Astral Weeks

Not familiar with any Van Morrison songs other than Brown Eyed Girl going into this album. The arrangements are lovely and dynamic. The strings are fantastic. I love a harpsichord as long as I don't have to help move it. Oooh, unexpected horns! Nice. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Astral Weeks, Cyprus Avenue, The Way Young Lovers Do ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it. Saved some tracks.

Kunne kanskje likt det her. Og med noen flere gjennomhøringer, rett rolig humør og nok dop like æi det nok godt, men hvorfor starte aldri noen av sangene?

great album for the people who love 60's folksy music

I want to like it more.

Less singing, more sweet instrumental riffs, please. This is the first of 3 Van Morrison albums I have reviewed for this project, and I’m just not really a fan so far. The only song worth mentioning is “The Way Young Lovers Do”. The rest are fairly repetitive and bland songs that I just wouldn’t really want to come back to unfortunately because I’m not a huge fan of his singing. They aren’t outright terrible, I just didn’t really enjoy them personally. So I’m conflicted whether this should be a 2.9 or a 3.0. Not much to talk about with this one. It’s the oldest of the 3 albums, so I guess I’ll see how his music evolves over time. Perhaps the other 2 will be better. Like I said, not terrible, but not great either. At least it’s got “The Way Young Lovers Do”, which reminded me of something you’d hear in Kill Bill. I really actually liked that one. Sure, that’s enough to give it a low 3. Why not??

This struck me as a 3 star album straight off the bat. It’s perfectly fine but never gave me much cause to take greater interest. I’m not sure the vibe really matched my mood this morning, so that probably didn’t do it any favours.

Inoffensive but not very exciting. Would be better if Brown Eyed Girl was on it.

It's a cool, laid back album but not quite enough for me to put it onto a regular cycle

I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting. Perhaps it was just ideal Sunday afternoon listening.

This was another solid Van Morrison album! Many of his songs sound similar to me so they all kind of blend together but I would say the standout track for me was ‘Sweet Thing.’ Overall, I enjoyed this album and would listen to it again in the future!

It was fine. I have heard rumors that this creator is a boomer who believes the late 60s and 70s were when music was at its peak. This album is not that amazing, though.

I vibe to Morrison's voice, especially when he hits those highs, but some of these songs run a little too long for me to save in a playlist unfortunately.

Kinda meandering but I generally liked it

Not my favorite Van album, but also not one I've listened to all the way through before. I have a feeling this will take multiple listens to fully appreciate.

It's good, it just gets old. One tune and cadence the whole album. Sweet Thing is the best take of them all.

Expected this to be better though still very solid. He has a really nice voice

68/100. There are moments of beauty in this record, especially where the jazzy elements blend into the folk foundations. That fusion really works. However, some of the vocal tones and delivery didn’t quite land for me personally.

Keine 4 Sterne von mir

I do love this wing nut’s voice. However, these songs leave me a little flat. They feel a bit static, too similar. Not my favorite of his.

Pretty great. To be honest, I was expecting to hear his most famous track, but it's on "Blowin' Your Mind!" instead. Van's voice really dominates, and it deserves the spotlight. Also I just learned that he is from Northern Ireland.

Okay. Bit dull. Man and guitar singing softly.

I like him, and this is good, just nowhere near as good as Moondance

The opener is worth 5 stars by itself, but the rest of the album drags this down to a 3. Cannot hold a candle to "Moondance"

There’s some good stuff here, but his voice wears thin for me after a few tracks.

3.5/5

I kinda get it but I kinda don't. I'll try again another time.

Started out kinda strong and I thought, "Cool! I'm gonna dig this one." It went on for far too long, though, and it was hard to differentiate one song from another as each track kinda blended together. The vocals, which I found charming and quirky at first, became grating and irritating. I'll give it 3 stars, I guess, but it could just as easily be 2.

i listened to this album about a decade ago because it is held in so high esteem and really was not fond of it. i haven't touched it since, so i was eager to give it a revisit. unfortunately, i still really do not get this album. i am not a huge fan of van morrison's music in the first place (and to be honest, not a fan of the person either) so i guess i am just not predisposed to like it. but quite frankly, i find this album boring. i don't find it beautiful, i don't find it enthralling. it makes me want to fall asleep. at the same time, it's not awful or anything, but i don't think it's the pinnacle of music like some people and publications make it out to be. oh well!

I liked the music and his voice. However, the album sounded like one long song

Favorite song: Madame George. Also liked Ballerina.

Strong "Like"

First impression is good. I love flute in music and really enjoy the instrumentals, especially in The Way Young Lovers Do. His voice is not my favorite.

Some real nice songs but not sure it's a 4 tbh

This is a weird one cause I really like Moondance, but Astral Weeks feels a little like Van Morrison’s b-sides to that record despite its earlier release. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t feel nearly as strong a record. And most of the songs go on about 3 minutes longer than is necessary. 3/5

singer songwriter, blues, 1968 -> 3

Not my fav Van Morrison album. He sounds like he is in the throes of something, and it's not always good. Beside You and Ballerina are particularly wail-y... But a couple good ones - I guess that evens it out to a 3.

Pre-listening thoughts: YERR MY BROWN EYED GYIRL Post/during listening thoughts: ok so that song wasn't even freaking on here. Man he is just hootin and hollerin away! I wasn't really interested in a whole lot on here and every song felt really long. Not because it actually was long, it just felt like Van Morrison ran out of musical ideas and was just yelling half the time lol. 5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Sweet Thing Least fav tracks: Cyprus Avenue, Ballerina

Love the music. Could do without his vocals

Solid

For some reason this album really annoyed me. But it was also pretty good. Impeccable playing

decent album, doesnt have sing a longs but i guess its just a van morrison album so if you like him you like this album

Very chill. Morrison sounds very regretful of time going fast and choices he's made.

On the one hand, this is a great album — as background music while preparing dinner for a hot date, for instance. It’s romantic and lyrical and spiritual. On the other hand, it’s sprawling, unfocussed, and indulgent— as romantic, lyrical, and spiritual things can be sometimes. It’s got few of the hooks and little of the songiness of Moondance. On the whole, I think it’s a 3. It’s great for a specific application, but not a very versatile album. It's a 3 for now. I’ll listen to it again & see whether familiarity gets me by the self-indulgent tendencies of this album.

These lyrics sounded like they were being made up as they went.

Nice and chill!

Astral Weeks is an alright album but it is certainly a forgettable one. Nearly every single song had basically the exact same sound with an acoustic guitar with the occasional flutes here and there and Morrison himself using a pretty soft voice. It sounds nice and definitely works as good background music but it's just not very memorable and is something i will most likely forget all about in due time. The one standout track is easily The Way Young Lovers Do as it is the only one that deviates from the formula and it is a generally very enjoyable song. This album in general though is just another one of those slow acoustic albums even if it still sounds good. Best Song: The Way Young Lovers Do Worst Song: Ballerina Side note: Since this will be my last Van Morrison album, I'll rank them all here; 1. It's Too late to Stop Now 2. Moondance 3. Astral Weeks

this is another one of those folk albums where its enjoyable when you're listening and then you look back and realize you can't remember any of the tracks. 6/10

Very easy listening, but slooooowwwww, I was tempted to skip a few just to pick up the pace.

This album gave me the vibes of a guy singing in the corner of a bar. That being said, I would go back to that bar. Also, "The Way Young Lovers Do" was an absolute JAM. I was not expecting a horns section while listening to this album.

I liked this, though his voice got on my nerves after a while.

Best of Van I've heard yet, however I felt most of the songs could have been 3 minutes shorter. 6/7 mins is fine if you're going somewhere but if you're just going to continue down the same path my brain doesn't want to know...

Not his best, but still good!

Fine.

I like some VM stuff but I wasn’t familiar with this album. It’s fine, I guess.

Soft

For me not as super-wonderful as others find him!

I think I liked Moondance more, I really like the instrumentals but don't feel his voice fits them well. Really big fan of Ballerina Rating: 3.4

The sound of Van Morrison’s voice is unmistakable. If you are familiar with “Brown Eyed Girl,” you know the voice well. This collection is a strong representation of his vocal talent. The back half of the album does get a bit repetitive, with more camping and jamming than I would have expected. But, for the late 60’s I suppose it was not too unusual. Overall, a worthy listen.

Songs were too long but a few decent ones

I mean it's just pretty generic, isn't it?

Think I'd really like this but wasn't in the headspace

Not as bad as I was expecting, probably wouldn't listen again but decent enough

Very nice little album

Listened Before? N This one is not bad. Kind of drags on a bit toward the end. It's very mellow and same-y. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Astral Weeks

Remarkle vocals and sounds like a summer breeze under a shade tree. Some beautifully, understated instrumentals. ASTRAL WEEKS, and SWEET THINGS are my Mick Picks. CYPRUS AVENUE is a cool change of pace. Would've enjoyed a few more of these tracks to add some buoyancy.

No strong opinion either way

It’s not that it’s not good it just didn’t really pop for me

Pleasant. nothing stood out but would listen again

Somehow the music reminds me of Mick Jagger singing folk. Not uninteresting, but it doesn't excite me either. 3/5

Ballady 70’s

Ok Van Morrison

For sure a classic....doesn't quite fit me personally but the quality is undeniable.

He has better albums

i love him, love the album.. but it meanders quite a bit and i get lost.

In space for week?

This feels like B Tier Bruce Springsteen/Bob Dylan

Not my favorite but really enjoyed parts of it.

I know this album is supposed to be one of the all time greats, but I can't say it does much for me. Morrison has released some all timers in his career, but I struggle to find anything on Astral Weeks that really excited me enough to feel like it lives up to the hype.

Very interesting. I liked this conceptually, but musically it was lacking for me personally. Felt like it was trying to be acid jazz with folk, kind of like Captain Beefheart, but was more R&B with the floaty melodies that you could never quite grasp on to.

I love a bit of VM and this starts really strong but it lost me near the end and slipped into a 3

Van the man makes damn good music. I’m a fan that he can jam.

Aujourd'hui, on s'attaque à un monument, une légende, un disque qui trône dans tellement de listes "best of all time" qu'on se demande s'il ne paye pas un loyer dans le Panthéon du rock : "Astral Weeks" de Van Morrison, cuvée 1968. Bon, soyons clairs, quand tu vois débarquer ce nom, surtout si comme moi, tu as grandi avec les ondes radio des années 70 et 80, tu penses direct à "Brown Eyed Girl" ou plus tard à "Moondance". Des trucs cool, certes, mais disons… calibrés. Le genre de morceaux qui te font taper du pied sans te poser de questions existentielles. Et là, tu lances "Astral Weeks", et c'est la douche. Froide ? Chaude ? Disons… différente. Oublie la pop facile, les refrains évidents car Van the Man, en 1968, a décidé de foutre le camp loin de tout ça. Le mec sortait d'un succès populaire, et au lieu de capitaliser dessus, il nous pond un truc… ailleurs… complètement ailleurs. Le descriptif qu'on m'a filé parle de "folk rock, folk jazz, folk progressif, blue-eyed soul, blues et styles classiques". Ouais, en gros, c'est une sorte de salade composée sonore assez unique. T'as des cordes qui flottent, une basse jazz qui se balade, la guitare acoustique qui tisse des arpèges un peu hypnotiques, et par-dessus, la voix de Morrison. Ah, sa voix… Elle est là, bien sûr, reconnaissable, mais elle navigue dans des eaux beaucoup plus troubles, moins directes. Elle murmure, elle gémit, elle s'envole dans des improvisations qui semblent venir d'un autre monde. Les thèmes, on nous dit : amour romantique, amour perdu, désir, chagrin, renaissance, union mystique… Tout un programme. Et ça se sent car c'est pas un disque qui te saute à la gorge avec des messages clairs. C'est plutôt une collection d'impressions, de sensations. Les paroles sont souvent abstraites, non-linéaires. On est plus dans le ressenti, dans l'atmosphère que dans la narration pure et dure. Faut se laisser porter, accepter de ne pas tout capter direct. C'est une expérience, quoi… Et c'est peut-être là le probleme pour une écoute "moderne", ou du moins, pour une écoute qui s'attend à être séduite immédiatement. Parce que, soyons honnêtes, "Astral Weeks", à sa sortie, ça a été un bide. La maison de disques n'a rien pigé, n'a pas fait de promo, les critiques étaient perplexes, le public aux abonnés absents. Faut dire que balancer ça en pleine explosion rock psychédélique et pop plus structurée, c'était un pari couillu ou suicidaire, c'est selon. Pourtant, aujourd'hui… Culte, chef-d'œuvre, indispensable. Les critiques ont retourné leur veste (ou alors c'est une nouvelle génération de critiques, allez savoir) et le disque est devenu cette référence absolue. On loue le chant, les arrangements audacieux, l'écriture poétique. Et c'est vrai qu'il y a quelque chose d'envoutant, une sorte de magie brumeuse qui se dégage de l'ensemble. On sent que le mec ne calculait rien, qu'il était en pleine exploration, guidé par une inspiration quasi mystique. La note, c'est un 3 sur 5 dans la catégorie "à découvrir". Ce n'est pas le genre de disque que je vais me passer en boucle tous les jours. Ce n'est pas une évidence comme peuvent l'être certains albums de mes chouchous. "Astral Weeks", ça demande un certain état d'esprit, une disponibilité. Faut être prêt à plonger dans ce folk jazzy, atmosphérique, parfois un peu décousu. C'est le genre d'album qui te fait dire : "Ah ouais, quand même… C'est spécial." Tu respectes l'audace, l'originalité, la démarche artistique jusqu'au-boutiste. Tu reconnais l'influence qu'il a pu avoir (même si elle est moins évidente que celle d'un Velvet Underground & Nico sur la scène indie que j'affectionne). Mais est-ce que ça te prend aux tripes immédiatement ? Pas sûr. Pour moi, ça reste un peu… distant. Intrigant, mais distant. C'est un disque d'ambiance, presque une bande-son pour une fin de soirée brumeuse ou une après-midi pluvieuse passée à regarder par la fenêtre en se posant des questions sans réponse. C'est beau, c'est profond, mais ça manque peut-être un peu de l'électricité brute ou de la mélancolie tranchante que je recherche souvent. Mais voilà, le projet "1001 Albums" est fait pour ça : sortir de sa zone de confort, explorer des territoires inconnus. Et "Astral Weeks" est clairement un territoire à part. Un disque qui a mis du temps à être compris, mais qui a fini par s'imposer comme une œuvre majeure. Il mérite donc sa place ici, et ce 3/5 signifie bien qu'il faut y jeter une oreille attentive, même si ce n'est pas l'amour fou au premier rendez-vous. C'est une pièce importante de l'histoire, un jalon.

Was alright

Enjoyable stuff

This album is so famous but I just can't understand it unless you love his voice which I don't. It's just ok.

Honestly, I like his other stuff much better. His next like 3 or 4 albums are all leagues better.

It's decent enough but feels a little bit meandering at points. 3.5 bumped down to 3.

Nothing here made me say wow. Very jazzy. His voice so unique - just doesn’t work for me sometimes. Other times it does. This is average.

He’s got a cool voice, but his music is otherwise kinda boring. Reminds me of the girls from my high school class… pretty, but vacant.

It insists upon itself.

Van Morrison is one of those acts that I can understand why others dig him, it's just not for me. Like Bob Dylan.

Mostly mellow 60s folk/folk rock. Not bad, but kind of forgettable.

I liked this, but found myself wanting a little more variety. Really enjoyed Astral Weeks, Sweet Thing, and The Way Young Lovers Do. Probably need to give it another listen.

>The Beatles

Good songs, however the singers voice slightly causes earpain over time

I’m not the biggest fan of Van Morrison’s voice

Not gonna lie, like all my albums this week have been metal, so this was kind of a breath of fresh air and my rating is likely to reflect that. Easy listening. Elevator and hold music. Wholly inoffensive to my ears but not particularly interesting at the end of the day.

Uplifting but also sorrowful. Big fan of the title track and 'Sweet Thing'. Ngl after a while I find his whiny tone a bit annoying, but overall found it an enjoyable listen.

My history with Van Morrison is "Brown Eyed Girl" so this album added a creative dimension to Van that I didn't know was there. It feels experimental, for him and of its time. Mixing genres, from the jazzy-bluesy anthem "The Way Young Lovers Do" (which is a bop) to the more folksy sounds of "Sweet Thing", and the toned back "Slim Slow Slider". This is definitely an album that requires a time of day or mood - for me it was at that bluey dusk on the ride home from work (I found it more abrasive in the early morning). My only real problem with it is - I'm not a fan of his voice. I find his vocal progression predictable, a little shouty (but I enjoy the huskiness). So, full marks for the creative genius and instrumental arrangement, fell back on personal preference.

Musicalement, c'est très cool, j'aime beaucoup ses arrangements. Maintenant, c'est très personnel, mais sa voix ne marche pas avec moi, je ne sais pas pourquoi. J'ai fini par un peu m'habituer, mais c'est resté quelque chose qui m'a dérangé dans mon écoute.

Not bad. Decent album.

Not sure why, but this doesn't do much for me. I have a feeling it might be for a similar reason as other singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan: there is just too much that hinges on you listening to and enjoying the lyrics. And I didn't really do that when listening to it. Not bad, just not for me.

We've had "Moondance" before and I was really impressed by it, I wasn't at all as impressed by this. Maybe it was the Elvis Costello album the day before which made me incredibly tired of singer songwriters (and Elvis Costello in particular). The vibe is still nice and I really like "The Way Young Lovers Do". There are some memorable songs like "Sweet thing" too but they are not the same calibre as what is found on "Moondance". "Sweet thing" makes me think of Nick Drake and "Pink Moon" in particular. Strong 3.

Love Van. Not my favorite album.

I wanted to like this album more, but I had alot of issues while listening to it. For starters, the guitar is out of tune for 75% of the songs, the bass in a couple songs didn't really work, and a couple songs really overstayed there welcome. It's still a 3 cause there were some cool elements, but I probably wouldn't listen to this ep again.

Great album from a recently awful man.

This could have really used a hot to anchor the rest of the tracks. He sort of mumbled his way through this one.

It's difficult, i've tried to like this before and failed. It's acclaimed and influential but I can't find anything here that I like. It seems to meander on and on and Van's voice is so jarring it's a struggle.

5/10 not a fan

This really feels like it never caught its stride. I was expecting more.

Wouldn’t change it, but wouldn’t seek it out

Too many tracks that are too long. The Way Young Lovers Do is tied for shortest, at 3:17, and its Latin waltz feel is excellent, making it the primary standout track. I love harmonised trumpets. They're used so frequently in jazz, reggae, pop, and soul – among others – and for good reason. I would've liked to hear more than two repeated chords (for seven minutes straight) on the title track. That being said, it sounds pretty decent, especially if you're not listening to it studiously. The violin and flute additions are nifty. Tragically, though, the seven-minute I-IV chord progression comes back to bite you in the eardrum with Cyprus Avenue. Less than halfway through the album, and we have over 14 minutes of essentially two chords and some rambly singing. (Ballsy, I guess?) Madame George, clocking in at just under ten minutes, comes dangerously close to repeating this feat, but fortunately adds a V chord to the progression to break up the monotony slightly. But the title track carries out the bland chord progressions best. From another reviewer: "I feel like all [of these tracks] are kind of like the folksy acoustic songs that Zeppelin did, but that Zeppelin did them better." Moondance is significantly better than this album, and comparing the two only serves to hurt the latter. 3/5 Key tracks: Astral Weeks, The Way Young Lovers Do

An alright album, I liked Sweet Thing.

Here's one I've always seen towards the top of albums you should listen to lists and try never have. It was nice background. I like his voice. I no longer like Brown Eyed Girl (not on this album) which is ironic as my friend just gave me the 45. I've started sitting skip at the speaker when it comes on.

Once you've heard a Van Morrison album, you've heard them all.

Enjoyable listen 3/5

3/5

Thanks

This wasn’t bad at all but I just wasn’t feeling it. I really liked the first van Morrison album we got after that I feel like it’s been a bit worse every time. I think

Feel like Van Morrison doesn't really deserve as many albums as he has on this list with how similar all his stuff sounds, but I don't really care because they're always pleasant listens. This was solid.

It's relatively pleasant, but also just a bit slow and boring. The Way Young Lovers Do is the standout track, but the rest don't hold up to it. 2.5 rounded up.

Highlight: The Way Young Lovers Do, Astral Weeks. In a nutshell: the ramblings of a drunk. Great backing band. Good lyrics and storytelling. Ambitious fusion of jazz and folk. Curated sound that replicate a series of jam sessions. Meandering and repetitive. Madame George didn’t need to be over nine minutes. Overall: 5/10

Not really for me

Sounds very Van before the booze gt his voice. Quite nice.

Not one of my favorites from him.

I've never actually listened to this album despite the amount of Van Morrison my parents would play growing up. I respect the concept of it -- it's honestly like one long, jazzy drug trip song -- and can see why it's on the list. That said, the scatting and doo-doo-doo's make me cringe a little.

I like this but don't love it. His voice is unique but got a little grating for me over the course of the album. The songs are also all a little same-y. My favorite songs were "Sweet Thing" and "The Way Young Lovers Do". The latter had a sweet section with a lot of horns. 6/10

Pretty nice background music - no real standout tracks that take it to the next level

From the description on Apple Music I really thought this would be right up my alley, but unfortunately, it fell a little flat. I did like the jazzier bits like on “The Way Young Lovers Do” (if I’m rendering the right track) and I wish there had been more of that, but overall, it came across as too bland and inoffensive.

Jotenkin vähän erilaista akustista, vaikea kuvailla. Kaikenlaisia eri elementtejä. Ja genrejä, bluegrass, jazz. Parhaat: Sweet Thing, Cyprus Avenue, Slim Slow Slider

Iconic voice. I like some of his other albums better

Loved the idyllic and vivid descriptions of Belfast and the countryside, but aside from 'Sweet Thing' and 'Beside You' there wasn't really a track that gripped me.

Folky rock, kinda wandery

I regret to inform me that a bunch of this was alright. Songs nothing special, Richard Davis on bass quite good, acoustic guitar sounds alright in that 1960s way, vocals not great but usually not distracting.

Not his best. Kind of dry and same-y. Favourite songs: Astral Weeks, Cyprus Avenue, Madame George Least favourite songs: Beside You 3/5

pretty boring to me

Has some strong spots, and some that I wasn’t huge on. Not a major disappointment.

The tv show wonder years, in album form. Its ok. Another example of music fitting so well in a time and place.

this was an okay guitar singer album but I don't understand why it has a cult following

Emotion-filled and some lovely acoustic guitar, with a not-unwelcome jazz feel at times. A bit too rambling in places.

Not very interresting. Not bad but basically very forgettable.

To me, the album sounds like an overly long version of "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones.

Sometimes a 3 ,sometimes a 4 for me. Hard to rate.

If this were to catch me on a different day, I might appreciate it a little more. Didn’t really catch my attention, but I didn’t give it as much attention/thought as I tropically do, to be fair. 3/5

Majestic textures. Songwriting with a painterly touch. I can only hear Van the Man bark out the same lyric over and over and over again for so long though.

There is something about Van Morrison that rubs me the wrong way. Something about the image of his roly poly body frolicking in the green grass behind the stadium with a young coed that permanently puts me off. Plus, not sure why but he just seems like a dick. However, this is a lovely album, especially good when played on a sunny summer afternoon lawn.

I wasn't sure if we were going to get other Van Morrison albums than "Moondance", and I was also equally unsure whether that would be a good thing, as good as "Moondance" is. I really appreciate it that this is an earlier album, before Van Morrison's descent into sad and extremely unsettling ranting behavior. I haven't heard most of the songs on this album before (at least knowingly), but I enjoyed many of the songs all the same. My favorites are probably "Astral weeks", "Sweet thing", "Cyprus Avenue", and "Madame George" (and particularly didn't enjoy "Beside you"). It's hard not to compare this to "Moondance", and I'll admit that "Astral Weeks" pales in this comparison, sadly, despite the wider range of styles he explores on this album and a clearly more personal approach. Fine but not as satisfying compared to what you get with "Moondance", and I'm kind of bummed to discover we'll have yet another Van Morrison album before the collection is done. (I'll admit, though, I kind of enjoyed reading about the insane mob-related craziness Van Morrison and various other people had to deal with in the course of getting him out of the contractual obligations to a dead man...)

The title track and the brassy "Young Lovers" song are the best of an otherwise not too interesting album, unless you really like Van Morrison.

Great voice. Not my fav album by them but a great one nonetheless

Gets samey after awhile, and that's not a good thing. Enjoyable listen on a quiet evening, when you just want to chill. 3/5

2-3

Bien.

Ikonische Stimme.

I almost like Sweet Thing, The Way Young Lovers Do

I see why people like Van Morrison. A few days after listening, nothing in particular stands out. It was pleasant enough to listen to, but it didn't leave much of an impact.

Nice Van Morrison but certainly not the best

I enjoy the Morrison vibe but there's not a lot holding me here.

Yeah, one that I own! Yet I must confess, I've never been fully taken by the Van Morrison experience. This is, however, probably the best vehicle for his singular talents. I don't spin it much, and when I do I'm left slightly underwhelmed. For years, I've awaited a great flowering of understanding; and after this listen, remain waiting. Perhaps one day I'll grasp that this is a five star experience. Not today.

Van Morrison goes Jazz. .... which is not utterly horrible, but still not one of his best ideas. 2.5/5

I have listened to this record before, beautiful and folky. Droney at some points and not exactly any singles worth putting in a playlist but as a complete meditative work it comes together well!

I've liked Van Morrison and have listened to a great deal of his music through the years. I wanted to love this recording because it's been so highly rated over the years. It's OK, but it never held my interest the way Moondance does.

I prefer his more upbeat stuff but this is so enjoyable..

It was OK

Creepy git

Another fun Van Morrison album though I liked the other more. Astral Weeks was a keeper for sure, some of the others felt in one ear out the other, but his voice is so unique I was happy to listen.

It's pretty nice. I like the arrangements and instrumentation a lot, but I think a better vocalist than van would make the album a bit more likable as a whole.

Überraschend nett!

Not my cup of tea.

Folk/rock music with a mix of strings and flute included. Hits a certain solo summer night campfire kind of vibe. Except for the song The Way Young Lovers Do which is a lot more jazzy, which was unexpected. By the end of the album I was kinda over it though. A bit too much of the same for the whole run time. When you’re in the mood for this, I’m sure it’s just what you need, but it was not hitting for me. Standouts: Beside You and Sweet Thing.

A decent little listen here. I think my brain needs so sort of chorus or hook or storyline to latch onto when I listen to music and this album is unfortunately completely devoid of any of those with the flow-of-consciousness songwriting. Much of the time it just comes off as rambling, but I still enjoy the vibe and instrumentals. 6/10

I’m not the biggest fan of folk/singer-songwriter sort of albums. Although I did enjoy some parts, there were others that I didn’t. I think if I had a more laidback day this would be pushed to 4 stars, but didn’t really work while more hectic. 3/5

Pleasant noodling but didn’t really hold my attention

Long songs

Nice hearing something from him other than Brown Eyed Girl. Pretty solid with a few standouts, but has a few samey moments.

Fine enough. 3 stars?

3+

cool, but not for me i guess

Hadn't really listened to an album by Van before and this was decent. Great vocals and the music didn't sound too sixties.

3.4/5 -- listened 2x 1999 remaster, 1x 2015 expanded edition remaster (1h14m)..

Liked the second half of the album a lot more than the first. Beside You was SO whiny! Favorite tracks are Madame George and Ballerina.

Oh how the critics love this album — #132 of 1,001. I think this is fine, but the songs just aren’t that great. His next 3 albums (Moondance, His Band and the Street Choir, and Tupelo Honey, released in 1970-1971) are all wonderful, filled with great songs to groove to and sing along to, but Astral Weeks just doesn’t do it for me. Surprisingly, Tupelo Honey is not available to stream on any of the major services and I couldn’t find out why. Also, sold this album for $18 years ago on Amazon.

I like Van Morrison. His Irish-soul really hits for me. On this one he hadn't settled in yet. Yhe music is nice and all the songs start with a great groove and promise. Then it all just...goes astral... I was excited to see Van the man this morning, bit this one wasn't it for me. He needed a producer who he wasn't going to listen to.

Not his best, still wonderful.

I usually love Van Morrison at this album was disappointing.

Ik heb nooit zo goed geweten wat ik hier van moet vinden. En het feit dat deze review 4 dagen op zich laat wachten is ook daar een uiting van. Het de LP meermaals in mijn handen gehad maar altijd laten liggen. En ook thuis zet ik eigenlijk nooit Van Morrison aan. Nu ik er toch een keer voor ben gaan zitten ben ik nog steeds niet helemaal uit. Maar een paar dingen zijn wel duidelijk geworden: * de stem van Van Morrison is intrigerend en echt ijzersterk. De kracht die hem kenmerkt van Them's Gloria komt op deze plaat, en met deze songs, echt super goed tot z'n recht * De nummers zijn mooi opgebouwd met een mix van folky en jazzy stijlen. * Onderling lijken de nummers teveel op elkaar. het gebrek aan variatie gaat op een gegeven moment wat vervelen. * ik heb nog een paar luisterbeurten nodig om echt te snappen wat ik van Van Morrison moet vinden, al begin ik zijn cultstatus steeds iets beter te begrijpen. 7/10 Highlights Astral Works Beside You Sweet Thing

like someones drunk dad singing along with a gorgeous celtic band. Good enough, but 3 stars.

senza infamia, senza lode

Non mi ha fatto gridare a miracolo, ce ne potevano stare altri di migliori al suo posto Nel complesso carino però

Durante l’ascolto ho oscillato costantemente tra le 4 e le 3 stelle: ho trovato alcuni momenti davvero coinvolgenti e lirici, mentre in altri punti era come se ci fosse qualcosa di “strano” (la voce? l’interpretazione?) che distoglieva la mia attenzione. Alla fine le 3 stelle hanno avuto la meglio. Ho apprezzato gli elementi bucolici sparsi qua e là, però.

Enjoyable!

I try to like him but don't really

Surprisingly nice songs for a COVID denying anti-mask conspiracy theorist. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Astral Weeks Date listened: 28/04/24

I generally enjoy Van Morrison, and enjoyed this too, but nothing really grabbed my attention; just pleasant background music.

I've only heard of a few Van Morrison tracks before. And been meaning to check some more of his stuff out. Nothing really grabbed me on here though

Neutralne 3/5

Boring except for The Way Young Lovers Do which is pretty good.

i will never grow so old again

I’m not a big VM fan. But I recognize his voice and his music are viewed as sacred for many people. So 3 stars from me.

Enjoyed that. 3

The songs are good, but too long and I hate his voice. Good use of more traditional instruments like violins, double bass, and I think I heard a bassoon somewhere. Favorite song: Sweet thing.

Solid 70's

This is kinda interesting.. certainly for an ostensibly folky/singer-songwriter album, he was willing to experiment with less structured songs that are longer and more rambling than we might usually expect. Some nice instrumentation dripped in which gives it a lovely layered, but still folky, sound. I also like Van's vocals on this, he really is soulful at times I will stick with 3* because I find the long tracks a bit dull and sometimes it feels like they don't go anywhere, which made me a bit bored

This album was just OK. It took me a while to warm up to it. I enjoy a little Van Morrison but I'd pass this one up for Moondance any day.

Not the biggest flute guy

Tricky one to rate. Didn't like it at first but once you get used to his vocal style, the songs are very good. Reminds me of Bob Dylan. Fav tracks: Sweet Thing, Young Lovers, Madame George

Some very high highs

I do like him. This was just average for me.

Decent. The softer instrumentals in the background give dimension to singing and lyrics that can sometimes feel unfinished. Liked it but not over the moon

This is some real mellow Van Morrison and all their stuff is pretty chill. There really wasn’t anything that stood out but I do like Van Morrison.

2.5/5 liked the instrumental, was annoyed by the voice

El uso de violín, flauta de pan, guitarra acústica, entre otros instrumentos poco comunes, así como su voz característica hacen canciones bonitas en ejecución y melodiosas, muy calmantes. Pero, que largas son, son eternas. En mi opinión, el disco entero es la misma canción repetida. Hay poca variación en la melodia, ritmo y ejecución.

3.3/5 Best Track: Astral Weeks

La voix de Van Morrison m’a lassée à la longue; j’avais l’impression qu’elle exprimait un sentiment d’urgence parfois disproportionné et peu nuancé

Bien.

I'm white, but all I can think about when I listen to Van Morrison is how much it just sounds like music for white people. I don't mind Van Morrison, but his singing style starts to grate on me after a couple of songs. This sounded like one long song to me.

I’m not the biggest Van Morrison fan, but I can see why this album has become the classic that it is. At first listen I was lost, but once I got to Madame George (a beautiful song) I finally had the key that helped open up the album for me. Definitely need to hear it again.

Als ich gestern die Seite geöffnet habe, hatte ich bei dem Albumcover erstmal ein wenig Angst, was mich da erwartet.. Aber so täuscht man sich, das Album war am Morgen so gut, um in den Arbeitstag zu starten. Bin nach meinem dritten grippalen Infekt (oder Corona) in drei Monaten immer noch etwas matschig und saß irgendwie halb zerstört am Schreibtisch. Meine Laune hat sich aber deutlich gebessert nach diesem chilligen Einstieg. Trotzdem ist mir nichts besonders im Kopf geblieben, was ja aber auch nicht immer unbedingt sein muss, als Gesamtwerk gefiel es mir jedenfalls.

It's all right. Seemed a bit meandering.

I understand the story telling but this is unnecessarily long. The music is nice and it does have soul.

Judging by his more popular tunes, I thought I would enjoy this Van Morrison album more. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.

Love moondance but astral weeks is a little slow

The instrumental on “The Way Young Lovers Do”??? Absolutely insane in an album where the rest of the songs sound the same/simplistic in comparison. Also, am I crazy or does he venture into Muppets territory with his voice at some points. Fav: The Way Young Lovers Do/Slim Slow Slider Least Fav: eh

i really love Van Morrison but I found this to be more of a chore, not bad, but not great. great singer/songwriter but tghis album left me wanting.

Eh sometimes I like Van Morrison and sometimes his voice grates. Tonight was grating.

Like later Morrison albums more

I’m indifferent on this.

Hieman samaa kuin Songs of Leonard Cohenissa: aloittelun, luonnostelun tuntua, vaikka eheä levy onkin ja sinänsä hyvät biisit. Ei meinaa jäädä mieleen, kun jokainen biisi muistuttaa toistaan, on kuin samasta aihiosta. Mut kiva ajan tunnelma.

sin duda un album lleno de sonidos familiares como el blues y el jazz con una mescla envolvente de setntimientos como el amor y el odio.

Honestly, after first song i want to drop this album, but after 2 songs it starts to grow on me at the point, that i listened to it 3 times, maybe in the future this album would be 5/5, but for now 3/5

Considering this follows his commercial success I can see it being a true departure and therefore visionary. But is this a sophomore slump? I don’t really think so but it is independently viewed in his catalog and that can make it hard to be fully objective. Produced well. A bit singular. 3.33/5

Terrible person, album was okay

Fav song: the way young lovers do

Ok

good Van is really good Van. this seems more jazzy than what i know him for, but i enjoyed it

I didnt realise this all dates back to the 1960s. It also sounds like it could be intimate, soft soothing, and comforting etc. and his lyrics reveal some vulnerability. the guitars and flute offer delicate counterpoints to this raw and unique vocals. Alas, while acknowledging it has merit, I cant hear it with a 60's ear, or tell you those special moments where he was the soundtrack for my life, where his music was alive a brave and spoke to me, because the Wonder Years, while wonderful, arent my youth. So it is wasted on me.

Here are my heretical opinions on Astral Weeks. Overall, I find this album nonsensical, vague and meandering with, little to no real focus. Van certainly projects sincerity in his stream of consciousness singing, but the lyrics can be described as "impressionistic" at best, and he seems to be singing the same tune fragments over and over. It works in an ambient kind of way. Beside You is probably the most egregious example of this on the record. Madame George and The Way Young Lovers Do are the best formed songs on the record, and stand out as a result. I know Van didn't like the string arrangements, but often the string arrangements actually provide some structure to the songs. I know that many people love this album, and I love the Jeff Buckley version of The Way Young Lovers Do on his Live at Sin-e ep. And Van's improvisational approach to singing was clearly a big influence on young Jeff, so that is a good thing. Look, the record is pleasantly listenable (if you don't pay too much close attention), but I don't love it. I'm glad that I have given it some good close attention, as it highly rated by many. But it really ain't for me.

I like what I hear, but I wish some of the songs were a little shorter. I think Van Morrison really perfected what he was trying to do with his next album, Moondance.

Re-listen. I definitely prefer this one over Moondance.

Heard of artist, not album. Is alright, not bad but nothing special either. Apparently Rock from 1968, doesn’t really sound like it. 3/5 at the moment.

A little too late-60s scattered for my liking. For a record that's only 47 minutes long, it seemed to play for an hour and a half.

Good, but kinda somber and introspective.

This is a bit boring, decent dinner party music but not a lot beyond that really. Title track is decent, Sweet Thing also good, but not showstoppers, and the rest fades into the background very easily. Squeaks a 3 on the strength of the two highlights.

Van Morrison has one of coolest and most distinctive voices in Rock 'n' Roll. This album is super mellow and the music is pretty stripped down. I don’t think the songs do him justice but his vocals are pretty great nevertheless.

Interesting stripped down album by Van. I liked the songs, but everything was a little too slow. 3/5 Might listen again

Такой странный альбом и странная музыка. Он когда начал петь в первом треке, я подумала: какой красивый голос, это предвестник Бубле! А потом чувак отлетел в космос в пространные рассуждения о люби к особе и их отношениях. Музыка в стилистике "что вижу, то и пою", без структуры, без повторяющейся мелодии - немного блеющий, варьирующийся голос. Красивый, но расхлябаный, расслабленный.. Странно, но интересно.

Bien.

en vrrrrrai ca passe

Not bad, enjoyed some of it

So conflicted on Van. Love his music, don't like his views. But that said, this is an absolute classic collection of songs.

Van morrison is an amazing artist but every song sounds like van morrison

Slow rock. Nothing special, but not bad either. Listened to it while working, so didn’t get the chance to concentrate too much on it.

Put into context this album is pretty good. However maybe I need to spend a bit more time with it as I just didn't overly enjoy it. Fave track is Cyprus Avenue. Special call out for Ballerina as when it starts I wondered whose iPhone was ringing.

Enjoyable, but I prefer their hits (I'm worried that will be my review for all 1001 ablums!)

this is interesting... it took me four days to get through and it is very good at certain points but urgh... sometimes it's just soooo annoying tbh

I understand this album is considered essential and in a way I can get it. Personally though it’s a bit too jammy for me. It feels like so many of these songs just continue on and go nowhere. Maybe it’s a me problem. Essential Track: Sweet Thing (Added to Playlist)

More introspective than what I've come to expect from Van Morrison.

Tällästä perus musaa. Ei ihmeellisen hyvä eikä ihmeellisen huono. Taustalla menee. 3/3

Decent enough

mid

Celui qui s'est fait connaître en prononçant son prénom très vite propose ici un album d'assez bonne qualité, toujours dans son style gémissant caractérstique.

J'ai bien aimé écouter Van Morrison gémir pendant de longues minutes, super style.

I don’t connect with Van’s vocals, and I find the music to be a bit astral plain.

liked it but i didnt love it. felt a little repetitive

Not my favorite van morrison album. Not bad. 3 stars

Pretty good album. Don't have too much to say about it though. I like the voice, and the whole album has good flow.

Incredibly soothing instrumentals contrasted by Van Morrison's extremely harsh voice. He voice works well at points but it's kind of tough to listen to a full album of. Overall a good album pretty much exactly a 3 rating

the A-side was excellent, "sweet thing" specifically along with the title track, but i found the b-side to be a little bit lacking. still overall quite good but i'd likely only listen to the a-side again.

I had to listen to this twice to decide what I thought of it and I'm still on the fence after two listens. One one hand it's kind of repetitive and the vocals are annoying. It also feels sometimes like the music and lyrics are strangely detached. However, I also found myself enjoying the slightly depressing sounds and the musicality of the whole thing. I wavered between a 2 and a 4, sometimes in the space of a few minutes in some of the individual tracks. I also felt myself hovering over the like button and then backing out again. I feel a 3-star rating is a bit low, but I probably won't go out of my way to listen to this again.

Sounds better late at night when you're very blazed. Apparently some of these songs were written as a stream of consciousness and it really shows.

Not my favorite Van Album. I have to be in a mood.

Loved a couple of songs on this (particularly Astral Weeks), found others to not go anywhere and get increasingly annoying (Madame George the worst of the lot). There's clearly far more to Van Morrison than brown eyed girl so in that sense I'm pleasantly surprised but not really compelled to listen to more.

Many of the songs outstay their welcome, but it does contain a couple of interesting, melancholy and melodic tracks. The Way Young Lovers Do is a bit more uptempo, and consequently a bit more memorable. Madam George is too long.

A bit too mellow for me but dang what a powerful voice that cuts through the malaise of your morning.

-van morrison is tight as hell -vibes are very good -favorites: slim slow slider -these lyrics are also really beautiful -idk if i like this enough to listen again but i’m enjoying listening to it -these older albums sincerely need to stop with the 8+ minute songs. halfway through i have checked out mentally because they have not made it interesting enough to keep the song going that long -sorry i have simply hit my limit

fadeouts... eikö osata lopettaa pistää loppua JA LOPPU NÄIN. STOP. eikö osata... noh ei haittaa..kivaa musiikkia mutta pettymystä tunnettu nimi kuitenkin oli korkealla ajatukset, pilvissä (ei hörhöillen) ajatukset vaan... tykkäsin silti, plim plom kellonkolina elementtti heh.. the way young lovers do

Not my favourite Van Morrison, but good

Not his best album.

Good production but lead singer’s voice was extremely distracting

Nice album, kind of a shame he's a dick on stage

Pleasant but a tad boring

On the one hand I really like the dreamy atmosphere van Morrison creates. Very unique sound. As a an album it becomes a bit boring

very van morrisony. it’s alright

Sorry but the wee Belfast boy, Van the Man, will never win the battle of me liking his voice. I find it a really hard ask to listen to him, and he does leave you feeling a tad depressed and melancholy after listening to this album. The album is an eclectic mix of folksy tracks with maybe a hint of jazz or blues... its hard to tell, did I mention his voice, I still can't get that out of my ears. The songs themselves are musically a progession arrangement for 1968, when music was emerging as more expressive than traditional, albeit on a number of tracks there is little synergy between the musicians and it all gets a bit clunky. But the music isnt the bad part about this album, because you just can't get away from that persistent Leeeooowwwwowowwowwahhyeah extensions he adds into way too many of the lyrics, which continually adds to the headache of his grating singing voice. So in summary, it's an album of his early work, it's eclectic, i dont know why people rave on about Van, but laterally he did go on to turn out better albums and some well known popular songs, but for me this Astral Weeks album is just middle of the road, absolutely nothing special, and pretty sure it won't get played again... unless I get depressed and want to add to my woes, then I'll play it again.

Not as popular as some other albums, but great nonetheless

Okay, very artsy and of its time

I really liked Van Morrison but I didn't find any song especially cool.

(2.5) Y a pas de quoi casser trois pattes à un canard

PREFS : Astral Weeks, Cyprus Avenue, The Way Young Lovers Do, Ballerina MOINS PREF : Beside You

I dont this this holds up. Also never been a fan of his voice

Overall an ok album however there wasn't really anything that stood out as fantastic to my ears. Best: Sweet Thing Worst: Madame George

This isn’t really my style but I can definitely say there are some cool vocal moments on this record. I really like his use of repetition, it really gives off this vibe of hunger or longing that I think he’s going for. That paired with his strained vocal makes for a super unique sound.

Sort of like alternative soul music. 3/5

Wow I actually really don't like how dramatic this is. Almost a 2 in enjoyment but it's objectively not bad... so 3 I guess but oof.

Love Van Morrison voices sounds quite haunting. Lovely short album and very much a 60s record

At times: wow, what lovely, rich, mystical sounds to daydream along to! At other times: wow, is this song *still* rambling on…? Overall I probably feel similar about this album to how I feel about Moondance. Which is to say, I enjoyed it in parts but can’t quite understand its legendary reputation.

I think "Madame George" encapsulates my feelings about this album well. It's got a nice, full sound and evocative lyrics sung in Van's unmistakeable voice, but it's too damn long. At no point in my life have I ever said "Man, you know what I'd like to do? Listen to a 10 minute-long song." (Okay, that's not entirely true; I've got a 16 minute version of "Rhapsody in Blue" that's pretty awesome, but that's the exception to the rule). On its own, sure, it's fine. But when I listen to music I listen to multiple songs (as pretty much everyone does), and I like the experience to flow. Get much longer than 5-6 minutes and things start to drag. And yet I enjoyed the song and the album, even if they overstayed their welcome a bit. Enjoyment-wise, they were both a net positive thanks to Van's lyrics and delivery. This album isn't something I'd queue up with regularity, but I threw "Sweet Thing" and "The Way Young Lovers Do" into my 1001 Albums playlist on Spotify. And yeah, "Madame George," too.

I enjoy his voice & some of his music, but this was a little on the boring side.

good background/study music

Split on this. It has atmosphere, but also a lot of wailing. To the extend that my girlfriend made me turn it off as it was pecking her head.

6/10. meh no es malo pero no me gusto tanto. aparte las letras qlas el wn repite todo dms y no me lo puedo tomar en serio. to nevanevaneva to nevavava to nevanevanveavamsjsuqbsm