EGgZgY8BFqFqAc7rq5j8r


Van Morrison went a long way towards defining his wild Irish heart with his first two classic albums: the brooding, introspective Astral Weeks and the expansive, swinging Moondance. If the first was the work of a poet, its sequel was the statement of a musician and bandleader. Moondance is that rare rock album where the band has buffed the arrangements to perfection and where the sax solos instead of the guitar. The band puts out a jazzy shuffle on "Moondance" and plays it soulful on "These Dreams of You". The album includes both Morrison's most romantic ballad ("Crazy Love") and his most haunting ("Into the Mystic"). "And It Stoned Me" rolled off Morrison's tongue like a favourite fable, while "Caravan" told a tale full of emotional intrigue. Moondance stood out in the rock world of 1970 like a grown-up in a kiddie matinee. --John Milward

A reserve choice selection this week - enjoy!

Audioman
12-01-2013, 13:34
Strangely no interest so far. Very good album but more Jazz than rock. I have the Warner/RTI reissue so will give it a spin. Not sure I prefer Astral Weeks or Band And Street Choir.

RichB
12-01-2013, 14:33
A seven frome me.... I do like it but Astral Weeks is one of of my all time fav albums and this has just never grabbed me in the same way. I think the difference is in the storytelling and songwriting. Astral Weeks just seems more involved.

Van also loses a point for being a right old miserable git and barely being arsed to grace the stage to blow a bit sax when a pal and I had shelled out a small fortune to see him a few years ago. I appreciate everyone has their off nights but he really couldnt be arsed and it showed. We were left very cold by it. His band were fantastic though.

Tim
12-01-2013, 19:14
Funnily enough I had a Van Morrison session recently, but didn't play this one so I'll give it a spin before voting, going to be up there though, as I love a bit of VM ;)

Tim
13-01-2013, 11:01
Well I'm going to go with 8/10. I think I still prefer Astral Weeks from his early period, but this could possibly be because it was the first VM album I heard, so it conjures up some great memories from the early 70's.

If anyone is new to Van, then also try Poetic Champions Compose and Avalon Sunset, which are two of my other favourites from the 80's.

Nice reserve choice Alex.

I'm actually playing The Healing Game right now :)

MartinT
16-01-2013, 06:30
Moondance for me has always been Van the Man's seminal album. Wonderful music and I have used it as a reference since my earliest days, an album that always sounds at least good but is difficult to make sound great. It separates the men from the boys in system terms.

I have the original vinyl pressing, a boxed reissue and the CD. It has been one of my few constant albums on rotation over the years, so for that and because I love it I give it 10/10.

Oh, for interest my all-time favourite VM album is Common One. That gets an 11!

Tarzan
16-01-2013, 11:08
Brilliant album- into the mystic- one of my desert island discs- amazing track.:)

Canetoad
16-01-2013, 11:45
I love this. I give it an 8. :)

Audio Al
16-01-2013, 15:26
7 For me

Enjoyable easy listening album , good vocals and band

I have not gone out of my way to listen to VM but will give it a go from now on :)

guyhayton
16-01-2013, 20:22
Easy - a ten for me.

Reminds me of a girl friend who was (at the time) "My Brown Eyed Girl"
:eyebrows:


>>>before anyone points it out.. I know that Brown Eyed Girl isn't on this album!

MartinT
17-01-2013, 09:03
Another Van Morrison song in the same vein, Guy, is I'll be Your Lover Too from His Band and the Street Choir. Simply sublime.

guyhayton
17-01-2013, 22:10
Yeah - that's another sublime track from The Man.

The Grand Wazoo
17-01-2013, 23:04
He's another one of those artists that I have a love/hate relationship with. However, there's no question about this album - it's excellent from beginning to end and the main reason for the love part. The thing I like best about it is that the songs are just really good storytelling. Great album - 8/10.

Audioman
18-01-2013, 17:52
Frankly I think this album is a little front loaded songwise. I think it is the production, arrangements and playing that pull it all together and maintain the quality. There is a fine line between brilliance and a droning bore with Van The Man. This album was part of a run of brilliant releases which he has never been able to reproduce in the last 30-40 years. Not perfect or a favourite album so 8/10.

Beechwoods
18-01-2013, 18:10
There are some massive standouts on this, but it is a bit of a patchy classic I'd have to agree. I'd give it 8½ out of 10!

My personal Van all-time favourite tracks - Enlightenment and Rave On John Donne (the live version). I saw Van doing a 'non-curmudgeonly' set in Malvern some years ago. Really good, but there was something about his 70's live performances that he's not been able to recapture.

pjdowns
09-09-2013, 22:20
I recently bought a 'boxset' of this album and am so far pretty damn impressed... an 8 out of 10 for me :)