Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Honestly a classic record. Honestly it was a five star record for me for so many years of my younger days. However, since then many records have replaced this in my pantheon of five stars. Today I still get thrilled to listen to this record but not all the time. Better that way.
aburrido y lento
19/08/2026 I have no strong feelings towards this album. It was harmless. Spotify listeners: 12.2 million
This was...fine. I should like it more than I did. Vans just a little off time too much for me on every song. But you can tell hes doing his own thing and hes all in. And the music is great. I like this in small doses
Really impressive album, just short of a 5. genuinely enjoyed it
Van Halen's tamer older brother
This is my second Van Morrison album of the week. What a treat. Astral Weeks is probably my favourite of all the Van Morrison albums I’ve listened to. It’s incredibly soulful, and unlike a lot of people, I really enjoy his voice. Considering this album is nearly 60 years old, it still sounds remarkably fresh and modern. The music throughout is beautiful, and the lyrics can occasionally be really sweet and moving. “Madame George” and “Astral Weeks” are both brilliant songs and easily the highlights for me. The only real miss is “Slim Slow Slider,” which feels a little like an afterthought following the seven brilliant songs that come before it. It’s a slightly disappointing ending to an otherwise superb album. Overall, Astral Weeks is fantastic. Beautiful music, soulful vocals and some wonderful songwriting. Definitely my favourite Van Morrison album. Favourite tracks: “Madame George,” “Astral Weeks” Least favourite track: “Slim Slow Slider” Album artwork: Cool cover. Simple, distinctive and very much of its era.
I like Van Morrison, but too many of these songs seemed to drag on for (Astral) Weeks. Very repetitive lyrics and music but not very memorable.
Honestly was pretty enjoyable. Something like 3.5? I don't have any takeaways and probably wouldn't come back to it, but it was a good listen. Very fun and definitely seemed like it'd be unique for its time.
It was ok, not a huge fan other than the final track. Had never heard of it but seemed typical of its time.
Really enjoyed it. Great mix of genres and a legendary voice.
good
A lighter fluffier van Morrison in which the strings and orchestration provide an interesting layer, but I don’t think this is Van’s best stuff. No real separation between tracks and nothing super standout except maybe “Madam George” and “Astral Weeks”. Good in small doses but otherwise ho hum.
nn é minha praia
What a peaceful and joyful album! at least sonically. No idea what that man said throughout but the music itself made me happy. 8/10
A celtic album stuffed full of real soul and love
I prefer his brother car.
I'm not loving this as much as his other stuff, esp. Crazy Love & Brown Eyed Girl but I do have a soft spot for Van Morrison.
I really like Van Morrison's chill psychedelic vibes but it gets too much sometimes. Not a lot of favorites here save for Sweet Thing.
Van Morrison, der aus Belfast stammende Songwriter und Sänger, nahm sein zweites Soloalbum im Herbst 1968 in den Century Sound Studios in New York auf – ein Ortswechsel, der zugleich einen radikalen musikalischen Bruch markierte. Nach dem juristischen Tauziehen um seinen früheren Vertrag mit Bang Records fand Morrison bei Warner Bros. die Freiheit, sich von den Pop-Konventionen seines Hits „Brown Eyed Girl" zu lösen. Zusammen mit einer Gruppe erfahrener Jazzmusiker, die ihn zuvor kaum kannte und ohne Noten oder Proben ins Studio ging, entstand ein Werk, das Folk, Jazz, Blues und klassische Elemente zu einem fließenden, fast improvisatorischen Klangbild verwebt. Songs wie das Titelstück „Astral Weeks", „Cyprus Avenue", „Sweet Thing" und das ausufernde „Madame George" zeigen, wie sehr Morrison hier auf Intuition statt auf Struktur setzte. Seine Stimme agiert weniger als Erzählinstrument denn als weiteres Instrument im Ensemble – mal flüsternd, mal beschwörend, stets im Dialog mit Kontrabass, Flöte und Streichern. Es ist ein Album, das sich klassischen Songformen entzieht und stattdessen einen fast meditativen Sog entfaltet, dem man sich nur schwer entziehen kann. Kommerziell blieb der Erfolg zunächst aus, doch die spätere Rezeption stellte das Album in die vorderste Reihe der Popmusikgeschichte. Was zunächst wie ein Rückzug aus dem Erwartbaren wirkte, erweist sich im Rückblick als mutiger Schritt in unbekanntes Terrain – und genau darin liegt bis heute die Faszination dieses Albums. Ein Werk, das seine Zeit nicht nur überdauert, sondern regelrecht verklärt hat.
Third and, I believe, final offering from Van the man. I found this one quite different from the previous offerings and reading the background about how it was created this makes sense. There's a much more apparent jazz influence and just generally a more freeflow and improvised feeling about this whole record. Despite my generally lukewarm feelings towards improvised jazz, I quite enjoyed it here. Van Morrison sings and plays around and over the breezy, laid back instrumentals and makes for a very chilled and pleasant experience. It feels like there's far too much to pick through and fully appreciate on only a couple of listens in a short space of time so I can see myself coming back to it in future. But my gut feeling is that this is one of the better ways to make a jazz album. Let the musicians do their thing, then hone it down and drizzle your songs over the top of it.
Frábær plata. Geggjaður þáttur um þessa plötu hjá Andrew Hickey: https://open.spotify.com/episode/040WsW0JZ2eyYT36GlsgQf?si=08691357f3bb46e9 Gerir henni mjög góð skil, Van Morrison er nottla bilaður en frábær tónlistarmaður.
Þarf að Vanda mig svo þetta verði ekki Vandræðalegt. Er Vanalega ekki mikið fyrir Van en ekki Vantar ekki hæfileikana og ég veit að þetta er hans Vandaðasta verk. Vandamálið sjálfsagt Vankunnátta mín. Hann Vann aðeins á en það er Vandlifað þegar maður er svona Vandfýsinn.
This was fine. Nothing special, but it did help set a calm mood.
This was very nice on a Sunday afternoon in the sunshine...
Interesting album that works like spoken word poetry over intense folk music in the background. I don't love it but also don't mind it
Another beautiful album. It all kinda sounds the same, but it’s good enough that it doesn’t matter.
Teším sa na nejaký iný album od niekoho iného.
Veel van Van Morrison vind ik wel fijn, maar dit album in z’n geheel vind ik niet heel goed. Nummers gaan allemaal wat te lang door, beetje veel van hetzelfde. Beter los de juiste nummers luisteren en doorleven.
Fokuseret lyt på en gåtur gennem en skov. Jeg kom ud på den anden side uendelig træt af 60erne. Hvorfor er der ikke noget bid i størstedelens lyd? Det er så glat og intetsigende alt sammen.
Ærgerligt at man vælger så uinteressant musik med sådan en stemme
I'm familiar with Van Morrison. I have 18 songs like by him on Spotify. I've already had 2 albums of his on this website. I liked ALL the songs on Moondance (Rating = 5) and NONE of the songs on the live album (Rating = 1). So I'm curious where this one fits in that spectrum. I do already have 1 liked song on this album - "Sweet Thing" Thoughts after listening 3 times ... I don't think any of these songs have a chorus. It's not a bad thing, just different than the songs on Moondance and many of his other hits. In that way it definitely reminds me of Springsteen's first album - which has voluminous lyrics with atypical song structures. After going back and reading the Wikipedia - they mention this too. That's cool! I ended up liking 3 new to me songs in addition to the 1 I already had. New songs are "Astral Weeks", "Beside You" and "Ballerina" Liked songs on Spotify: 4/8 Rating: 3/5
Another Van Morrison album where I'm biased towards a love stemming from the warm embrace of his voice, raising from deep within nostalgic feelings for family roadtrips in a bygone era, sitting in the back of the car on the road to Florida playing a gameboy, looking out the window taking in the landscapes of America with the innocent eyes of a child. The music for me is reminiscent of spring, both due to the instrumentation and the lyrics, but additionally due to that nostalgia of family trips consistently being in February, a respite from the end of winter to escape somewhere warmer just as everything started to warm. Sweet Thing featuring flutes and string instruments, the harpsichord on Cyprus Avenue, The Way Young Lovers do featuring the vibraphone, so many of the sounds on the album elicit feelings of a gentle awakening from the snow. The lyrics of The Way Young Lovers Do is maybe the most obvious example of the lyrical calls, with the title itself presenting ideas of youth and early love, where lovers are no different than spring flowers starting to bloom, and no less vibrant in their color.
I've never been able to get into his wailing, but the music is nice.
The epitome of easy listening. Too bad easy listening is just kind of boring.
Van - tastic. I understand that he may be a bit of a knob but I enjoyed this and maybe back in day when this was released he wasn’t such a knob.
I liked it, a little long, but he's such a good wordsmith, very interesting. I like his next one better.
Two chord noodle music, meaningless words and a "just took a bite of food" delivery. I'm out.
stream of consciousness
Good but doesn’t compare to the masterful Moondance.
Totally Morrison
Jazzy, folky, soulful - one of the most unique, distinctive albums of the 60s, it's totally unmistakable.
Van Morrison has one of the best voices of all time. Great album with great vocals!
Dosta underwhelming, dosadno i same same cijeli album, čekala sam da se nešto dogodi i nisam dočekala. 2/5, 3/10
234. ok
I've always been 100% positive towards Van, but some of this is nearly unlistenable.
I saw Van Morrison at New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2019. It was the worst show I have ever seen. Abysmal. Ever since then, I see his name and have Vietnam flash backs to that day.
astral weeks isch en guuuete song. er redt vom hudie leadbetter und de andrew hickey het weg dem e halbstündigi tangent gmacht i sim podcast. super. s isch würkli schön amel, immer chli s glich aber so cypress avenue isch en direkte vorgänger zum bob seger haha. okay ich has z wenig aktiv glost aber es 3 isches sicher. es sind seehr schöni songs und er het mega en sound mitem kontrabass und sinere art zum singe.
uii grossi wort füres album! de erst song het öppis mega lieblichs und beruhigends es isch bis jz scho au sehr speziell und weckt es speziells gfühl in mier, aber chume au nöd ganz würkli druus hahaha jedes lied isch iwie würkli e chlini reis, weiss nöd öb das sinn macht iwie het jedes lied en gwüsse ufbau und verlürt sich denn wieder gege endi vom song? bi madame george passiert nöd vill aber trz wirds eim über die 9ehalb minute nöd langwilig ich muss es nomal in rueh lose, bis jz isch es iwie es komischs, aber reeecht cools album es vermittlet es gfühl wo ich immernanig chegge hahah so zweite durchlauf es paar täg spöter, vlt chumi meh drus hahah ich weiss nöd wie vill devoo d musig ah sich isch und wie vill s ganze arrangement vode songs, aber d instrument sind meh hindergrundmusig oder es fundament für de morrison, zum drüber singe und gschichte verzelle? und ich meine das positiv! machts ganze au vill spezieller ich verstah mega, wiso das album so globt wird, gsehn mich scho das au in zuekunft innezlose und mich chli drin z verlüre
Ya lo dije antes con Bob Dylan, no me gusta el folk, puede haber excepciones, pero es un NAH casi garantizado en mi. Escuchando con más atención, puedo confirmarlo aún mejor; no me gusta su voz, no me gusta cuando grita. Los acompañamientos de lo que me parece que es un clavicordio o lo que sea en Cyprus Avenue son hermosos, pero su voz no me dejó apreciarlos lo suficiente. Para no quejarme tanto, The Way Young Lovers Do no suena taaaaaaan mal en comparación con el resto de canciones del álbum, no lo suficientemente disfrutable para escucharlo nuevamente. No lo odio, nadie me obliga, no lo escucho con un arma apuntando a mi cabeza, pero me gusta entender mejor por qué no me gustan ciertas cosas, es interesante.
slow, chill, nice album. saved 1, shelved 4 of 8.
Álbum com melodias muito bonitas. Experiência bem agradável. QoA Vesper.
Astral Weeks is one of those albums that's often described as a masterpiece, and while I can appreciate why, it didn't completely click for me. The songwriting is poetic and the musicianship is undeniably strong, with a loose, jazzy folk sound that's different from most albums of its era. Van Morrison's vocals are expressive and the arrangements create a dreamy, almost stream-of-consciousness atmosphere. That said, I found it more admirable than engaging. The songs tend to drift rather than build, and although the album has a unique mood, very few moments really stood out or stayed with me after it ended. I can understand why it's so influential—its blend of folk, jazz, soul, and Celtic influences was remarkably original in 1968—but for me, it was more of an interesting listen than an unforgettable one. Overall, a good album that I respect more than I enjoyed. I can see myself revisiting it someday to see if it grows on me, but on a first listen it was solid rather than exceptional.
An inoffensive way to pass the time, if not particularly thrilling. Was caught offguard by the random 9m and 6m tracks towards the end of the album.
Some tracks were good but others I found such a slog to get through
Bit slow and drawn out for my tastes but ultimately quite good
It was a slightly different kind of music for me.
Slow but ok background music
Currently my favourite album
I only knew Van Morrison’s hits so I was excited to listen to this, but it was a huge disappointment. Morrison’s distinctive voice was made for belting but the instrumentation here is mostly that soft, downbeat style that was popular in the late 60’s. The two do not mesh at all. Oil and water. The jazzy “The Way Young Lovers Do” is the only track on here that plays to his strengths. Hopefully this was just the awkward transition album between his pop solo debut album and his distinctive soul sound.
Thought this album was good but not great. I just wish Van Morrison had made his voice a tiny bit more acoustic to match the tracks. Season: Early Winter Favorite Song: Slim Slow Slider
Great album by a man with a lot of soul
I don't know, man, but for some reason I felt like this was a real slog. I generally like Van Morrison, but I really only know his big hits (Moondance, Tupelo Honey, It's Stoned Me, Brown-eyed Girl, etc.). This was maybe just too deep a cut with no real bright spots that I could hear. The instrumentation was more melodic and bright than I expected, which was nice, but the vocals were just sooo Van Morrison, and after like 2-3 songs they really got tiresome to listen to. It took me a few sessions to get through and by the end of it I was just like, "Finally...". Two stars.
Yes, the guy is a massive sack. Honestly, I have removed the man from the music, and this album was formative for me. It’s my favourite ever album.
Wasn’t overly familiar with any of these VM tunes, but I always seem to enjoy his music and voice. 3.5
The Good: We get to have a weekly horoscope versus a monthly one!!! The Bad: Even the weekly ones suck… The Ugly: Finding that new horoscopes needs new animals, and turns out my astral week is the eel…. I kept waiting for Into the Mystic to kick in… but it never did. I liked some songs. I didn’t like other songs… I couldn’t care less for more after this album… Why oh why are there 3 Van M albums on this list? Why include both Moondance and Astral Weeks when, IMHO, they are exactly the same? So, good thing is that I don’t have to listen to VM anymore on this list… though I still don’t mind listening to a greatest hits album of his, I don’t care to listen to an entire album as there is too much crap involved. 3* that should have been 2...
Very good
Ah yes, here we go again. Some good ol' 60s folk that I can hardly tell apart from all the other 60s folk I've had. I really wanted to like this album more than I did, Van Morrison is someone I hear about a lot and he's generally very acclaimed. But so far every album of his I've had has left me with this feeling of complete neutrality. Not even really in a bad way, more just like "well, I listened to that album and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, but nothing really right with it." And I guess this is just another album to add to the collection. I really do want to give Van Morrison a fairer chance, given how praised he is, but I really just don't understand the appeal of his music over the many other similar artists of his time.
this guy is shit
Just beautiful. I want to curl up with a blanket in midwinter, stare at the ceiling, and feel too many feelings while listening to this album. This would have wrecked me as a teenager. The instrumentals were simultaneously moody and airy, accompanied by passionate, gutting vocals. It’s a magical album.
More like astral years amiright? I have long thought that Van Morrison had a voice so beautiful that he could read a phone book and make it sound decent. On this album he decided to test that premise. Honestly, I think a theme of Van Morrison's career is his use of angelic vocals to hide uninspired songwriting.
I will always have a soft spot for Van Morrison. I already know Moondance will be a five star album for me. But can’t say that this one particularly stood out to me - classic Van Morrison vibes, I had a good time but no really stand out songs.
Alright, chill rock vibes.
The more I listen to Van Morrison the more boring I find him.
I'm just glad Brown-Eyed Girl wasn't on this cause I fucking hate that song. His voice is not my favourite
There's no other album like this - so spooky and hypnotic. Some incredible jazz musicians with a strange Irish man singing about prostitutes and viaducts in the strangest voice you've ever heard. Structure makes no sense. Songs drag on forever. Such an easy 5 stars.
Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Near Perfect - A stunningly beautiful poetic expression of a certain time and place. Astral Weeks evokes a rain-soaked, verdant and mystic Belfast with its jazzy grooves and meandering verses. The lyrical abstraction and softer tones contrasts incredibly with Van's bluesy, soulful voice which still hits full force sometimes. Brilliant, brilliant album that I could easily consider perfect in the right mood.
Nice music. Don't care for his voice.
It’s an interesting album. I can understand why people do not like Van Morrison’s “Stream Of Consciousness” song writing style because some of the songs do ramble. But, this album was written at the time where Van Morrison was his most uncertain. In 1967, the owner of the record company he had a contract with dies of a congenital heart defect. The wife blames Van Morrison for “killing” him because they had an argument about artistic freedom a few days earlier. So, she vows that he would never be allowed to play in New York City again. So, he and his girlfriend end up in a crappy apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts, So, I think the lyrics of this album are a way of him trying not to go insane.
hated this a lot less than the other one Would I listen again: no Deserves to be on this list: eh, it's fine 3.0
Sunshine and rainbows
One of the most amazing and talented musicians of all time and this early work is a masterpiece.
This was a nice relaxing accompaniment to a July morning walk to work. In particular ‘Sweet Thing’ is a work of beauty and this is continued through’Cypress Avenue’ As the album goes on Van’s habit of just repeating the same bit multiple times starts to register more (as does his ability to end a song….repeat to fade) and prevents this from being a truly great album. Overall though this is an enjoyable listen and certainly worthy of its place on lists like this.
Van the Man is at his screechy best (worst?) here, especially on “Beside You”, which has the capacity to a beautiful song were it not for all the bloody screeching, and “Ballerina”. I know this is considered a classic and, by some, his magnum opus, but, much like Van himself, it’s not an album that has ever clicked with me. It does have “Cyprus Avenue” on it which, as I previously mentioned when I had to listen to a 10min live version of it because of this generator, makes me a little warm and fuzzy about my home (see also: “Madame George”). But only a little.
Well the title track really lulled me into a false sense of security. I thought I was going to hate this before pressing play, but I really enjoyed the title track. I thought track 2, Beside You, was absolute bollocks. I got irrationally annoyed by the mixing of track 3, Sweet Thing, particularly the very loud triangle in my left ear at the beginning. I liked The Way Young Lovers Do but that was mostly despite Van than because of him (yay trumpets!). I get really annoyed by how he drrrrrrraaaaaaagggggssss oooooouuuuttttt tthhhhhheee voooooooocaaaaaaaals one minute, then suddenlysayssuddenlysayssuddenlysayssuddenlysays the same couple of words repeatedly and very quickly. In one song it'd be fine, but he repeats the same trick again and again and it's really irritating. On the basis that I can't give an album a 1 where I liked two tracks quite a lot, this should feel lucky to get a: 2/5
I read about this album when I was ~16, went and listened to it, and decided it was too mature and meditative for my young brain. I’ve just tried again at 27 and I can confirm that it still mostly sounds like rambling bullshit. Maybe I’ll give it another shot next decade.
Van Morrison is one of those names that pop up frequently but also mesh with other popular acts, I've often associated the artist with Van Halen or the Doors (go on and tell me he doesn't look like Jim in these old pictures). I'm excited, this will be my first time actively listening to him. A couple of listens later and I find him ahead of his time, maybe by a decade. Modest, too, this is definitely influential. I get it, though, a lot of this is intuitive, it doesn't feel more complete for academic reasons. It hits an emotional high, a recognizable one, and with better than decent lyrics along the way. Even so, I don't know if I'll want to visit this again. I can hear the jazz influence in the musicians, and the folk roots are agreeable even, but I can't -want- to come back to this. Is it jangly acoustics? Is it how they combine with his lyrics in a somewhat traditional folk-y way? I'm not sure, maybe future generator releases will help me understand my aversion to certain brands of folk. At least here I find something I can easily respect. 3.1/5
Beautiful but boring
it's good but why he sound like dat
I won’t go into my album listening history with VM as I did so previously, but I’d always heard this was THE ALBUM one must listen to as a fan. When I finally did I recall being underwhelmed by it. I didn’t think it was bad, but I was missing actual songs. I think I might’ve only played it once or twice. And felt like I must be missing something. Well here we are again, about 35 years later. Was I still going to feel the same way? The easy answer was mostly yes. I was still missing the songs with the hooks that grab you and make you love music. But I did get the appreciation for it as an album. As a vibe. As the cohesive package that he was trying to get across. And it totally worked with that as the overall feel. Unfortunately, I still was left wanting the songs. It’s a great album. I can’t deny it. But it’s also not as enjoyable as many of his other ones for me.
The jazz band that Van Morrison brought in for his sophomore album gives the music a rich and relaxing sound. A lot of the songs here are quite lengthy, but don't feel it. My favourite song on here is actually the shortest. On "The Way Young Lovers Do", the band are at their most busiest and bustling. Morrison's voice is a sticking point for me. When he strains, he distracts from the otherwise pleasant music. This is most noticeable on "Beside You". I'd like this album more if it had someone like Nick Drake singing over these tracks. The folk-jazz hybrid instrumentation actually reminded me a lot of Drake's Bryter Layter, but this is nowhere near as excellent as that record is though.
Loved this
I don’t know what to make of Van Morrison. He’s a nut job, but he also creates some pretty chill music. It’s a bit flighty and chaotic at times. Mostly due to him screaming at random intervals. This is one of my wife’s favorite albums, I didn’t dig it nearly that much. It does have the impressive feat of each song being done in one take in the studio. Overall, it’s not a bad listening experience.
I'm afraid I just don't like his voice very much.
i thought this mf killed vampires tf is this hippie shit
I would love Van Morrison's songs more if they were sung by someone else. I can only take his voice in small doses and then it starts to grate on my nerves.
A fine album but isn’t there a better one by him? I don’t know his catalogue well but these are not the songs that I know.
You hear one Van Morrison song and you basically have heard them all
It’s like he purposely is making an enjoyable folk-pop song, then doing everything he can to turn it into something completely unlistenable.
Okay
Van Morrison has a very timely vocal style, and the music is pleasant enough. I don't mind listening to it and the album went by fast enough, though Madame George is way too long.
With no choruses, no hooks, repetitive stream of consciousness lyrics, and the average song length creeping close to 6 mins, this felt like it moved at a glacial pace on first listen. On the other hand, I appreciate the mix of flutes, acoustic guitar and double bass. Maybe I'd appreciate it more with another listen and I'm just burnt out with so many folk albums in a row.
This is, like, THE Van Morrison album you always hear about but… not one recognizable song, nothing stands out, it’s just… fine.
Van Morrison is what it is. Not exactly my cup of tea but beloved by millions. Solidly ok.
It’s not Moondance, but it’ll do.
Not a fan of him as a person. But this album is a masterpiece. Proper storytelling. Feels like you’re in Belfast with him
I've wanted to listen to this album for a while now, so I'm very excited for this. The tital track, also the opener, is a journey. It keeps building and building until both the vocals and instrumentals reach an emotional high. Love it. The vocals can be a bit challenging, as he goes into high notes suddenly, without those being earned. They are a big part of why the second track doesn't work as well. Sweet Thing is nice. Cypresse Avenue has a great ending. The Way Lovers do is great, second best track so far. I need to pay more attention to Madame George's lyrics, but I really like it at first listen. Bittersweet. Ballerina gets obnoxious at points. He really needs to give that voice a rest damn. And then the closer is a bit of a let down. Not bad, just not that interesting. Since there aren't that many tracks, having a few that aren't killer can be a death sentence. In this case, I liked about half the tracks, and the rest either irked me or were unimpressive. That being said, I was a bit thrown off by the first few songs, as the vocals reached points at times that bordered on unpleasent. But the rest of the record surprised me! This was a nice experience.
I didn’t find this to be particularly moving
van morrison. like it or leave it.
Ganz nett.
I would’ve enjoyed this album so much more if the songs were more succinct and most of them were anywhere between 2-6 minutes shorter. They go on for too long. Otherwise, I liked the production.
Although Vans writing and songs sort of feel the same throughout, his appeal is timeless. he is poetry in music.
Very groovy for 68..not rock. Jazz sounds, r&b vocals, painted from memory lyrics. Dug it.
Albums like this always introduce internal thought in me about what makes an album "good". I feel like, for everything I could say against this album, there are albums that I like that I would say it either doesn't affect my enjoyment of the album or is a bonus for me. For example, I could say that everything on this album sounds the same, but I love artists like Future or Bob Dylan, who also make very homogenous albums. I could say I don't like the style he's doing, but a quick look through my other ratings makes it pretty clear that's not true. I don't get why this album doesn't do it for me, it just doesn't though. It doesn't have that factor that makes it stand out. Favorites: Sweet Thing, The Way Young Lovers Do
I liked this one much less than Moondance, but it was nevertheless a very enjoyable listen. Most of the tracks warranted their long runtimes with satisfying progressions and well-rounded conclusions, but a couple of them simply miss the mark. Morrison's vocals are a bit hit-or-miss for me and the tracks like Beside You really start to grate on me quickly as a result. The melodies are also surprisingly repetitive throughout the album. Overall, though, still a very solid album. Favourite track: Astral Weeks
Might not like this as much as I thought. Its been a while. I still like but seems a bit more rambly. By the end I was brought back. 4 Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes, 89/338 (26%) Will I get: Already have
Two reactions, first being, will Astral Weeks be the record that finally changes the way I feel about this guy? And second reaction, I thought with 945 records and two verified Van Morrison reviews behind me I'd have escaped him — but he just keeps going. He's like the energizer bunny of Irish singer-songwriters and I do at least respect that. I'm not going to lie, I have nothing to lose, each subsequent Van Morrison album I hear through this project chips away at the distaste he earned with Brown-Eyed Girl. And although there's too many folk elements to this album for me, as well as bouts of unexpected Idiopathic Glossoplegia, to ever want to reach for it as a first option, it's really not bad.
Sweet thing alone makes this a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Beautiful!
Ни о чём
This is one of those albums with immense critical favour, and it's one I've played a fair bit. While I think it is pretty good, some of the more folky stylings in it grate a bit. This album definitely deserves a place in this list, though maybe not a 5 star rating.
nice 3.5/5
5/10
No sorry, I'm not having that
Het Luc de Vos probleem: zoveel focus op teksten en zelfexpressie, dat hij vergeet muziek te maken die ook nog ergens naartoe gaat. Maar serieus: zou de man helse pijnen lijden als hij een refrein zou schrijven?
Not for me. Nothing I can connect with here. He's just rambling on
01) Astral Weeks - 7,0 02) Beside You - 6,0 03) Sweet Thing - 7,0 04) Cyprus Avenue - 7,0 05) The Way Young Lovers Do - 7,0 06) Madame George - 7,0 07) Ballerina - 6,5 08) Slim Slow Slider - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,69 (67/100)
It was more interesting than brown eyed girl (one of my least favourite songs of all time) but it was more of a set of freewheeling jams than an album of coherent songs. That is fine if the jams push the envelope but this was a bit beige.
Distinctly average album in my eyes - no songs particularly catchy and memorable, even though they all seemed decently written. His voice does very little for me, and for an album where the vocals and lyrics are so front and centre, they really have to be something you enjoy and I did not. Too raspy, sounding like he’s constantly on the edge of pushing it too far. Orchestral arrangements behind it were nice though.
This just didn't click with me. I liked most of the instrumentals, some parts sounded dated in a bad way, and the vocal weren't the worst either. Just not for me
I really dislike you Van Morrison. 2/5
Very Surprised with this one. I actually like Van Morrison, but this album is full of unremarkable, strangely-structured songs.
Never quite got what all the fuss was about with this album. Yes, it's good but I don't think it's brilliant.
Vamos hoy miércoles con otro álbum de Van Morrison. Disco folk, me recuerda a Nick Drake sólo que más luminoso. Más feliz. Me parece un buen disco para una mañana. Para un abrazo para quien uno ama. De esos abrazos en que los cuerpos se funden en uno, uno cierra los ojos y se transporta a otro plano junto con la persona amada: el mejor ejemplo de esto es "Madame George". Disco para hacer silencio y permanecer con un otro. Disco también para duelar la partida de ése otro y empezar a soltar el amor que una vez fue, no sin la nostalgia. Hasta mañana
No
No
It wasn't bad. "Cyprus Avenue" is quite good.
Love the music , hate the vocals and lyrics
Beautiful songs maybe a bit too long but very relaxing and insightful as an album
I used to work in a shop where Van Morrison was a regular customer, and he was legendarily obnoxious. Quite how such toxic POS ever put out such a beautiful album is beyond me. The arrangements, blending classical, folk and jazz remain unique, and while Morrison's vocal style leaves something to be desired, the narrative, poetic lyrics swing between tragic and joyfully uplifting. Sometimes this combo tips over into pretentiousness, but mostly it's a delight.
Surprisingly good and clearly influential on a lot of folk/solo artists
It is a bit hard for me to put into words what this albums means to me. I remember vididly being under the impression that Van Moorison was incredible, but "only had good singles" and not full albums. This was before I pressed play on Astral Weeks after a smoke of some pleasant Colorado bud one fall evening and was transported to another world entirely. At it's heart, this album is folk rock, but what is important to pay attention to is the virtuoistic instrumental jazz arrangements taking place behind Van's raw vocals. Astral Weeks (the song) sets the tone for whats to come and still takes me back to the awe and wonder of that night even today. I love this album and hope I never go too long between spins as my life continues to unfold
A wonderful album that creates its own sonic world - dreamy, mysterious, entrancing
I’ve heard this before, but only a few times a long while ago. This doesn’t have any of his hits on it and I don’t think I’ve heard any of these songs on classic rock radio, which is understandable since none of these songs have any hooks to them, in fact I don’t think any of these songs have a distinct vocal melody and it seems mostly improvised around a general feel of a melody. There are only a few songs with drums on them which leaves the rhythm all to the guitar, which is buried in the mix. The strings feel almost tacked on and I think I’d like the album better without them, it seems like they’re added to give some kind of structure to the songs when that should be left to the guitar and it takes away from the improvisational style of nearly everything else going on. There’s some beautiful songs here, but everything seems just partially thought out and they all run together, and it ends up being a big mess.
Van the Man delivers a unique listening experience, but it's one I'd save for rainy days. Like he set up camp and decided not to stray too far from the tent. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Astral Weeks - Sweet Thing - The Way Young Lovers Do
It's nicely made, not totally for me Will I listen to again: 12%
Was not remarkable in any way, and I like Van Morrison
Prima
Probably one of the most overrated albums of all time
Ehh
A folkier Van here, for sure. I dig the direction and at times I really vibed with the lyric/guitar mix. But it's just something about his voice that doesn't do it for me. Feels performative. Highlights: Beside You
not my type of music
That was tedious.
Everest
S'alright. Nothing for me here.
8/10
No me ha gustado nada
It's a good one
298 Pretty in places but not sure I’ll return to anything here. Highlights Astral weeks Slim slow slider
Pretty much a perfect album just not really my thing personally. If you are a Van Morrison fan though, this and "Moondance" are as good as it gets. Favorite track: Astral Weeks 3.5/5
I love Van Morrison and this is a beautiful album but the songs are too long for what they are
It was pretty pleasant to listen to and I am not a big folk music fan
It was fine. Not something I’d come back to but I didn’t hate it. ⭐️⭐️1/2
Madame George was a banger, but the rest of the album made me feel like I'd done something to upset the man. The sound of his voice was uncomfortable for the most part, like some god of mischief's early attempt at making the world's most painful/annoying sound that he later surpassed by chance when he tripped, but was able to catch himself with his nails on a chalkboard. Maybe Morrison is that trickster? The rest of the band played some really nice music, so it would certainly explain the marrying of such beautiful sounds and horrible, grating, plunge-your-head-into-a-garbage-disposal-to-escape inducing pseudo-musical voicings that exists in most of these songs. Maybe he's his band's own Yoko Ono? I wish I had the language to leave an appropriately scathing review of the musical qualities of his voice, but alas I don't and the only thing left scathed is my psyche.
⭐️⭐️1/2 Some songs insist upon themselves but there’s a lot I like, too. Could grow on me over time. I kept thinking that I was loving the instrumental portions of the tracks despite his voice. Man his voice is grating when he’s going on and on with the same lyric. It crescendos nicely with the instrumental often, though. The back half of the album is not as grating, but maybe the Stockholm Syndrome has fully kicked in at that point.
This wasn't bad at all. Maybe not my favorite music, but there was lots of interesting stuff here. Van Morrison isn't my favorite vocalist, but he isn't bad at all! This was a solid 3. Liked Songs: "Astral Weeks" , "Sweet Thing" , "The Way Young Lovers Do" , "Madame George" , "Ballerina"
nice
great album, good voice, good songs
Loved it. I wanted to be drinking coffee on a deck in the mountains at sunrise.
This is why I love Van Morrison! Great song-writing, with ditto lyrics and this album just "clicks" for me. Very atmospheric. VM's squeaky voice isn't for all day, but when I feel like it. it's the best (like Neil Young, Bob Dylan etc.)
So I really wanted to like this…normal course I love Van Morrison’s voice and musical styling. But what happened in the 1970s that drove musicians to add the flute? Was it entirely Jethro Tull? How did this disturbing instrument ever find its way onto the rock stage? And why play it like you’re whistling the lyrics through your teeth? It’s so unsophisticated and flat in tone - I’m almost certain I could play it as well as they do. It’s jarring and out of place. Including here. 3/5
Despite myself, I found myself liking this a fair bit more than Moondance, which was mostly uninspired outside of the title track. While this one definitely dragged in the middle, it started out strong, and I think ended on a fairly strong note too.
Oof. Not for me.
Cheeky little flute always keeping you on your toes. Very necessary as Van Morrison's singing is just not very interesting to listen to, even with all the emotion he puts behind it. At least it's not terrible, just very monotonous. Standouts: Astral Weeks • The Way Young Lovers Do
This album tricks me every time I listen to it. I think I'm finally getting it, and then I'm five songs in and I desperately want it to be over. I appreciate the light flourishes he adds here and there, and some of the interesting instrumentation, but this album accidentally looped in my car and I didn't even notice.
Meh. Too much going on. Not horrible. But it's a bit stained because I know how much of a right wing nut job he is now.
Top 10 This was my first eldest daughters favourite when she was 3 years old, for some reason she loved the cover of the record and would pick it out of my collection to listen to. It’s obviously one of the greatest records of all time, and easily in my top 10. Loved it for as long as I can remember. Favourite track: Sweet thing
meh
not a fan of this
Sounds good but I was not in the right mood to listen to folk, I'll try again some day. Favorite Songs: The Way Young Lovers Do
I read all about how this one was such genius, and I've always been a Van Morrison fan, but there are many others of his albums I much prefer.
I don't know why this one gets the level of praise it does, it's good but I don't find it overly impressive.
3.5 favs: astral weeks, the way young lovers do, madame george
200526 16:00 4
Not his best work but ground breaking.
This sounded like someone listened to bob Marley and tried to make it as white as possible. I’d go as far as to call this a historical “Monica by Jack Harlow” moment
Eh this was an okay album from a sauceless Bob Dylan. Finds his voice much better on swingier tracks; when the instruments die down his ramblings become more prominent.
Fuck off. Used to think Van was a bit kitschy, and if you've only heard "Brown-Eyed Girl", you'd get that impression, but now? Hoo-boy. He just leaks EVERYWHERE. And I wanted to go with a lower rating, but I liked it too much. Spewing... cooked up with ever loving magic. I'd call it blues above all, but it's so much more. She liked Van too. Too bad he's a bit of an asshole. Five flat.
All the musical grace and beauty of the crazy guy yelling on the subway
This has a very nice psychedelic atmosphere to it. If I had to describe how this album makes me feel it would be going on a walk in a dense magical lively forest in the jingle-jangle morning, and hearing all the birds singing a song to each other. It's so pleasant. Lot of the songs are alright, but the texture is amazing, it's a high 3 from me. Highlight Song/s: "Astral Weeks"
I enjoyed this album, but not as much as Moondance. Sweet Thing was very good.
4.5
Some of the tracks are to drawn out, but really cool vibe. 4.5 stara
I always thought this was a really cool album. Even though it employs classical instrumentation throughout, it feels very loose and organic, not formal and stuffy in the way you'd expect. Richard Davis' double bass work in particular gives it a really unique sound. And of course Van's raw soulful vocals and stream of consciousness lyrics provide a nice counterpoint to that too. Vocally, it feels like he's going off the rails at times, but you have these ornate arrangements that sort of bring it back to earth. It's an incredible listen and his best album. I think it really gets cookin' on the second side with "The Way Young Lovers Do", "Madame George" and "Ballerina". 5 stars.
3.5
I respect the album musically for its expansive, freewheeling, folky elements but hate hate hate it for the vocals. A great white-knuckly NNNNGGHH AAAAGGHHH WELL WELL WELL WOAH WOAH WOAH Quasimodo of the folk genre.
Não é necessariamente meu tipo de música, considerando o foco que o disco possui nos vocais de Van Morrison, mas não foi ao todo desagradavel pra mim. Teve vários momentos que curti o álbum. E pelo menos, quando o assunto é folk, a voz de Morrison é bem mais palatavel que de outros cantores como Dylan. 3.5
Pas choquant
Pas marquant mais pas déplaisant
I have mixed feelings about this record. On one hand I love the jazz elements being combined with traditional sounding folk rock, and it gives a preview of where Van Morrison wanted to go with his sound. On the other hand, a lot of this is very boring, generic, run of the mill, nothing to write home about acoustic folk rock. So overall it’s meh. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s not anything I think I’ll ever go back to. If I’m going to listen to Van Morrison, it’s going to be “Moondance”.
The songs on this album are gorgeous. The instruments interweave together to create a delicate lace of sound. Having said that, I have very conflicting feelings about Van Morrison's voice. On one hand, it contrasts extremely sharply with the ethereal backing music. On the other hand, maybe this contrast is what makes this formula work.
This is one of my all-time favorite albums but I did not get it at all when I first heard it. After a few listens it started to grow on me and has never stopped. It’s so different from Moondance but they are both incredible. Some days I think I prefer this one and some days the other, but they have both stayed in my top 25 or so favorite albums for thirty years or more. I love the way that Astral Weeks initially seems unstructured but by the end you realize it is all of one piece. As one review put it, "The best way to approach Astral Weeks is to think of it as a very long orchestral piece, each song comprising a different movement. The album’s central piece is 'Cyprus Avenue' and each other work draws themes off of that." Until you have heard it a few times, you might not pick up on the threads linking each section. But when you do it changes your thinking of the album completely. It’s like the reveal at the end of a magic trick. Astral Weeks is an insane mixture of improvisation and structure and unlike any other rock/pop/folk album I can think of.
So theres this idea in music theory that every song should have a "shape". Basically a natural progression or flow that helps form the idea of the song. While I didnt know about this idea at the time, my entire life listening to music has been for the idea of listening to unique and different music. I cant stand the idea of listening to different songs but I cant tell them apart because they sound the exact same; and by extention I cant stand songs that if you close your eyes and pick a random timestamp you cant tell where in the song you are at. Not for this artist to catch strays but thats exactly why I dont like Tame impala, I have no clue where his songs are in beginning middle or end. And ll that to say that is what is bothering me about this album Van Morrison is incredible, extremely talented and this music is straight up good, but I have no fuckin clue what this album's shape is or where I am at in it at any given point.... it blurs together. The way young lovers do, its the best song on the album mostly bc its the most unique of the bunch
Album #151 Van Morrison: Astral Weeks Astral Weeks is such a fascinating album, and its nature is best represented by this very website, where seemingly every single review for it is either a 5-star or a 1-star. To some, Astral Weeks is a life-changing spiritual journey that speaks to the soul unlike any other album, and to others, it is unlistenable hippy drivel. Though I find myself agreeing far more with the former, I still can’t completely cosign the idea that this album exists in a realm of its own. Part of the reason for its individual sound is that Van Morrison recorded it in just a matter of weeks with session musicians and almost nothing planned out; in some ways, it really just is a man baring his soul. Though my enjoyment of Astral Weeks does vary by mood, my feelings on it range somewhere from ‘that was pretty good’ to ‘that is one of the greatest albums of all time’, and this listen I find that it landed itself around ‘this album is certainly essential’, because whether you like it or not this thing is firmly within the musical cannon and personifies the idea of an album you need to hear before you die. Though I will admit that I prefer Moondance which is a take that would get me lynched at any Van Morrison fan club. Best Songs: Astral Weeks, Sweet Thing, Madame George Worst Song: Slim Slow Slider Score out of 10: 9
Would not buy
it's van the man. unique but mostly sounds the same to me
Van Morrison's a prick, but here we go. I liked the back half a lot more than the front. The Way Young Lovers Do and Madame George are both really good. The rest is kinda meandering and messy.
I don't really like his voice.
parece o tipo de musica q os velhos ouvem e falam "NA MINHA EPOCA isso era musica", n é pra mim infelizmente
roadtrip worthy
I don't have that much of an opinion on this other than my like for its background music, neutrality towards the vocals and the want for something just a little more than this. But good, nonetheless.
mix is terrible. i get what’s happening here, but the mix is terrible
I love this album, like, a lot. But I honestly don't think it quite has the depth of a 5-star album. This one hurts because I feel strongly about this one.
Ok album...no great songs but like his voice
I enjoyed this
Meh. Nothing grabbed me. My kid said VM sings like he’s missing five teeth.
A weird, mystical, stream of consciouness, jazz infused nostalgia masterpiece. At times simultaneously impenetrable and instantly recognisible. This one is definitely one you should hear before you die. Shame Van Morrison is such a cunt. Best Tracks: Astral Weeks; Sweet Thing; Madame George
1/5
Albums you must hear before you die? This loon would have you die before you can listen to them all. Can’t listen to his voice without thinking of his nonsense.
Familiar with this album but haven't listened to it lately. Looking forward to it.
On of those ones I really started to like on the second listen, and I noticed his sharp, powerful, angular voice reminded me of Neil Young and other folk rock dudes I love. His lyrics are incredible and the instrumentation recalls Nick Drake - a high compliment. Beside Me was my favorite of the songs.
Maso
Blissful folk mixed with Van's wails that anyone would recognize from Brown Eyed Girl. Its slow and takes its time being slow so if you aren't into to it then you had a while to go for some songs. The vibe is like drifting on a boat away from the problems of life which is more to the instruments than the vocals which I think hold their own. Astral Weeks and Sweet Thing.
I heard that Jimi Hendrix was watching this shit transfixed - may be apocryphal, and my understanding of it took a lot longer, but glorious chaos and musicianship over a seemingly simple stuff, and it just works, and he can really really sing.
This was a pretty good record. Loved the bass, the lyrics were pretty interesting, and his voice has a roughness to it, that is believable. Enjoyed this one.
Notables: - The Way Young Lovers Do - Madam George
I generally try not to fuck with Van Morrison, but my god this was a life changing album. I’d never heard it before, but from the first few notes of the title track, I knew this was something special. “Astral Weeks” and “Madame George” are god-tier songs, but every single note on this album is beautiful. In the 700+ albums I’ve listened to from the generator, only a handful make me think it was fate that I undertook this project, as I’d probably never listen to them otherwise, and this is one of them. Just stunning.
Esta bueno pero no es mi estilo
Gutes album, vor allem "the way young lovers do" ist mir herausgestochen. Der Sänger hat auch einfach eine wahnsinnige stimme. Trotz alle dem gibt das "nur" eine 3/5 von mir
Gutes album, stimme gabs zu aber es gab nichts, was mich TOTAL abgeholt hat.
Might this be considered “psychedelic folk?” Whatever it is, I can’t say I loved it.
Sounds like an intimate live album with Van ad-libbing throughout. While many might not like this, it worked for me, perhaps because Van cries his heart out in typical fashion.
another perfect record
No me gustó, pero si puedo notar que cada canción tiene algo muy especial
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 I know nothing about him, but my latent, genetic snobbery instinctively turned its nose up at the name "Van Morrison." Upon listening, I was kind of blown away by how spellbound I was from track 3 on. I feel a little sheepish about it because of how overtly cheesy his borderline scatting free-styling is, but the orchestration was so atmospheric and gorgeous. No one song really stood out, which kind of just makes the album a folk-jazz slurry. However, I know I'm pretty susceptible to saccharine sixties sounds on a first listen and I regret any interest later, so I have a feeling this score will drop. I'm a weird voice enjoyer, so the fact that I already find his vocals a little grating means things are bound to fall off between me and Astral Weeks eventually. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing
good lord. So much flute??? I don’t enjoy his voice, so the super extra instrumentation feels like too much frosting on a mud cake. Get it away from me!
First of all, I love how dramatic the cover is. I think it captures the sentiment behind the songs well. In terms of music, I just can't get myself to really enjoy Van Morrison. His voice is very unique, and he has this schtick where he raises it at different points throughout the song, which I find repetitive and a little annoying. I don't know what it is, because I'm sure other artists I like have a similar schtick. Although I wasn't a big fan of his vocals, I enjoyed the overall feeling evoked by the songs. The tracks were light, airy, a little whimsical (thinking of the medieval sounds on Cyprus Avenue), and down-to-earth. Not my cup of tea but it was okay! Favorite tracks: Astral Weeks The Way Young Lovers Do Ballerina
Then We Danced The Night Away 1001 Albums Generator 281 (4/30/2026) Consistently beautiful and unfortunately bloated. When Van makes shorter songs (Sweet Thing and The Way Young Lovers Do), he strikes gold, but some of the longer songs are too long, although the title track and Ballerina are really good. It's pretty enough to warrant a 3.5/5, but I don't see myself coming back to this, so 3/5. Favs: Astral Weeks Sweet Thing The Way Young Lovers Do Least Fav: Cyprus Avenue
My third Van Morrsion album. I have HATED the previous two, how is this? It's the earliest-released, and his voice hasn't got as weird as it is in the later albums, so it is marginally less grating. The sound is more jazzy and big band at times too. Ballerina sounds like Penguin Café Orchestra at times, although with the unwelcome addition of Van Morrision singing over the top of it. If this had been my first exposure to Van Morrison on this list, I would probably have enjoyed it a lot more. Overall MUCH better than the other albums. Two stars!
just van morrison hooting and hollering over some beautiful instrumentation
That voice got me hooked from “Them”onwards . It’s enough to make me ignore the religious overtones in his work - and the fact that he turned into a boomer bellend recently . My dad’s favorite singer , or joint with Dylan, not influenced by the fact they hung out together in Belfast back in the day . The cover is proof that he once had hair - the current state of which he is trying to disguise by wearing a hat for the last 40 years - we know your balled Van, it’s okay you can take of the hat.
Album #80: Astral Weeks - Van Morrison Genre (W): Folk rock, folk jazz, progressive folk, blue-eyed soul No singles. I have listened to this album once. Thoughts?: Morrison’s lyrics, most of the time, are very poignant. I love the arrangements! This kind of reminds me of Bob Dylan is Bob Dylan did more psychedelic/experimental material. Some of these songs require one to be patient, and I feel they drag for too long. Favorite songs: Astral Weeks, Sweet Thing, The Way Young Lovers Do
liked this way more than I expected. probably won't listen again, but if I was in the mood for it, maybe.
I like Van (his music, not his bullshit), but I don't really get why this is THE Van Morrison album. It's kind of boring. Would rather play Moondance any day of the week.
Man could not enunciate for his life and was just kind of yelling. I have heard this genre be done so much better and this album was 47 minutes too long.
Bleating like a sheep man stfu. I've heard this genre be done much better. What a slog of an album.
Lacking the more hooky songs of Moondance he absolutely skates over these jazzy instrumentals. Not better or worse than that just different. No idea what he was saying most of the time, but it was good. Favorites were Astral Weeks, Sweet Thing, and Madame George.
Pretty dull offering from the “fat monk singing Gloria” ©️the late great Shane MacGowan 🤣
A little one dimensional; the songs all sound very similar, and his voice is the same throughout. Kind of boring, would probably not listen to again.
He does one thing (and has since 1969). Its good, though.
Nice folksy mainly acoustic album. Great for an afternoon of chill.
C'est mieux chanté que Dylan, mais c'est moins bien écrit.
me gusto, muy lindo 3/5
This Van Morrison album kind of drove me nuts. His voice got to me. Maybe it was because the songs sounded soooo similar.
My second Van Morrison. Still not for me
His best album by a large margin. Suck a great vibe
Why listen to the warbly vocal stylings of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks when you can listen to the vocal gymnastics of Grizzly Bear's Two Weeks? Or, for that matter, FKA Twigs' Two Weeks? https://youtu.be/tjecYugTbIQ?si=h0cpeVV9oKKE5Lag https://youtu.be/3yDP9MKVhZc?si=ASHNdESVTEzPFdm5
Utterly flawless. A must listen for every summer. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to Astral Weeks, but every spin still feels special, defying every label you could try to pin on it—its folk, jazz, blues, soul, and poetry all woven together into something entirely its own. What makes this album so special is how personal it feels, yet how universal its emotions are. It’s the sound of someone laying their soul bare, and it invites you to do the same. I was gifted this album by my father for my 16th birthday, not 24 years later, it still sounds fresh, bold, and unlike anything else in popular music. If you haven’t experienced Astral Weeks, you owe it to yourself to listen—preferably all the way through, no distractions. It’s not just an album; it’s an experience, a rumination.
Typical Van Morrison, music sounds nice enough but not really catchy.
I love this album, but on listening through for this project, the vocal patterns left something to be desired for me. I love the hits, but it's not quite a perfect album to me. 8/10
There is something about this dude’s voice that I’ve always loved and I’ve never been able to pinpoint it, and his songs are great too. Overall this was a great album but I feel like a few songs could’ve been shorter.
It wanders and drags a lot. Probably because melodies are replaced by "stream-of-consciousness" stylings. Van Morrison's soulful vocals combined with folk doesn't really work here for me. (2.5-3)
I think it was good. 3.5 stars.
Heard of him, but never heard this. Interesting.
"Violator" is truly a magnificent album. Dark, danceable, perfect for singing along, dreaming, living, and dying to. Depeche Mode at an absolute peak.
I just can’t
Lovely songs and long winding themes. Great writing and performance, his voice captures the feeling and set the tone of the album along with these rythms. Great overall.
I remember this was one of my Columbia House CDs when I was like, 12. God I must have been disappointed.
#96/1001 ☘️ I don't think of myself as a Van Morrison fan but this album is certainly an all time favourite of mine. I came across it some time ago by way of Sweet Thing being included on a John Peel compilation. Blending folk, jazz, soul and bluesy sounds, this has such a melow vibe. It's a record that i will always reach for on a warm day, sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine. Best Tracks: Slim Slow Slider, Sweet Thing, Cypress Avenue, Madame George, Astral Weeks.
Me and VanMozza have a mixed history - he's so poo-poo'able. This effort gives me some real pause for thought though, it's delicate and airy, far from in a rush and genuinely really enjoyable. It's not totally changed my opinion, but fellas has got something going on here
Really peaceful, calming songs. Really unique instruments used. Fav song is ‘The Way Young Lovers Do’.
Morrison's voice is certainly an acquired taste, but I at least respect someone whose singing is this passionate. Ultimately a bit too rambling and hippie-ish for my tastes. However, when I went on a walk in the evening while listening to this album, I got as close as I will probably ever get to 'getting' this album. This is something you're meant to be listening to when you're sitting around a campfire with friends smoking pot and the sun is going down. All other contexts don't work for this album, at least not for me. At points the singer has the vibe of a guy who became a hippie and learned to play guitar so he could get laid (I believe the youths would call this a 'performative male'), but Astral Weeks still reminds me of my friends who would like this music, so I can't really hate it.
I have a tough time with old albums like this, I just really don't enjoy them.
Bro is trying to blow out the mic at every opportunity. Anyway, being serious this is a fine album I like some of the folk and genre mixing elements. I'm not opposed to a lengthy track, but bro does this drag on at points, makes it harder to engage with. I also don't really like his voice either, more of a preference. Especially in the title track, there's a couple vocals which sound like he's kinda about gag from the effort he's forcing the vocals out. It's not a bad album at all, I can see why others would like this. It just has an unfinished feel to it and the length and repetition of songs really drags on. Fav track: The Way Young Lovers Do
Beautiful
This would be great to like, walk through a forest to.
Prefer Moondance.
This project has helped me to discover that I don’t like experimental folk (or much folk at all, for that matter). But I read that many critics love this album and put it in their tops of all time. So I went into Astral Weeks with cautious optimism. My expectations were met - it’s a well-produced album with some great guitar playing, but the crooning poetry seems disassociated from the music. Van, give me Brown Eyed Girl any day over this! 3⭐️
This guy sings way to much like Laura Nyro for be to enjoy it.
Do you like Jazz? I do. This isn't Jazz, but it sure as hell tries to be. I don't know, something about the songwriting just doesn't work for me. I can recognize a good record here, but it fails to appeal to me much. Key tracks: Astral Weeks The Way Young Lovers Do
Ehhh, not his best album imho
Astral Weeks - 4.5/5 Beside You - 3/5 Sweet Thing - 4/5 Cyprus Avenue - 3.5/5 Young Lovers Do - 4/5 Madame George - 3.5/5 Ballerina - 3/5 Slim Slow Slider - 3/5 The music is as good as a butterfly fluttering on a spring day, but does Van Morrison realize he doesn't have to stretch songs out that far? It would have been a four if he trimmed the fat but unfortunately for him it's a three because he can't stop adding filler Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Astral Weeks
My god he just continues on and on the same, track after track. He has a nice voice but there is little variation. 2/5
I generally like Van Morrison but I couldn't finish this one.
I've never dived into van morrison's stuff. I really liked most of this album. He has such a distinctive voice and it's really on display in a lot of these songs. Favorites were Astral Weeks Cyprus Avenue The Way Young Lovers Do Madame George
Wow.
An enjoyable folk-jazz album, I think this is overrated at four and underrated at a 3
“…the loves that love to love that loves to love that loves to love the loves that loves to love…” Madame George is subtle perfection!
Ughh. I don’t understand the appeal with Van Morrison. A lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ on these songs for no reason.
Yeah. Solid. I'm not a super huge listener of Van Morrison, even though I respect him and this is a good listen. Moondance is definitely his big one though, and it's the one I'd probably go back to, if I were going to listen to him. I'm sure it's in this list somewhere and haven't gotten to it yet. I'd probably 3.5/4 stars for this one.
Van Morrison doesn't make hit songs. He creates vibes. And this is such a vibe album. Probably could've made a bit better with an editor brave enough to say No-9-minute-songs!, but this is front to back perfection.
Nice to hear Van Morrison outside of the "Brown Eyed Girl" context, and good depth on lots of these songs. But the lyrics are sometimes harder to decipher than Joe Cocker. And maybe 3-4 songs could have been 2 minutes shorter, instead of just repeating the rhythm sections.
A bit too much ethereal star gazing by Van on this, could not tell if he was singing or having a stroke on some of the songs
3. album jeg hører med ham, 3. gang jeg er positivt overrasket. Musikken passer virkelig godt til hans stemme, som er en ok acquired taste
Musikken er bare så afsindigt fed på den her plade. En af mine yndlings fra 60erne.
Great voice, nice songs. 3+
Nice chill sounds to get into, may need a relisten for any of them to stick though. Standouts were Astral Weeks and Madame George. 6/10
When to listen: sitting on a lawn with lots of trees, staring up at the sky. Not just this album but any Van Morrison album. Not his best album but there were little flourishes and moments I deeply loved.
I've only got a couple of his albums, but this is my favourite, an exploration of performance in the studio without any real boundaries placed on the musicians, a blend of jazz, folk and expressive poetry, beautiful.
5 - AVERAGE
Honestly not liking this at all compared to the last album. Like dude shut up.