Moondance

3.5 Is there a more underrated run of songs than tracks 1-5 on this album? I love Van Morrison’s warm, soulful voice and the folky/soul rock music that goes with it. I’m also a sucker for pianos and horns, which are pretty abundant here. It’s a little top heavy, as I start to lose interest deeper into the album.

interesting voice. not the style i like. but theres a singer/songwriting vibe here. 3/5

Reminds me of childhood.

I'm surprised I'm not wanting to rank this higher. It is good sounding but it feels a bit dry. Maybe I just know it too well so it blends into a background when it doesn't deserve to. Into the Mystic is the best on the album.

3.50-3.75 only two to three songs I really enjoyed on here Title song carries it, along with some high energy sections

Heard of van morrison, never listened to an album. First song is fine, not life changing. More poppy than what I was expecting. As I listen more I’m liking more. Have heard moon dance, banger. Immediate add to the playlist. The jazz fusion in both of the first 2 songs is really cool. Good songwriting too. Songwriting is good on crazy love, song itself is fine. Too soft rock ish for my taste. Chorus is catchy not much more to it. Caravan is better but still not life changing I’d say. Fun song/chorus. Great singing voice. I like into the mystic, production is really good. Songwriting too. Sax solo at the end is really good too. Come running is an interesting change of pace. Fine song. I like these dreams of you better, but still not life changing. Another cool sax solo. I like brand new day, catchy not much more to it. I like the background vocals a lot. Everyone is a fun song, cool background track. Glad tiding is a good song, feel like I’ve heard it before but I have. Great way to end the album, wish more songs were like that one. Ultimately the album was fine, probably won’t ever listen to again. 2.5 stars

I understand why people like Van Morrison, he's obviously a talented guy. His music has just never clicked for me at all, I have tried. I did like this album more than the double live album I got a while ago, It's Too Late to Stop Now, but I just, nope.

Impeccably played jazzy folk, but it lacks soul. Musically this album sounds meticulous, with horns and pianos coming in at just the right places. It's almost so perfect as to feel stuffy. The title track has a jazzy interlude that's a joy to listen to, but it's the only moment on the album where it unbuttons and lets loose. Some of the tracks have moments that make them stand out - the "Radio!" bit on Caravan and the la-la-las on the closer - but even those moments feel restrained. Van's a great singer but he rarely puts a lot of emotion behind his voice. It's kind of odd that this came after the free flowing Astral Weeks, as it feels like a trial run for that album's adventurousness. "Into the Mystic" is a good example of a song that could use the Astral Weeks treatment; it has a good melody but feels too short and straightforward to make use of it.

quite nice

So good the vibe and all and its like the best autumn album its a solid 7/10 ‘These dreams of you’ is my top song from it I loved it

Good but Cameron Winter clears

I need white men to stop making podcasts and start making music like this again. It’s not totally my thing but I had a fine time listening. I know this man has a lot of lore but I know none of it.

This was fine. I enjoyed the combination of folksy jazz and I thought it was well executed. It just didn’t really do much for me otherwise. It wasn’t particularly memorable. Maybe I just hit it on the wrong day, idk.

6/10 - relaxing jazz pop rock

Nice and easy listening, with some interesting sonic elements in the mix. A little more soulful than typical folk singer-songwriter stuff, and has some jazz touches here and there too. Not something I'd likely come back to, but decent overall.

I didn’t think I knew any songs on this album until Moondance. It’s the song I hear at work all the time. Favorite songs: Moondance, Crazy Love

scusate non l’ho sentito proprio tutto ma mi è piaciuto molto

I wish this was a bit more upbeat. I like it, the voice is good, just a bit slow for a Friday morning in October. Not feeling it. It needs to be played late on a Summer's day. Driving home: you have a touch of heatstroke and you're anticipating crashing out on the sofa when you get back. Feet slightly aching, you decided to play this because you were in the mood after hearing a busker singing Brown Eyed Girl and you want some REAL Van Morrison. One to keep for those occasions, but not today. Still decent but without that mood, I can't give it any higher.

Okay. I slept like shit. I don't have it in me to give an extensive review

Standard VM

If fedoras were music.

Hey, it’s that song from The Royal Tenenbaums This is like a 3.5 but I’m rounding down

Better than I expected. Great instrument sound. Good song construction. Voice gets grating after a while.

Enjoyable. Not wow. A couple of familiar songs and a few others. some of it was quite similar. A bit better than average. I would listen to it again but not seek it out to own it. 3.5 stars

6/10 Not bad 10-03-2025

This was pretty good! Great background music. I liked Stoned me, caravan, and into the mystic the best.

Am I over Van Morrison?

Van Morrison reminds me too much of me da who's now dead and gone. It makes me too sad. Love and miss you, Da

Van is ok I guess..

Pretty good

It's all just very nice. Well crafted songs, with nice instrumentation and vocals. It won't be something I'll revisit, but I quite enjoyed it nonetheless. 3.5 rounded down.

Easy listening, but also easy to tune out. Has some really good moments and yet a lot is forgettable.

6/10

Ok

Ihan hyvä, mutta kaikki biisit kuulostaa aika lailla samalta. Lopulta meni sellasels että vaan soi taustalla enkä ajatellut, joten vähän tylsä. Ei silleen musiikillisesto huono mutta ei mitenkään ihmeellinen.

No private session used for Spotify. Love the song, but never listened to the album or any Van Morrison album. The album is pleasant, has a lot of nice songs, pretty mellow.

Easy listening

3.5 maybe

whimsy blues!! But uh... literally forgor the songs the moment I stopped listening. So, sweet but forgettable

Not bad. Some of the songs were pretty cool but a bit too southern for me 😅

Album is a total hit-or-miss crapshoot. Oscillating from “oh hell yeah this rocks” to lame circus music. Caravan, Into The Mystic, and Glad Tidings are great tracks.

Recognizable artist/sound/songs. Appreciated a couple listens through, but a bit slower than the music I normally seek out.

Only know Van Morrison through the hits. This broadens it a bit.

mediocre. 2,5

Good

I'd play it again on a road trip

I listened to this while cleaning the underside of my bidet. It was alright.

Honestly, this was pretty unexpected. And I don't think you can come into this album and not be surprised unless you really know what you're getting into with Van Morrison. While I do really appreciate the width of this album, I'm not enjoying Van Morrison's voice, and it takes a lot of the enjoyment out of listening for me. Which is a shame, because I love all of the different instruments making appearances and adding to the songs. Even though I'm not really enjoying it, the album does get points from me just because of its instrumentation. Favorite Song(s): Crazy Love

Songs I would best describe as country. Good for waking up and maybe an intro scene in a 70s themed show. Don’t think I’d ever learn the words though.

Very folksy. I think if I were in the right headspace (high) I'd probably like this more than I did listening to it at work. Have heard plenty of the songs before, but was nice to hear them in context.

Folk gets big and poppy with plenty of influence from the jazz and rock scenes going round at the time! Love the layers of wind and brass over the band, the record (much like the artist!) has a distinct voice. Lovely, but samey. Favourite tracks: Caravan, Moondance, Brand New Day

ok

A bit of a mixed bag of an album in terms of song quality, but a fun listen none the less. Another album that would get 3.5/5 if I could officially give half star ratings.

Few good songs, but never my thing

3.5/5

I find the title track kind of grating for whatever reason, but there are some good songs here. I think Royal Tenenbaums is doing some heavy lifting for me here to make this a 3.

Some great songs and a great voice. I'd only heard his hits so I didn't quite expect this.

mid for the amount of streams it has

Distinctively “Van Morrison” with his bard-like voice. Not quite folk, but definitely not hard. Lots of acoustic instruments

I liked this one in college, but didn’t enjoy as much listening now. Also thought he was American this entire time until looking his bio up today! Into The Mystic was probably my favorite track on this album but the rest is a little too old man for me on this particular one. I’ll give it another listen in 30 years.

Was suspicious of this one, as I find the song 'Moondance' really quite annoying, but the rest of the album was quite enjoyable.

3,5/5. Очень приятно, но не так интересно.

I expected to love this one give Mystic. Instead of come off blah. Moondance is ubiquitous. In the end don’t see myself listening all that often. 3/5

I love the song Moondance mostly because of American Werewolf In London. Maybe if the rest of the tracks appeared in the film, I'd like those as well. Unfortunately the rest of the album didn't excite me too much, all too middle of the road

Not my style. It’s good, it just needs that “fit.”

This is a tough album to rate for me. Into the Mystic is an all timer for me, it is a song that speaks right to my soul. And Moondance just plain sucks, from the terrible lyrics, to the rock flute, to his pitchiness. There are some really good songs on here and some absolute cheese balls. So I have to split the difference with the star rating.

Choosing to listen to this album voluntarily would be like choosing to sit in the back of my Mom's metallic green Buick in 1979.

I feel like its an alright album but I really dont take any songs away from it.

Folk isn't typically my thing, but this is a pleasant enough listen. The instrumentation is subdued save for a couple riffs, so it's very chill.

Sounds like US country music

This is the sort of music that I could happily have on in the background when doing something because it really doesn’t offer anything fantastically interesting but trots along. Something that annoys me about Van Morrison though is that you spend 10-15% of the album listening to him simply making noises. 3 stars.

Kinda fun, inoffensive, happy vibes. Flute was fun. Best song: Moondance Notable(s): Crazy Love

Cover 5 First half is great. Second half iis ok.

Hmm... It has been a while since I had this criticism. I think Van Morrison is actually quite unique and wonderful. Not quite jazz, not quite pop, not rock... not quite a singer/ songwriter... Van Morrison is unique. That makes him all the more interesting and since he is quite good and calming and enjoyable to listen to, it can even be delightful. But... Van Morrison IS unique! His voice is very specific and distinct. He has a style which is consistent... so ... A whole album in a row starts to get a bit redundant. Yeah, it sucks to say, but I started wishing it would "end soon" and it was not a long album. Taken individually or a couple songs at a time, GREAT! But he runs into the not uncommon problem of many a fine band: Things start to run together after a while even as individual songs (any of them really) are quite nice. SO. On his own merit, four to five stars! In an album played in a row...

The song "Moondance" has one of the best bass lines ever. The rest of the album is fair

Bluesy, folky, soulful, well-executed album, the enjoyment of which has been undermined for me by its overexposure.

A jazzy folk-rock album that started off quite promising, and had quite a few really nice songs (particularly that title track!), but by the end it was starting to blend.

It wasn’t bad but I didn’t love it. Moondance (the song) was kinda good and jazzy but the rest of it all blended together as just old people music.

Moondance is obviously the stand out

Remember Van Morrison's loony phase? I remember it like it was yesterday. "Moondance" has some good songs. However, I wouldn't consider it one of the greatest albums of all time. It seems I had a rubbish week this time. 3 stars for "Moondance".

Good album. Reminds me of a less drugy version of the doors mixed with some Bob Dylan

It’s ok. I really really can’t stand Van Morrison’s voice but the instrumentals are fine enough. Really like the song Moondance but nothing else really stuck out to me.

Not much to add that I didn't cover in the It's Too Late to Stop Now review. I enjoyed the instrumentation and it was pretty easy to listen to, but a little too slow and unexciting for me. The jazzy title track was my favourite from the album.

It's a good album, nice easy listening, I just won't come back to it, but will enjoy the hits when I heard them in the wild

I only knew Van Morrison by name. I expected something polite and boring, but it was actually a very pleasant album. While it is indeed a bit too much on the easy-listening side for my taste, the soul, folk and country influences blend well together, and Van Morrison totally makes it work thanks to his genuine love for these genres. It’s full of heart and emotion, and I can totally see myself listening to this again. On the downside, there’s not a lot of variation throughout the album, most songs follow more or less the same pattern (except Moondance, a beautiful song). It’s also a pure product of its time, so much that it almost sounds like the soundtrack of a generic movie about the late 60s. He was obviously a talented artist back in the days, but maybe not original or excentric enough to leave a lasting impression beyond that time period.

Nice tones, good ambiance. But it does not linger.

I really don't understand how Van Morrison could have turned into a famous singer. His singing is unpleasant to say the least... This album has a big highlight and a very low lowlight. The highlight of course is the title track - that is a fantastic song. But why on earth is that wonderful bassline played on an electric bass????? This screams for a double bass. The lowlight is very clearly 'Crazy love' - that's horrible. A meager 5/10. Because of 'Moondance', the song.

Smooth easy listening.

7/10 This was better than I expected, could have been a soft 4 but in the end it was t quite interesting enough. The boy can sing though, really fits his style. Best: These Dreams of You

This album cover made me gasp (and lol). It reminds me that Kyle Mooney recently released an album ("The Real Me"). Nice font though. Also, I do genuinely like 'Moondance' the song. Also, Wiki says Van Morrison's wife was named Janet Planet. Amazing. Perhaps the inspiration for "The Wedding Singer"'s Julia Gulia? I'm not sure what my preconception of Van Morrison was (old? like Tom Petty but more old?) but even though this is kind of country-adjacent (as well as old), I kinda like it. Mellow, lyrical, some background horns (I'm calling saxes horns now, sue me). After the first few songs, it began to feel a little too dentist-office for me, though. (Apparently 'Into the Mystic' is one of the best songs to do surgery to, which is cool, but I don't want to imagine being surgeried during my music listening time). Highlights: 'Moondance' (nice lil compound, implies the existence of Sundance... wait a second!), 'Glad Tidings'

Que lindo disco!

meh

jest to typu muzyka w tle ale gdybym sie urodzila z 50 lat wczesniej pewnie zmienilaby mi chemie w mozgu. 6 punktow dla irlandii polnocnej (w sposob eurowizyjny, nie daj boze harrypotterowski)!

i liked the vibe but ultimately think the songs were mostly forgettable

Honestly fucked up to have this immediately after CCR, because it might as well be the same review. I prefer John Fogerty's dirtier sound, and the fact that these two albums might as well be interchangeable in my mind save for the smooth jazz background, I'm inclined to ding this lower, but you know what? Perfectly good music Of This Kind. Good, but could probably go through life without having heard this, though.

One of his best but not THE best

A great representation of the era without being boring. Van Morrison is a unique assortment of instrumentation and styles, but with the production techniques that keep it in the Classic Rock sound I grew up with.

More of a fan of the live versions of these tracks

Pretty solid folk album. Moondance was pretty different from the rest of the album because of the Jazz influence, but it's probably the best track on here.

Pleasantly surprised with this record. I wasn't expecting a mix of Pop, Folk, and Jazz. I enjoyed the jazz section in "Moondance." Favourite Track(s): Moondance, It Stoned Me Least Favourite Track(s): Into the Mystic

Great

This is good but not really my thing. I'm not sure I'll ever return to it unless my tastes change and I get even more sentimental as I age. I guess that's the fun of this project.

I always confused Van Morrison with Morrisey. Now I know the difference. This jumped right into it on the first song, I had to check that I didn't click a few songs in. Usually there's a bit of instrumental, but not this one. It wasn't bad, but I prefer other late 60s/early 70s albums. 3 stars

Good album! Has some good songs! Not a crazy Van Morrison fan but still a classic!

Great voice, some of these songs were kind of mid

It starts pretty nicely with some actually great songs, specially because of the arrangements but it just peters out after a while, a shame because it starts with the kind of sound I want out of folk rock but winds up being more standard stuff at the end than the beginning...

I really like this, it was boppy and felt like a warm hug and Werther's Original

Probably a 3.5. I think it deserves another listen

also jetzt hemmer 5 fotis vo dem dude gmacht, wie wämmer sie uf em cover ahordne? was meineder zu 2 spalte? 4 links, aber s'unterste chli weniger höch wie die andere? ah jetzt hemmer rechts aber es hochformat – was? mir hend keis einzigs hochformatfoti gmacht? fuck it, dreihemer's eifach um 90°! guet so? ja voll. glaub das verbuechi hüt au mal unter de kategorie: netti hintergrundmusig wo mi nöd nervt nach mine kalkulatione gid das 3 schnauzhaar

I’m not going to lie, I pulled a face when this came up. I don’t knowingly know much by Van Morrison other than Brown Eyed Girl which suffers from being played at every wedding, disco or party for the last million years. I actually quite enjoyed this listen though, and I recognised the title track, and although I’m not sure I’d rush back, it has its merits for sure.

Enjoyable, AM standards like Moondance and Into the Mystic are familiar. Its a good record. Its a little bit Jazzy, a Bit folky. Cover is a bit weird though, like a 70's Australian Fast Bowler...

Moondance is a great song but the rest is pretty boring. This guy is such a prick.

Mix of folk jazz and soul that is unique but does feel a little stagnant at times. Generally quite pretty.

Madame George makes this a three star album, containing everything Morrison does best. The rest of the songs meandered a bit for me.

sin mas, muy relajado pero ya

Pretty mixed. Some excellent songs, but also a few that didn’t seem finished.

solid album all the way through, standouts include crazy love, caravan, and these dreams of you

I really like crazy love and liked the inspiration and ideas of the album, but tend to prefer more upbeat stuff in general.

3.2

Enjoyable...always find myself sleeping on Van...probably because I think Brown Eyed Girl is one of the most overplayed and overrated songs. 3.5/5

Lang album, beetje gardians of the galaxy stijl muziek

This is decent but I'm not sure I'll really go back to it

Ok. Nothing jumps out at me that I didn't already know

Even if his voice is annoying at times, this was a great album.

Very Nice album. Would listen again in the background whilst working. 6/10

Meh a little too Claudia's dad music for my taste. Hit songs are still bangers tho

Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-it's-fine 2.5/5

Good listen, song stylings are perhaps dated, but a fun album

Okay album, though sometimes a bit boring. This is probably a 3.5 but I won’t be rounding up.

Enjoyable, easy listening. Sort of music I'd play in the backyard on a summer evening.

Enjoyable album with some catchy pop tunes. Each song did not disappoint.

The title track was definitely my favorite off the record (how can you beat flutes in a rock song?!) 3.5/5

this has the van morrison songs i do like but the rest just sounds like every other van morrison song… idk the ones that rip, rip! the others are just whatever

softie

Not bad!

“Moondance” and “Into the Mystic” are the best tracks by far. Van Morrison is sometimes unintelligible and just goes, “blarghghghhhh waaaaaaa do do do” and there’s a good horn section backing him and a gospel choir - which I can see being a total vibe for some people but I just found it annoying

Moondance, crazy love, and into the Mystic or standout songs, but otherwise just middle of the road

Objectively a good album. He is such a soft squishy little boy sitting alone next to the crick with his guitar and thinking about pussy when he should have been sweating under the hot sun (or lukewarm sun) farming potatoes in northern ireland. The music is good enough to permit this deviance. not good enough for 5 stars though boyo

3.5 rounded down

I liked this okay enough. I think I slightly prefer it when he is being jazzier and less poppy.

Solid album through & through

3.5 stars

Dosadni zapadni folk, ali ovaj put s elementima jazza, funka, svačeg nečeg, pa je dojam dosta potpuniji.

It has some excellent songs on it, but I don't know if it is as great as many of us remember.

Inoffensive but it's not my favorite, I can see why people like it though

i liked most of what i heard, but nothing really stood out

Okie dokie artichoke. Not my type, but I’ve heard a few along the years. On a road trip maybe, in rotation, no. Catchy, but not my type of fish.

I've always thought this album cover is inexplicably hilarious. Unfortunately, nothing after "And It Stoned Me" really catches me at all. It feels sort of like he's trying to combine soul with folk, which I appreciate the effort at, but he doesn't really do a very good job with it.

Ok

good not great

Moondance começa com a música que é provavelmente a minha preferida no catálogo do Van Morrison, "And It Stoned Me". Ainda tem pontos altos com a faixa título e "Into the Mystic", mas o restante do álbum falha em chegar no mesmo nível. Destaque para a voz do norte-irlandês neste bom disco de folk rock que fica nas sombras de seu antecessor, o incrível Astral Weeks.

I like some Van Morrison songs. His music is nice and pleasant, and I enjoyed listening to this album while I cleaned up the house. I think that's what his music is great for. Background happy music. 3.35/5 = 3 stars Into the Mystic is a must hear. Moondance is pretty good too.

Pretty solid! Agree with others that after the first few songs you know what to expect for the rest and it’s not quite as gripping.

Soulful

Some great songs!

Easy to listen to thanks to its warm voice and cozy production. In fact, I think the real strength of the album is the voice and all the emotion it carries. Van Morrison sings like a rock or soul artist, and even a folk song that might seem bland at first suddenly feels powerful. His voice also ties everything together, even though the influences are pretty mixed. A very pleasant listen, a welcome laid-back break, especially with this lovely weather!

Did not think I would like this too much. But I sorta did. Another album I expected to be a low 3 to only to feel it is a high 3, but still a three.

Some songs good; others not so good

Didn't do much for me.

Some really cool moments here but overall it’s not a really exciting record.

3.5

I will pretend like I haven't heard some diabolical stuff about Van Morrison as a person and I'll just say that this album is really great. Title track the best, it shined for me very much.

really good, I feel like quite a lot of these songs have that weird feeling that you've already heard it, but not entirely familiar. Instrumentals are really fun, and match the tone of his voice well. There's quite a range of sounds on here, from more ballad type stuff, to some like more wholesome hand-clap 60s era pop. I think that he's from N.Ireland kinda makes it quite unique, as his voice doesn't sound overly American, like some stuff does, or overly British. I also really like the random other instrument solos, brass stuff. This feels a lot like Nick Drake Bryter Layter instrumentally now that I think about it. Some songs are a bit nothing though. Favourite songs: And it stoned me, moondance, crazy love, into the mystic, these dreams of you, glad tidings (especially this one) Overall around 6/10

Pretty good

Really cool .

Sweet

Better than the other van album on this list

Thought it was pretty good

Pretty good! Not a whole lot stood out to me but it was a fun walking back track. Didnt expect much going into this but at the same time i kinda expected a lot more.

Opens with The Weight 2.0 which is not a bad thing. I still have a soft spot for the title track and caravan’s good too. I’m not a big Van Morrison fan but it reminds me of one of the old dudes I played disc golf with in Florida who’d play it all the time out on the links so for that I give it a decent 3/5

It’s unfortunate how much I enjoyed this, given that Morrison has gone off the deep end lately. Probably it just means I should seek out some proper soul music. I doubt I’ll come back to this, if only so as not to put money in Morrison’s pockets.

3 sterne

Ok

Easy listening, soulful, lazy Sunday morning kind of music.

first time listening to Van Morrison, digged the vibe

Objectively good, I don't really like it tho

I enjoyed this far more than I expected.

A classic

This was a pleasant surprise, I’ve never really dived into Van Morrison before but this is a very cool album - there was a variety of styles and instrumentation which led to a compelling listen. Certainly an album I’ll revisit.

Well well, very good. The guy is Irish....never would have guessed.

opinião pessoal, sempre achei o VM superestimado. Bom disco, bem produzido, 3,5 estrelas.

3/5

Overall a very homogeneous, catchy and relaxed (folk-)album. And exactly the amount of jazz I'm fine with ;) favourite: "Moondance" 3,5

Moondance is often praised as a smooth, soulful classic, and while it’s certainly well-made, it doesn’t quite pull me in. The title track and Into the Mystic are lovely, and the musicianship throughout is slick and polished—but maybe a little too polished. The album glides along on jazzy grooves and warm tones, but it starts to feel a bit samey, like it’s playing in the background of a very tasteful dinner party you weren’t quite invited to. Van Morrison himself is a bit like a pint of Guinness—rich, iconic, and undeniably Irish, but if you're not in the mood, it can feel like a heavy task to get through. His voice has soul, sure, but there’s a hint of self-satisfaction that can make it hard to fully connect. Moondance is pleasant and classy, but for me, it doesn’t leave much behind once it’s over.

Doesn't measure up to Astral Weeks for me, but still pretty good.

He has a love-it-or-hate-it voice, and I think I'm in the former camp. *Nobody* sounds like Van, and I appreciate that originality. Some fun and pleasant songs. I'm choosing not to consider or comment on him as person in this context.

I see why people like this record. He’s just a garbage human and his voice annoys me.

Moondance is like waking up on a day off from work, you know it will end yet at the same time it feels like it could go on forever. It’s an album to have playing in the background with a gentle gathering of close friends while you all reminisce.

Pretty nice.

a good listen, already heard the live album so it was an easier time to listen to this where there was not too much at one time

Was Glad Tidings (the last song) the best song on this album? No, as much as I'd like to say so, Moondance the song is still a killer. But it was a dope ending. I don't like Van Morrison for a lot of reasons not music related, and I think his songs are pretty same-y, but this was a bop album. So 3.5 probably, rounded down for being him.

The more I listen to folk rock, the more I'm starting to realize it's not for me. Don't get me wrong: compared to Astral Weeks, this was a breeze to listen to. It was lighthearted, and while Van's creepy lyric writing peeks in here and there, it was contained enough that it wasn't too much of a slog to get through. But I doubt I'm going to revisit this album ever again. The album cover's panels on the left side clearly show my reaction to this album as it went on.

After getting Astral Weeks first, I was a little pissed going into this. Luckily this seems to have done away with the pretentious wanking and replaced it with folk influences. The sound is a summery track that quickly bleeds into one another. It's for a particular kind of mood, one I wasn't in today.

Wasn't my thing, but I could see how it could be someones Jam. I was thinking 2ish stars but then i realized that I was singing along to the last song... +1.

Some good songs but overall don't really like the "high voices" of Van the Man...

Consistent. Enjoyable throughout until I got to brand new day. Wasn’t a fan of that song. The other songs were good and the album transitioned well between songs.

it pretty good

Decent easy listening jazz rock. Some iconic songs, but there is also a bit of cheesiness that comes through the songs and makes them all start to sound too similar. Alright overall, but nothing particularly groundbreaking. Top tracks: Moondance, Caravan, Into The Mystic

Toca en éste viernes de marzo un artista que ubico de nombre (y creo que ya ha aparecido en este reto). De entrada, su voz, entre recia y dulce, me engancha. La primera canción tiene sonidos muy de esos años, mientras que el resto van abarcando jazz, lo folk, lo country. ¿Favorito? Into the mystic. Hasta el lunes

J'ai trouvé la voix de Van Morrison à la fois belle, impressionnante et désagréable. Les accompagnements musicaux sont impeccables, reprenant le son soul qui se faisait au milieu des années 1960. En ce sens, je vois moins le côté novateur de l'album. La pièce Moondance: quel exploit d'écrire une pièce qui devient un standard, un classique dans l'imaginaire collectif!! Presque tous meurent sans y parvenir. (Les premières écoutes m'ont vivement irrité; une nouvelle écoute ce matin m'était plutôt agréable, quoique je me refuse à l'admettre. L'artiste ne me charme pas; je le laisse à d'autres.)

Rien de désagréable, rien de fabuleux. Fait penser à un gros mélange de plein d'affaires qui sont un peu meilleures que ça. C'est un peu niais par bouttes. Meilleur que ce qui joue dans la plupart des magasins à rayons.

I remember listening to this years back and thinking it was better just as a few singles than a complete album. And it Stoned Me is classic, and the track Moondance. Coming back to it is good, more stuff to appreciate that I probably glossed over the first time I heard this. Overall good but perhaps not among the greats of this era.

so 80's, lindo. 3.5

Un ptit country, ça blesse personne de temps en temps

yea it was fine

Not my thing. Its fine.

добротный мужичок

S Album isch no herzig, haut mich aber überhaupt nöd vom Hocker. Aber immer wieder findi de Wiedererkennigswert vo Musiker:inne beachtlich: Ich han vom Van Morrison nur „Brown Eyed Girl“ kennt, will mini Gastmueter in Neuseeland das als Handyklingelton gha het, de Name vom Künstler hani allerdings nöd kennt. Und durs ganze Album bini so gsi hmm das tönt wie de Handyklingelton vo minere Gastmueter;)

Good album, 7/10 but lowering it down to 3/5

Ganz gut, nichts was ich viel hören würde :)

Some decent bluesy-folky rock. I enjoyed the bass and some of the saxophone parts, alongside his voice too. It was an easy, catchy listen and it didn't really put much of a foot wrong. Not really my jam, but can see why people like it. A high 3

What a beautiful voice paired with beautiful music. I haven’t listened to van morrison much but I’m certainly a fan now. There’s a lack of cohesiveness at times in the album but it’s so easy to digest and enjoy. Some very good songs mixed with some very average songs. Neil young / Simon & Garfunkel vibes mixed with jazz ….

Nice folksy old.

Better than Astral Weeks by a mile, in my book. That isn't the album up for review today, but I was struck listening to The Waterboys' cover of Sweet Thing the other day for this (and a few times since) and thinking, oh my God, there's a bona fide song in here. It's so beautiful! Where was Morrison hiding it?? So I came into Moondance, which I had heard before and largely dismissed, with the idea that there is majesty here that just needs unearthing. Caravan hits like a, uh, caravan, and strikes me as the obvious highlight here, one that I've always loved when watching The Last Waltz. The album version isn't quite as strong without The Band's bombast behind it. I like it in the grand tradition of rock songs that position the radio as a holy item. Joy Division's Transmission, The Hold Steady's Stuck Between Stations, The Modern Lovers' Roadrunner. "I'm in love with the radio on." Much of the rest doesn't connect like I wish it did, but when it does, I do have the sense it's a special album. Two big points against Morrison: 1. He is Irish, not Welsh, despite what my father told me yesterday. 2. His singles chart on Rateyourmusic's mobile site jumps directly from Moondance (1977) to No More Lockdown (2020).

it did a good job as background tunes, some songs felt reeally similar to one another, overall it was an okay album.

Итс окэй. Лучшая песня - Moondance.

3.5/5

A couple really good songs, and a bunch of average to good ones.

Nice album 3/5

Yeah 3.5

Bit boring Nice lyrics

Eh. Not bad but not my thing.

nice album I can put on in the background of an activity . lots of different influences like jazz and blues that i find catchy.

Very good album.

Van Morrison - Moondance Such a feel good album to hear. Really enjoyable for a folk album, with some songs sounding really catchy and groovy at times. Overall, this is good! 1.- And It Stoned Me = 8/10 2.- Moondance = 9/10 3.- Crazy Love = 7/10 4.- Caravan = 8/10 5.- Into the Mystic = 9/10 6.- Come Running = 7/10 7.- These Dreams of You = 6/10 8.- Brand New Day = 8/10 9.- Everyone = 6/10 10.- Glad Tidings = 8/10 FINAL SCORE: 7.6/10

I don't know how to feel about this. The title song, Moondance, I was familiar with, but I never knew who sang it. Surprisingly the entire album is similar in tone to that, so I'll use that as an example to talk about the album. I don't know if he's being truly earnest with this music, but something about it sort of verges into corniness for me, the lounge-y swing of it all...in 1970 no less, when his contemporaries were getting heavy and psychedelic. And yet it has jazz flute, which I inexplicably love. So I'm torn. It's nice enough music I guess. Kind of chill with a steady energy, never doing anything too unexpected. Kids of safe feeling.

This was perfectly nice, but the fact that I genuinely can’t think of any of the songs except Moondance says something

A classic. 1970 was incremental in the evolution of music, and this album was certainly in everyone's ears. It could be found in just about every college dorm room, and, if you didn't own it, you knew it was readily available for listening at someone's room down the hall. Oh, a Saturday night party? This was there Many/most of these tunes were probably overplayed - they were both Top 40 hits and staples on "underground radio." I think this was an important album, though I can't think of anyone it influenced, at least off the top of my head. It probably belongs in this list. However, when it popped up as the next record to review, I paused the program; 3 weeks later, finally skipped through the songs. Hoping for better next time. ⭐⭐⭐ ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 65 🎧 LPs left to review: 936 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 14 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 17 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2):

I only knew Van Morrison by name. I couldn't remember his music. I was curious to see what the album would be like. R&B is definitely a genre that I like. I have difficulties with folk, but I always find jazz interesting. I liked the beginning of the album. I didn't find the rest of the album uninteresting either, but it sounded too much like folk to me. All in all, I probably won't listen to the album again. 3/5

Good record overall. Sweet second voices that made me song along with them

I liked Van Morrison's voice and his homage to jazz/blues greats like Ray Charles, but the musical genre fusion and instrumentals really stood out the most. Overall, I enjoyed this!

This is album comes and goes for me. I didn’t get a really close listen but I would play this again.

In general this album is very soft. My primary complaint is that van Morrison doesn't have quite as much edge to him--a little too smooth. Some Ray Lamontagne vibes on this album, which is a good thing. This album's hits--Into the Mystic and Moondance--are a lot of fun. And the rest are pretty passable pleasant folk/soft rock. Rounding a 3.5 down just because that feels right.

The title track “Moondance” was a good choice, great jam. Other than that the album was fine.

Very good sound. But none of the songs are the type that I would listen to again. But I enjoyed it.

Nice listen but never found anything outstanding about van Morrison. Unique voice, some catchy tunes. He is such a middle of the road artist. No one hates him, and I don’t think he’s anyone’s favorite. If his song comes on that’s great if not I would never miss it. This album was nice to listen to. Enjoyed it but nothing new for me.

Perfectly fine

Veel minder vrije en experimentele folk dan op z'n andere sleutelwerk 'Astral Weeks'. Hij blijft op dit album dichterbij een pop-rock formule, aangevuld door hints aan jazz om het nog een stukje smoother te maken voor het brede publiek. Kantje één is dan ook echt boterzacht en immens elegant, en het is bijna moeilijk om niet in zijn flow mee te gaan. Het verval op de andere kant van de plat is dan ook wel echt gigantisch, en dan zie je dat de veilige pop-folk blauwdruk balanceert op het randje van uitermate prettig voor het oor én doodsaai. 7/10 Highlights: And It Stoned Me Moondance Into the Mystic

Eh

I liked this one a bit more than Astral Weeks. It's not really my style still but the jazzier and more involved production adds some interest for me.

I can hear the passion in the performance, but the songs just don’t do much for me other than take me back to a time I never existed in. There’s a nice innocence in it all. Sound wise there’s too much reverb on his voice sometimes, kinda this plate with too much echo. The bass is a bit too clunky and loud. Some songs go on too long without doing much of anything. Sometimes Van’s voice is grating.

I enjoyed it but as I listened longer it got to be a little too much. His music is good but all very similar.

1001 albums to have sex to. Favorite track: Caravan

it's so nothing. don't really care either way it's just kind of boring but not bad. except i do find his voice annoying

I’d heard “Moondance” the song in movies and on tv a bunch of times but I thought it was some sort of 40s Jazz singer, not the Brown Eyed Girl guy. He’s got more range than I thought. Overall the album was ok, into the Mystic the best song for me. One thing I noticed that was weird is that every song seems to start very abruptly, like they cut off the first 10 seconds. Anyway, 3 stars

A whole lot of Van Morrison.

Great start but then fell a little flat by the end.

What a difference a year makes. Moving on from the 9 minute three chord camps of Astral Weeks - this is more Motown (horns, courses and song structure) than Verve. Still contemplative Van Morrison took full advantage of his last shot to become and FN staple. Still three chords the voice does the talking and the songs would inform open mics for generations along with the previously released and ubiquitous Brown Eyed Girl. TBH kind of prefer the 9 minute camps but that just me. When duty called this man stepped up to the plate.

Was no bad a bit meh really

This was way better than expected.

Muy folk para mi gusto pero buen vibe

Enduring music, beautiful lyrics, but no bangers or standouts.

3.5

Into the mystic is fire other than that not enough to get it to a 4

This was a nice companion for my walk through a foggy, snowy Montreal day. The opening two tracks were phenomenal: And It Stoned Me and Moondance; but I lost some interest as the album progressed.

Van Morrison is one of those supposed great ones, but I've never really understood his greatness completely. Perhaps it's yet one of those "you needed to be there when it happened" kind of things. This is not bad by any means, it just doesn't stand out that much to me. Very in the middle.

A lot of my expectations for these albums starts at a 3 tbh and this one mostly surpassed that. Really good vocals that elevated the whole project! 3 stars. Point five maybe.

Weird guy

I honestly think van morrison is one of the weirdest guys ever and like why does he make like blue eyed soul... hes a lad from northern ireland i wanna hear some pro IRA folk rock not some corny ass rnb from his plumber ass... anyways i do have a sweet spot for anyone who was in The Last Waltz but yea idk ive never been particularly impressed with this guy.

Kind of cool. Kind of boring.

not my type of music, but fine to play in the background wouldn't listen again

I remember hearing Moondance years ago and thinking what a cool song it was. But then I was disappointed when I heard other Van Morrison tracks and didn't find that same jazzy sound. At this point I like that folky sound too, but still the album as a whole is so-so. I like "And It Stoned Me", and I kind of like Caravan. I'm surprised "Into The Mystic" is the top played track.

Is this what they call blue eyed soul - even if his eyes are brown per the album cover? While I like the first song, and ‘Everyone’ (I blame Wes Anderson), this mostly felt like music for people who think Otis Redding sounds too aggressive.

Nice stuff. Always liked Van, just doesn't strike me in any way in particular

Van Morrison is another one of those artists I always feel I should like more than I ever actually do - I like him better in single songs than album length. A high 3 but still a 3, I think.

The title track is a good song, but otherwise it's fine for what it is. After a while all the songs blurred together without much to distinguish between them. It's listenable, but forgettable. Nothing challenging here, just average songs that roll on past without an impact. Definitely nothing I'd insist anyone needed to hear.

I was going to write a real review but someone said "A passable album does not a cunt redeem." and I think that's much funnier than anything I could say

3 because I’m a van Morrison fan - this isn’t his best but interesting enough to prompt a second listen

This one borders a bit on being background music, but there’s a nice energy to it that makes it listenable. Some of the songs elicit a comfortable vibe to them, which stops it from feeling boring. However, not much of this really stuck past that. There really wasn’t anything memorable for me here. It’s good, but not much past that. Good to hear more of Van Morrison past Brown-Eyed Girl, though. Favorite track: Into the Mystic Other hits: And It Stoned Me, Brand New Day, Caravan, These Dreams of You

Cute easy listening

Do you like jass music? If you do then this album is for you. This album aint bad It just its not my type of music. Its lyrics is pretty good. The beat is decent, and the album is also decent. I would recommend this album its good .

have you ever heard an album that was okay, well that's what I think of the album moon dance I think that the lyrics of the album are okay i think that because it just sounds kinda lame it does kinda sound good but I think it could have been better. The singer was also kinda bad but I think he did good. I think this album moon dance was okay but I don't recommend listening to that album.

I liked this. Moonfance fave song

i like moondance and all the other songs on here. not mind blowing tho. 7/10

Stabiles Album. Titelsong krass, muss ich mir bei Sonne anhören.

Decent, very folky with a lot of brass Not really my style but would listen to again if I was in the mood

Don't really know what I expected from Van the man, but it wasn't this. Now I don't mean that in a bad way, it just wasn't what I thought it would be. Quite enjoyed it really. Definitely better than the last two offerings but not worth a 4. Think you can see where this is heading. 3

It's always good to have a happy sounding album appear on this 1001 thing when people have made you feel sad. You learn a new thing every day, and this one being discovering 'Crazy Love' was originally one of his songs. My preconceptions of him was that he was just a B-Tech Irish version of that old tramp Bob Dylan, but no, he's better than that. So just for bringing a bit of joy to a shit day, Mr. VM, you are going to get a better score than I'd normally give.

Three stars

also not really for me, well made though

Honestly didn't notice I was listening to it until it was over

Nice folky rock fabulous lyrics and saxophone goodness. Loses a star because a man in a record store in a random Norwegian town told me he wasn't a nice bloke when he met him

3.5★. Very enjoyable (though a bit same-y) and nothing more.

I know many of these songs from bootleg Counting Crows live tracks! The deluxe version of this is overstuffed. I really enjoyed the studio feel of it - another thing the CC took away from VM. The reprises confused me; it felt like the album went on a long time or I'd accidentally set it to shuffle and repeat.

Not bad. Enjoyable in the first half.

It's good, deserve to be here but not as interesting personally

Eh, it’s nice as background music; Moondancer is a cool song. 38 minutes

Moondance is a great song, the rest is pretty good. 3.5 stars.

Everyone's favourite Grumpy Old Bastard, heard here as a younger, more fresh-faced, curmudgeon. This is a very pleasant and listenable album, filled with jaunty and upbeat tunes about love and not having love and all that sort of malarkey. The title track is my standout. That used to be my and my ex's song... sigh... I'm over it, I'm over it, I'm fine

some classics, not bad.

A great showcase of smooth piano work and great vocals

It's fun but I don't get a whole lot out of it. While I don't think there are any bad songs here, I also don't think there are any fantastic 10/10 songs here. Favorites were were Moondance, Into the Mystic, and These Dreams of You

This is a nice album and I have to say that the production is fantastic. That said the songs themselves didn't really do much for me. It's the sort of music that you use as background noise at a dinner party.

Sleek, soulful and sometimes even snazzy like on the snazz-jazz title track which is a shoe-in for top 10 songs that use the word ‘fantabulous’. Caravan is great. Come Running is great. Into The Mystic a bit overrated. Album gets more rag tag towards the end. Everyone a bit repetitious and out of place stab at baroque pop. 3.5 stars.

Time to rock….Gary, grab your flute! I don’t know if their flautist is named Gary but that sounds like the name of someone who plays the flute. All flutes aside, there is some mighty fine song writing on this album along with nice musicianship. 3.5 but rounding down because my wife asked if this “is the grocery store shopping mix” whilst listening to this in the car.

Ok

Most of the mark I gave this is for the title track, which has long been a favourite of mine and which I think is among a very small number of perfect songs. This is a pleasant album to listen to, it feels full of light and makes for smiles. And now I will go back and put the song Moondance on repeat and sing my lungs out for a while.

Não chega a ser brilhante, mas de fato é cativante. Clima agradável para contemplar um luar, só que sem chegar a sair dançando.

3.5-4

My mom's all-time favorite album and her favorite song. It's a chill record that retains just enough flair to avoid the Billy Joel cheese territory.