Reviews (page 6 of 15)
Loved this. Will listen again. Was worried it would be too slow to keep me awake at work, but I was wrong. Good stuff.
And It Stoned Me is a great song. And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Crazy Love, Caravan and Into the Mystic might be the strongest first five tracks of any album in history. Another album with a really pronounced R&B influence. The back half of the album is not living up to that start. Brand New Day is a strong return though. The harpsichord is not an instrument that needs to be a part of music anymore. Everyone is a low point, the fife and harpsichord combination is a nod to the silly British folk scene that they always took way too seriously. Good album.
Great for shoveling snow at 530 am
I once saw "Van the Man" perform at North Sea Jazz. Not really jazz, but a brilliant performance nonetheless.
The first half was a 5, the second half was a 3.
Maybe I do like Van Morrison. Huh.
A very good album with some catchy tunes.
So good, loved almost every second of it 4.25/5
It was good, though didn’t listen nearly closely enough to provide real commentary.
reminds me of my mom <3
This album is really great. There are some very jazzy songs, which is pretty nice. Van Morrison has a very warm style of making music, and this album is no exception. It sounds really great and even funny at times. Overall, it's such an enjoyable album, not fantastic but surely one I would listen to again.
A really solid, enjoyable listen.
Nooit gedacht dan Van Morrison zo lekker zou zijn om naar te luisteren. Ja oke bijna iedereen kent Brown Eyed Girl (overigens niet op dit album) maar verder kende ik nog geen nummer van m. Ik heb eigenlijk best genoten tijdens het luisteren. Invloeden vanuit de soul, jazz en blues wat heerlijk in elkaar over ging. Zeker nog een keer een 2e listen waard in de toekomst. Zeker 4 sterren waard. Overigens, het laatste nummer Glad Tidings is net Brown Eyed Girl 2.0.
Mijn review was niet opgeslagen :(. Blabla leuke jazz blues vibes. Bij sommige liedjes vond ik de blues zang een beetje storen en genoot ik meer van de jazz zelf, maar dat was sporadisch. Moondance instant like. Heel romantisch album. Sidenote: leuk met in-ears of goeie surround sound. Voelt het echt alsof de band voor je staat; gitaar en sax rechts, piano en fluit links. Also, na Emile's concert kan ik contrabas wat beter onderscheiden, en die was in dit album erg lekker aanwezig. Groetjes uit Frankrijk Liked songs: Moondance, Caravan, Brand New Day
fino je ovo, ali postane slabije. zadnja pjesma radijski malo izmasakrirana, ali ostaje solidna. jako mi je dobra bila naslovna pjesma slušo sam još malo nakon ovog šta sam napiso... zaslužilo je četvorku
A near perfect album as good as the stuff he did with his band THEM just a few years earlier. It's Van Morrison- 45 albums in you either dig this stuff or you don't- figure it out and proceed accordingly.
Emotional, I like the variety of inspirations on board, don't love all the songs
deffo heard “and it stoned me” before! really like—confused about what he means by “stoned me like a jelly roll”? i i’ll have to look into it jazz influences really shine through on moondance really like crazy love & caravan into the mystic is really nice! reminds me of potion by djo vaguely…i can see his influence come running is not my fave, it’s okay! not a standout to me. not a huge fan of everyone, kind of medieval LOL i like these dreams of you! brand new day and glad tidings are alright! pretty good album! the first half is VERY STRONG!!! second half is pretty good! the lowest lows are still good and the highest highs are great! very good album :) best album i’ve listened to thus far!
- some hippie dad folk rock comme j’aime - feel good album à écouter sur le bord de la plage, en char les fenêtres baissés ou juste pour chiller; mon vibe pref littéralement - simple et efficace - meilleure chanson: into the mystic
Really liked
Viejito pero interesante, hay que volverlo a escuchar
A little bit of Van the Man goes a long way with me. I'm always on the lookout for a certain hippie-schlock aspect to him, like there's a belligerent Tony Clifton supper club crooner in him that's always threatening to come out. Sometimes I even prefer people who were influenced by him, like Springsteen and Graham Parker, to the original. You can kind of hear it in the title track, but man it really came later on records like Wavelength. But this is a really good album. And when he wails, he really sings his ass off. Of course, I knew "Moondance," "Caravan, "Into The Mystic" and some of the others as FM staples. But the whole thing holds together very nicely. Docked a star for the cornball song "Everyone."
Margar neglur
Það er eitthvað þarna sem grípur mig. Eru það dáleiðandi augun á plötunni? Er það áreynslulaus söngurinn og hljómurinn? Veit ekki hvað. Fjórar stjörnur!
One of those albums I gave tattooed on my soul. Into the Mystic is a top ten song of all time. But the latter part of the album isn't as strong and Astral Weeks is arguably the better album.
I have always enjoyed Van Morrison. Such smooth soulful music
Soulful beautiful tone throughout the whole album. Just flat out good tunes. 4.4 outta 5
Honestly great. The writing, the arrangements, the mix of rock, folk, & jazz. It was a culmination of learning from failure and incorporating new influences and musicians. It should probably be a 5, but as good as it is, it just hasn't been as influential or held it's importance over time as some others. Call it a 4+.
I've always loved the first half of this album, wishing the second half was as good. But oh what a first half.... 4/5
Really good actually.
Весьма недурно
Really liked this old timey album, brings a lot of happy comfort feelings.
Very pleasant so far. Not nearly as long as yesterdays album (LondonCalling/TheClash) and for that I am grateful. Very 70's recording quality in the thinness of the quality while still being nice. I haven't checked out Van Morrison past brown eyed girl before, but has been a good vibe to start the first few. At the end now, not incredibly sonically interesting or varied but very pretty overall. I wish he had chosen some more interesting pieces, like a change in BPM, or been more exploratory melodically, but still liked the songs. Great background for a pleasant day. 4/5
oh my god, this is exactly the kind of music i enjoy. as i listen to more albums i realize how much i love these kinds of folk, soft rock vibes. van morrison's "moondance" was phenomenal - melancholical and also an ideal album to help me focus while studying and that is quite a compliment in my mouth!! i certainly will be coming back to this album in the future as its melody resembled long lost chilhood songs related memories if that makes any sense at all.
4.5. Cтильний мікс різних жанрів. Є просто супер пікові момент музичні, типу того ж Moondance. Друга половина здалась трошки слабшою.
Цікавий і різноманітний альбом. Музика Ван Моррісона (якщо не рахувати астрал вікс) пройшла майже повністю повз мене - і дарма.
First song really got me and I instantly disliked the album but…the second one reanimated the whole album
(3.5) Classic, vibey- wouldn't say it's anything groundbreaking though, and definitely gets a bit repetitive.
Decent
Funky. Great beat.
Wavered between 3 and 4, didn’t completely blow me away but definitely some beautiful stuff on here. The hits are famous for a reason, the playing is beautiful throughout, and the production is clear warm early 70s perfection
ohh kenn glaub würkli gar nüt vo ihm! and it stoned me findi recht cool oaah de bass bi moondance! de rest entspricht mier nöd megaaaaaa bis jz aber cool uf jede fall oaaahhh crazy love isch megaaa herzig sanft hmm es verlürt mich chlii everyone nüt für mich HAHAHA ICH LIEEEB GLAD TIDINGS? iwie mega dumms lied aber d bassline zieeht und d blöser sind funnyy knapps 4i? paar banger, paar woni ener langwilig gfunde han aber allgemein sehr es schöns album
Excellent harmonies and melodies
Excellent harmonies and melodies
Van the Man, master of Celtic Soul. Excellent album.
Given this is 55 years old, it’s still feels very fresh. Moondance is a classic and the standard throughout is high.
Tasteful jazz-tinged soul. Just runs out of steam at the end.
Like a folk-rock illmatic: economical and skip-free. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Love this genre of music
Van Morrison is an awful dude. But this is a great album.
know the popular songs on this album already, unfortunately have never liked the title track. i enjoy every other song though
noiceeeeeee
Fell asleep to it, so soothing, need to re listen but loved it
This is the kind of listening experience that I hoped for when I started this challenge. Moondance isn’t something I ever would have played, but I immediately connected with it. There’s something so nostalgic about the sound that tapped into an unexpected emotional response. Side 2 isn’t nearly as memorable as side 1, but the first 5 tracks will be enough to keep me coming back to this one.
This album is definitely a classic, but not my cup of tea.
нормалек, вайбово... за отсутствие песен, которые хочется переслушать, хотел поставить 3 балла, но прочитав самый популярный отзыв ставлю твердую 4, по ржал))
Caravan is great. I quite like Into the Mystic and Everyone as well. Fun piano and horns on Come Running. And a strong ending with Glad Tidings.
Starting off strong with a 70's one. Never heard of it, looks like either a country or like a soft rock album, but idk what to expect. Nomás le hago al cuento, no sé que genero sea pero vamos a ver que tal. ---------- No estaba tan equivocadaaaaa, tipo country con jazz, mucho jazz en lugar de rock jaja un disco muy animado, agusto para tenerlo de fondo o limpiar. De primera mano no me fijé en las letras pero me gustaron los ritmos, tengo que ahora escucharlo a conciencia. ---------- Seems like they song moondance is big and I did liked it, but I couldn't pick a fave 'cause I didn't heard as deep as it needs.
6.5/10
That was pretty cool. A nice way to ease into the new year.
Really nice folk/americana!
Too much use of G-slur. Otherwise really really good
Nice album. Calm :)
A classic that I fear I’ve taken for granted too long. Great to finally sit down and absorb with intention.
horny jazz. no pun intended.
I enjoyed. He's got a good voice
Good Album, worth the listen. Enjoyed Sax, Piano, Guitar combo. Excellent Bass Riffs. Album very jazzy with some great grooves.
Very good
I don't like jazz but I liked few songs. I have to admit, it was a great album. Just not for me.
Es increíble lo poco que me ha gustado la primera canción en comparación con el resto del disco. Nunca había escuchado a Van Morrison (aunque una vez escuché un concierto suyo desde lejos), y no tenía demasiado claro a qué sonaba, y con el primer tema tuve miedo de que me fuese a dar pereza, pero luego el disco se puso precioso y me encantó. Estoy descubriendo en el folk rock mi absoluta mierda últimamente, este es mi tipo de boomer music. Muy buen disco, muy bonito, me puso contento.
As a man of a certain age, I’ve reached the point where I now recognize the opening side of this album as one of the greatest runs of the entire 70s. The intricacies and unique blend of instruments, the soulful and passionate vocals and the unadorned lyrics make this a timeless classic. Yes, it’s folk rock and the vanguard of the easy listening genre, but that’s okay because these are also 5 amazing songs. Unfortunately, like most gifted artists, he doesn’t know when to stop and has trouble editing his own “genius”. The second side of this album needed trimming or, at least, refining and it’s lack of the same crisp focus detracts from the amazing front side. Lastly, while, I review the music and not the person, I have to note that Morrison is famous for being a complete prick and a rude, arrogant bastard. Google the time he tried to widen his driveway and took the legal case all the way to the Irish Supreme Court. Or, to get really annoyed, check out his anti-vax album featuring 4 tracks about how Covid-19 was a government initiated attempt to control the population. Maybe 45 albums is enough, Ivan. I think we’ve got your point of view now. Thanks for playing.
Timeless classics delivered by a smooth soulful voice. Always a welcome listen.
A downright lovely listen.
the opening song jumps right in. i love all the different instruments used. would listen again and i assume more from him is on this list so i am excited to hear
One of my favorite vocalists, this is a quintessential easy listening album of the 70’s. First half of the album is stronger than the second, but overall the combination of acoustic guitar, piano, other backing instruments, and smooth bass lines makes this overall a very enjoyable listen from start to finish. It’s only lacking one or two more hits to put it as an all time great album.
catchy and fun album. and it stoned me and into the mystic are absolutely magnificent
Soft classic rock, folk, jazz, soul all in one with Van Morrison’s country twangy twist which makes the sound so unique and nostalgic but I do find this slightly repetitive. Moondance and Into the Mystic are all time songs that are certainly highlights.
More soulsy than I was expecting
Not quite as good as astral weeks but very enjoyable listen
Solid album
Best Track - "Moondance"
good ! I like it vibey
Greater than the sum of its parts (which is saying something for an album with Moondance and Crazy Love on it)
Great album from start to finish. from my favorite "and it stoned me" to the last track, "Glad Tidings", no filler.
Very easy to just sit back and enjoy the music.
immaculate vibes. his voice is so soothing.
Incredible opening tracks and super production throughout.
Groovy
👍
Inoffensive. Chill. Kinda nice.
The rhythm in the song Moondance has definitely been copied by a more recent artist. Overall loved it, very chill and I can sing along.
I had to listen to this twice, as I don't think I grasped it the first time. This is a beautiful album, I love the rich instrumental, although it screams 70s singer songwriter. I will definitely listen to more Van Morrison now.
Definetly not the spirit Astral Weeks has. But definetly a real Van Morrison.
Very much enjoyed the voice of this fella
Rv
Good!
This is a rhythm and blues album, the first track sounds a little rock so it throws you off, but this whole album slaps, as the kids would say.
Cool album
Van Morrison didn’t die in a plane crash. I always thought he did. He’s still alive even. Great album, thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely an improvement over the last one on this list.
Allmänt jäkligt härligt faktiskt, känns som det gör det det ska och mysigt att lyssna på!
Nice album
Really struck by the depth and beauty of much of this album, which I'd never heard before. Music that bears a lot of re-listening.
Classic Van
I’ve always like Van Morrison songs - just didn’t realize almost all the songs by him that I know and like are on this one album. Maybe need to listen to more of the catalog now.
Music for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Easy listening in the best sense. Favorites: Crazy Love, Caravan Would I listen to it again: Yes
I had forgotten how much I like this album. It's magical, spiritual, mysticism is perfectly represented in the music and Morrison's distinctive vocals. How could I have left this on the shelf for so long?!?
Good instrumentals and amazing lyrics
Always liked him but never a huge fan. I had no idea all of these hits came off the same album.
Overall Rating - 4.10/5 (8.20/10). To quote the closing credit song from Cowboy Bebop, this is The Real Folk Blues.
As much as Van is a terrible human being, there are undeniably good songs on here, and you can see why this is so influential, but it just didn't tip over into 'Amazing' for me. Also, some later songs are clearly an attempt to do 'Brown Eyed Girl' with minimal changes. Right on the 3/4 borderline, just sneaks into 4.
Beautiful guitar and vocals. Some nice jazzy rock tunes and solid album overall
Honestly…..David Gray’s cover versions are better than these originals.
Pretty fun. Need to listen to it more. 7.5/10
Remarkable cross-genre variety. Is it pop, soul, jazz? Yes.
So having never listened to a Van Morrison album, I realized I confused him with Jim Morrison....so this album was not what I was expecting. I was expecting more rock and less bluesy folk rock. Van Morrison is also still alive. Not sure why i'm surprised by that. That said it's a great album and I love the jazz elements...and it's the early 70's so you had to throw in some yazz flute. I like the folksy LSD trip sound of Everyone. Just sounds like it would go with a crazy acid trip with rainbows and singing smiley trees and bunny rabbits as you're frolicking down a golden brick sidewalk. Like the jazzy-ness of Moondance. There are several songs on here that would be great "swan songs" like Caravan, Brand New Day, Glad Tidings. This would be a good album to listen to as you die.
Very good, took a bit for me to warm up To it, some of the songs I didn’t find that interesting but middle of the album things were poppin.
3.5 - Good
Really Chill and cool
I just love the sound of VM's voice. I could listen for days.
Great album with a lot of soul. Favorite track: Moondance
Van the man
My least fave of this amazing run. 4.5
Unfuckingcanny, I had the song moondance by Van Morrison randomly in my head today. Registered for this site, had Stephen Stills as the first option - lost the login and registered again and this came up. Don't actually know this album beyond headline song. Will update once listened to.
I lot of songs on here I knew without knowing. I love the vibe of the album and the songwriting.
Не путать с Джимом морисоном
Surprising no one, I really like this album! It's loungy, jazzy, crooning with a lot of saxophone, what's not to like? Is it cheesy as hell? You bet! But the band just sounds like they're having a great time and Morrison's voice is lovely. This album is the sonic personification of a mid-town jazz club in the 70s, I'd go to that club! I'm not crazy about the cover, it's fine but seems like an afterthought, that's a 2/5
This out and changed my opinion of Van Morrison entirely. The title track and Crazy Love are huge stand outs for me. Solid record, I now understand why every hippie friend I've ever had tried to get me to listen to this.
Chillig, gut
Astonishing stuff. How a wee, grumpy Ulsterman can channel so much feeling, so much soul. A creative spirit that gives hope to the rest of us. And what a voice!
Gotta respect the classics
I'm sticking to my policy of separating art and artist. Morrison is now (and may have always been, I dunno) a conspiracy theorist, anti-vax shithead, but we're bracketing that. I am as a general rule not disposed to folk, or jazz, or jazzy folk. However, this one hits different. Some of it may be that I first listened to this during my formative years and was struck by the greatness of so many of the tracks then. Perhaps it's just a very, very great exemplar of the form. Hard to say, but it still resonates. It drags a little in the back third, but that's about the only complaint.
Van Morrison is a bit of a moody character but no doubting that this is one of a number of classic albums he made early on once he went solo
A classic - great brass sound.
legendealbum
3.5
the jazzy parts are excellent, the folky parts a bit repetitive for my taste
I always thought I didn't really like Van Morrison, but the more I listen to him the more I realise I wwas completely wrong.
Classic.
Lots of what would turn out to be hits. Very listenable album, even for me who is not the hugest fan of VM's voice. Impact probably 5/10. Genre impact 6/10.
Golden oldies, nice
Beautiful songwriting and very pretty instrumentation
No es que me guste Van Morrison, me gustan canciones sueltas. Crazy Love es de las que siempre que la oigo me gusta. El resto, sin ser de ninguna manera malas, no me enganchan, pero entiendo que a quien le guste Van Morrison, este disco les hará disfrutar.
Very pretty album I like his voice, it somehow reminds me of some kinda or r&b or soul stuff in a way, a lot of color Cameron Winters vocal delivery seems to be inspired by this alot on Geese stuff (which I love listening to in recent time) I'll be back for this one for sure, Moondance is so fucking good
I’m not a big fan of Van the Man. But I must admit, Moondance is a really good album. One of those ones you can put on & just chill out to.
Think I'm a big Van Morrison fan
Great album. Completely filled with favorites.
I do love "crazy love", "and it stoned me", and "into the mystic", they are comfort food songs for sure. I must admit, I had never heard "everyone" before, but i like the chaotic combo of harpsichord, snare heavy beat, and winds. There are so many lounge lizard covers of moondance that the album feels guilty by association, but admittedly, the solos and vibes are fun. I'm a sucker for any Dorian vamp.
Un album très cool et très calme, impeccable pour se reposer. Quelle voix, et quelles mélodies!
I really enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. I had a perception of van morrison as kind of cheesy and lightweight somehow (the brown eyed girl - sha la la la - guy), but there is some fantastic songwriting here. The arrangement and production is lovely and warm and comforting too. His voice didn't sit great with me for just a moment but once I'd got on board, there is a lot to love. Into the mystic is a really beautiful piece.
I wouldn’t consider myself a VanMorrisonhead, but enjoyed this more than expected
Great voice, I really enjoyed it. Looked up his discography and this is the 3rd of 47 studio albums. Think I'll just stick with greatest hits in future
nice, chill and relaxing
very good
Standouts Moondance Crazy Love Caravan Into the Mystic Come Running
Not my favorite Van Morrison but it's a good Van Morrison. Melodic, well written, and the man has a good voice.
This was enjoyable, I thought it was gonna be like the first track all the way through and I was wrong, there was some nice variation. I knew the title track but I had no idea it was van Morrison.
What a voice. Sometimes when I'm sitting around practicing my singing I'll think about a signature voice like Van Morrison's (amongst many other greats) and I'll think "how the hell do they do it?". That's one of the reasons why I think singing is truly some magical ethereal thing; some people just have a special voice and it's all a big wonderful mystery as to why it works that way. "Moondance" in my opinion is Van Morrison at his best; with interesting instrumentation and composition behind him and not the more typical "classic rock singer songwriter" sound that is on a lot of other songs of his, like "Caravan", "Into the Mystic", and others. To me, his voice is such a standout facet that it overtakes the music when the music doesn't meet him where he is. And so having a song that can captivate you in other ways is usually a song that I like more. This album is a nice listen. Moondance is a truly incredible piece, and it alone makes this album a solid 4/5.
It's the soundtrack to your favourite werewolf movie!
I enjoy this album very much. Close, but not quite, a 5 for me.
Much better than astral weeks. Really enjoyable music! The sound of the 70s imo.
Bluesy, folksy, bits of pop. Never listened to a full Van Morrison album but I can see why he's hailed as one of the greats, despite literally everything he came out with after this, for the most part, failed to live up to this.
A very beautiful album and somber album that sadly ends on its lowest
I’ve always loved the song “Moondance”, so being able to come back to it here is a delight. The jazzy arrangement, the flute, the little beat pauses in the chorus—it’s just so warm and fuzzy! But I never paid attention to the lyrics…holy hell is this a horny song. The rest of the album is a calm, laid-back experience—I’ve called this type of album “Sunday Morning Music” before, and that definitely applies here! It’s nice to have on in the background with a cup of coffee.
Like it
8/10…singer songwriter / folk
Blåögd folksoul av bästa märket. And it stoned me, Into the mystic, Come running, Brand new day… Van radar upp fullpoängare efter fullpoängare. Egentligen bara det jazziga titelspåret och skivans två sista som inte är fantastiska. Väldigt nära högsta betyg. En nia på den tiogradiga skalan.
Få kompositörer inom populärmusiken kan mäta sig med Van the man. Allra minst gällande hans verk från perioden sent 60-tal och första halvan av 70-talet. Moondance är inget undantag. En samling fantastiskt fin sånger. Vans mys-soul värmer den mest djupfrysta själ. Ändå vet vi att han kan ännu bättre. Inte minst märks det på livealbumet It’s too late to stop now. Flera av spåren från Moondance finns med och lyfts till från takvåningen till vad man trodde ouppnåeliga höjder. Med det sagt Moondance är ett riktigt starkt album. Här finns inga svaga spår men en del riktiga toppar som These dreams of you, Brand new day, Caravan och Into the mystic.
Överlag riktigt fin soul av irländaren. Det blir lite glättigt emellanåt. Into the Mystic är en fantastiskt låt. Moondance och Glad tidings har jag svårare för. En svag fyra landar jag i.
It's an album that needs a glass of wine, old-school dynamic driver headphones and a valve amplifier. It's a bit too early for wine, not even 8am, but I gave it the other two. I've always preferred 'Astral Weeks' but this 'more accessible' Van Morrison deserves a warm and fluffy, thermionic valve enhanced, 4/5.
Mix di country, blues e cantautorato, rilassante. Mi è piaciuto
Loved it. Nice chilled album for first thing in the morning with nothing to rush for.
Love the use of saxophone. Into the Mystic forever reminds me of an ex gf. Great album, awful relationship.
I really like VanMorrison and this is a great album. I couldn't tell you any specific song, I just enjoyed the whole flow in the background as I worked.
Good, good stuff here.
I enjoyed this a lot. Easy listening, music was well layered using a lot of different instruments. Will be adding a handful of these songs to my playlist.
Consistent to the point that the songs I hadn't heard still sounded familiar, but the music is good enough that it never gets tired. Classic yet distinct with a pleasant blend of folk and rock influences.
Big fan of this album. “Everyone” is such a great song. Could listen to this on loop (and did)
Great voice and so nostalgic.
This is a conditional album, in the sense that I liked it when I was relaxed and had quiet surroundings. Listened to it twice by mistake but second time round was better than the first and it soothed me with its genial tones.
Enjoyed it
It always comes with the caveat that he’s a terrible person, but in general I really like Van Morrison’s music. This is a really good one, too. Not quite Astral Weeks, but still fantastic.
I quite enjoyed this album. It’s not phenomenal, and some of it sounds a bit homogenous. There’s more than enough meat on the bone here for this to be listened to though. I’ve always been a huge fan of Into the Mystic, I think it’s probably his best song outside of Brown Eyed Girl. The title track is good as well, and there’s a few others that are keepers. All in all, fun to go back and listen to
Van Morrison’s music isn’t really my style, BUT I still appreciate the album—it’s still a good one!
Never listened to Van Morrison before outside the bigger hits. I enjoyed the album. A bit of soul, some jazz elements, some stuff more rocky - a good mix. There were no big tracks I would say, but the album flowed well.
Now that's what I call an album cover! I didn't really realise there was more to VM than Brown Eyed Girl, but this album is a cracker.
Can’t go wrong with this album. It has that feel good, comfy cozy vibe. Pares well with Sunday afternoons on the sofa or country drives with the windows down.
Van makes me smile
Moondance will be my final Van Morrison album to review, and based on its reputation, I have pretty high hopes for it. I went into this project only knowing a couple of Van Morrison songs, and I was unfortunate enough to review his live album before any of his studio recordings. However, I enjoyed Astral Weeks quite a bit more, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I wound up liking this album even more. Moondance won’t be getting five stars from me, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. I found it to be a really solid, beautiful album. Nothing about the music was incredibly complicated, but everything was arranged really well and sounded great. The simplicity of the sound really created a sense of place, and I get why people hold this album in such high regard. There wasn’t really anything consistently great about this album (like great guitar playing or something along those lines), but I thought a lot of the songs were pretty good. My only complaint about Moondance is that some of it was a bit boring, and some songs felt like filler. As far as filler goes, it was pretty good filler, but filler nonetheless. Some notes on the songs I enjoyed: I loved the groove of Moondance. It was jazzy and sexy, I felt like I was in a club with a big band playing. It gave off the aura of dim lights with a blue tint, making me want to go out dancing. The bass playing was excellent, but I like how it wasn’t overpowering, like it was steering from the passenger seat. “Crazy Love” was a pure and simple excellent love song. Those backing vocals were great, and I loved the guitar playing. “Into the Mystic” was outstanding, and I think it might be VM’s best song. The vocals and music are perfect together. I loved how it all built over the course of its runtime. I have no idea what the lyrics meant, but I don't care, because this was just a wonderful song. The bass on “Come Running” was great, and the backing vocals were excellent as well. The saxophone playing added just the right punch to the sound. “Glad Tidings” was insanely catchy. I loved how the bass, guitar, and sax sounded together. The ‘la la la’ vocal fills were perfect too. An excellent closing track. If I had to choose a VM album to come back to, I think it would definitely be this one. Not every song was a winner, but the best songs on this album were pretty remarkable.
A smooth folk rock journey with jazz influences. Playback went quick
Thought the only Van Morrison song I knew was Brown eyed girl, which wasn’t even on here. Ended up really enjoying the whole thing
Rolling Stone list 120 The most Van Morrison of Van Morrison’s albums. The song ‘Everyone’ is a banger and there is no real filler. A solid album but not quite legendary.
A dreamy album. Into the mystic is possibly his best song amongst dozens. And it stoned me despite the odd title still resonates. There is a languid mood that permeates through this album and it is all the better for it. The album is a little top heavy with the best songs and it does tail off a little but this is an album to return to
I enjoyed this album
Overall was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this. I guess because The Doors felt a little hit and miss to me I wasn't sure where this was going to fall. Admittedly the first song wasn't a great start but I felt the rest was really enjoyable. "Moondance" and "Into the Mystic", and "Dreams of You" were the standouts to me on first listen. The only track I specifically didn't enjoy was the first, and I am neutral at worst on some of the others. Truly more of a 3.5 but I'll bump it up for pleasantly surprising me.
I never go out of my way to listen to Van Morrison but I do enjoy his music when I hear it
I actually really liked this. Didn't know what I expected. It was nice listening. I really enjoyed it.
It was great! The first couple of tracks were ok then it got better and better
This is so familiar that I don't know if it was heavily played on radio (that's like a streaming service that you can't personalise for you youngsters) or that I owned it as some point. On my patented -100 to +100 rating scale where where suddenly recognising a song makes one feel old is -20 moondance is like a warm glass of milk: +50
And It Stoned Me - 5/5 Moondance - 5/5 Crazy Love - 5/5 Caravan - 5/5 Into the Mystic - 5/5 Come Running - 3/5 These Dreams of You - 3/5 Brand New Day - 3/5 Everyone - 4/5 Glad Tidings - 4/5 Average score: 4.2/5
Really good album, such an easy listen 4+
great tunes for summer nights
Classics
Tasty jams and solid songwriting. Nice break with Crazy Love, much needed what with all the Van-ness of the rest of it.
Such range, moon dance is the highlight along with 'And it stoned me'. Everyone was unexpected but pretty good. Shocked it was released in 1970
*Liked Caravan and Moondance *Some good backup vocals, instruments in backup band *Pleasantly surprised by this album
8.5/10
I 100% forgot this record! And it's really great!
It was okay.
Classic. I'm not too familiar with Van Morrison but I can appreciate that he was a very innovative and inspirational artist fusing rock blues and folk music. Myself not being too educated in music, for me at least the album itself seems to be more a compilation of his hits rather than one song and narrative flowing into the next but it was still enjoyable listening to a piece of music history.
Good
I had a fun time listening to this album. It was very chill. I liked it more than I was expecting to.
3.5
Hey Van what’s your favourite lyric? “La la la la la la la la la gypsy la la la la la la la la woman la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la…” Lots of nice sounds on this album, he knew what he was doing but you can tell when he got bored. 4.0/5.0 Best Song: And It Stoned Me
mooi album... maar beetje kalm
7/10
Muy lindo álbum, va más allá de ser simple country rock, tiene una combinación de muchos estilos, jazz, blues, incluso R&B. La voz es muy agradable, los arreglos muy divertidos y enérgicos. Hacia el final siento que pierde un poco e fuerza y se vuelve más genérico, pero como el álbum no es largo no sufre tanto la experiencia de escucha.
One or two songs felt like versions of more popular songs elsewhere in the catalogue but a great album
Classic song full of classic hits.
Timeless
Very strong musically although my favorite type of Van is longform, freeform which he obviously makes a decision to move away from here post Astral. He returns to that at least partly on a couple of later albums and as good as this is, those and Weeks are the ones I tend to hit up if I want a Van fix.
Pre-listening thoughts: the end of my Cotswolds hike/walk around town was with this album. I know that’s not a pre listening thought but I just picked it to listen to bc I thought it would be nice Post/during listening thoughts: this was WAY better than Astral Weeks. Cohesive, fun, and just like palatable. Astral Weeks felt like he was yelling at me the whole time. This felt like we were dancing together at night in the city streets. Title track is awesome and a few others were great as well. Van Morrison you have redeemed yourself. 7.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nope Fav tracks: Moondance, Into the Mystic, Glad Tidings Least fav tracks: n/a
I hate this dweeb But this is a bloody good album Good album
3.9 // I mean, it's a Van Morrison album. Folk-y and nice/calm. Doesn't blow you away but pretty good
Good vibes. Not entirely my type of sound. But I can see why it was rated highly. Good jazz and soul themes. Will revisit. Keeps: Moondance
I quite enjoyed the cocktail jazz/soul vibe (with folky overtones). I'm not the biggest fan of his voice but it instantly recognisable and distinctive, plus it does suit this kind of material. The songs are catchy so on the whole this is great album.
This was my go-to album for something to listen to during my revision. I also saw him at some festival with my mum in the late nineties, so all kinds of feelings are stirred up listening to this in full again.
First time listening to this album. Enjoyed much more than I'd expected to.
Listened to this while reading a book. Good.
Menetin neitsyyteni Van Morrisonille. Selvennykseksi, en tarkoita sitä, että kuuntelin Van Morrisonia, vaan tarkoitan, että hän työnsi nuppinsa takapuoleeni. Oli kesä '71, minä ujo maatilan rengas mieheksi tulon kynnyksellä, hän jo etabloitu muusikko, joka käytti valtaansa ja vaikutusvaltaansa hyötyäkseen esipuberteettisesta tallipojasta. Muisto viipyy edelleen kuin synkkä, horjumaton trauma. Hänet on pysäytettävä. Se on lähes sekopäinen ja yksi kaikkien aikojen parhaista rock-esityksistä. Kokaiinissa-mummo-housupuvussa-Van Morrison on paras Van Morrison. Aluksi onnellinen ja mukava, mutta sitten kyllästytti melko nopeasti. moondance
tiene un par de canciones guays pero en general tb un poco aburrido, tipo beatles también
Good album, one of Van Morrison's best. Lots of goods songs on this one.
Easy listening, good tracks I couldn't help but bop along to. Unique feel to his music that's still as refreshing today
Marvelous and heartfelt songs
Gillade mycket! 4:a
It's a classic
top 3: - brand new day - moondance - into the mystic
#682. It's good. 4/5: I like.
Turn it up little higher
The Good: We are dancing on the moon! The Bad: Lack of gravity and lack of rhythm make the event a disaster… The Ugly: Trying to find a ride home… I forget the name of the show, but there came the song, and my ears perked up… it was Into the Mystic and became my song for a month, listening to it at least once a day. Due to this, I obviously listened to Moondance… but I did not listen like I am listening to music today… So, there are some awesome songs on this album, that should be on top-10 lists left and right… but at the same time, the album does go into some kind of funk where you stop listening. I don’t know if it is the voice, the instrumentation, the composition, or a combo of all… So no 5* for Moondance… but I will grant it 4* as it is a 3 1/2* that deserves additional play.
Phenomenal album but tainted by the asshat that Morrison has become.
Van Morrison is really one of the greats when it comes to early blues rock, and frankly I'm a sucker for the whole genre. I grew up hearing a lot of these songs. I wish he had just a bit more hit power, though - some of these songs so blur together in the end.
Moonlight Mile is my favourite Van Morrison song. This is a really nice album.
nije ono kaj inace slusam, ali jako mi se svida. bonus points za brass, uvijek dobrodoslo u glazbi.
There is something about Van Morrison's voice that is so soothing. I have always enjoyed his music, but the things I like about it, the folksy music and his nasally vocals, are what make it hard to listen to an entire album. I think the 39 minute mark is perfect for a VM album. I heard most of these songs before but never as a collection. 8.2/10 136/1001
Just a classic. Not much more to say and hard to argue with the quality of the songs on this one. The music is soothing and pleasant and fusion of musical traditions results in a masterpiece. I’m not gonna give this one 5 stars, but only because it’s not my personal favorite kind of music. But can’t give it less than 4… and wouldn’t argue with 5.
really solid stuff! every song was a vibe and it kept me engaged the entire listen
Pretty easy & enjoyable listening. Moondace is a classic for a reason, but the rest of the album was new to me. I enjoyed all the songs, but am not floored. Hard to relate to whether it was innovative 50 years ago.
I fell in love with 'Astral Weeks' after hearing it for the first time a few months ago - it has genuinely become one of my favorite albums. And despite telling myself, constantly, that I'd listen to more Morrison, I never actually did (shocker). But hey, that's what this list is for. And 'Moondance' is honestly very different than 'Astral Weeks'. It has a lesser focus on subtlety, atmosphere, seamless progressions, and odd song structures. It's more in-your-face, poppy, and honestly very soul-inspired on a few of these songs (just listen to 'Crazy Love'). Also, the music sounds less hazy and fuzzy; every instrument here just pops in the mix. I still really loved it, though. The first two songs are incredible, especially the very jazzy title track, which has a killer chorus. 'Caravan' and 'These Dreams of You' are just as catchy, and 'Into the Mystic' is another great Morrison love song, albeit a bit dated. Really enjoyed this. I mean, there was no high here as high as 'Sweet Thing' or 'The Way Young Lovers Do', but I didn't expect that. Instead, what I got with the incredibly iconic writing of Morrison over these catchy, easy-going instrumentals. That's all this album was, and that's all it needed to be.
Several songs on this album are about nature and outdoors. I’ve always enjoyed Van Morrison’s tunes, and most of the tracks on this record were good. It was difficult to assign a rating to this record, as I waffled between three and four stars. So I listened to the album a second time (fortunately it’s just 38 minutes) before deciding.
8/10
Strange ordering of songs, but overall enjoyable.
"And when that foghorn blows I will be coming home. And when the foghorn blows, I want to hear it. I don't have to fear it." Listened to B4? Yes Tracks Already Saved on Spotify: 6 - And It Stones Me, Moondance, Into the Mystic, Brand New Day, Everyone Standout Tracks: And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Into the Mystic, Brand New Day, Everyone (85/100)
Heartbreaking, a total asshole made a really amazing and beautiful album, or: Music to Get COVID to
Cool
I really enjoyed this album listen more than my other Van Morrison album that I had recently. I especially love Into the Mystic but there are so many great tracks on this album which just makes it great to listen to all around. I would definitely listen to this album again in the future!
What a classic! I forgot there were so many brilliant and well known tunes on this album. A true innovator.
Didn't really know Van Morrison beyond Brown Eyes Girl. Moondance seemed out of place with his other songs but still, very enjoyable!
absolut geil!! BANGERS: - Crazy Love - Brand New Day - Glad Tidings
Really familiar with the three major tracks on here, "And It Stoned Me," "Moondance," and "Into the Mystic." Was happy to hear the rest of this album and while it was good, the rest fell a little short for me. It was going well until "Everyone" came on which is just an abomination. The clavinet intro and the flutes were just terrible...it made it sound so old and dated on an album that holds up reasonably well elsewhere. Made me picture a kid with a bowl cut in orange overalls with a yellow longsleeve underneath playing in a field at sunset with a whole lot of lens flare. I can't be the only one who thinks about weird shit like this but those color schemes and that whole aesthetic fits the vibes of that song and that era. It ended on Glad Tidings, another song I'd prefer not to hear again. I'm giving this a 4 because the rest of it is strong, but not quite as strong as the three main tracks from this album that are certified classics but it ended on such a sour note.
I was surprised by how much I liked this. Although it gets a little same-y as it progresses, there's plenty to enjoy here.
Fine. Very soulful, although after this album I got an autoplayed Bill Withers song and it reminded me how much better this genre can be.
Van Morrison should have done after this album what most people who get too old and say stupid stuff should do... Retire.
This is probably the most difficult case of separating the artist from the art that I've had to deal with on this 1001 albums journey so far. All I can say is he might be a desperately misguided anti-vaxx Covid-denying dick, but he can write a tune.
Not originally a fan of Van, I did like what I heard on the radio. I did have a copy later, and have grown to love and appreciate his groove, and this album is mostly all good stuff. I enjoyed listening to again
Great laid back album!
Closer to 4.5
i like this album
It's sort of fascinating to listen to an artist who seems so focused on himself and his own thoughts, to the point of not necessarily caring who does or doesn't overhear what he's doing. (Contrast with someone like John Denver, who hits on a lot of the same nature/transcendence themes but seems to put a lot more effort into welcoming the audience.) At first I wanted to dismiss Morrison as a self-serious wanker, and he might still be. But this album sounds so damn good that I was seduced despite myself. There's a reason your mom warned you about boys with guitars.
This reminds me of late nights on the lake trying to sing these songs to impress girls. It never really worked, but I always associate this album with laid back good times.
van morrision has kinda torpedoed a previously unassailable stature (i remember when astral weeks was a staple in the rym top 100!!!) by being a bigass chud, and also i just think a general move away from blue eyed soul stylistics in the gaze of the online nerd music canon. still, having not rly had a chance to establish a relationship with his music until after all these shifts have happened, i definitely liked this well enough and can see the seeds of his following. my only real past experience w/ van morrision is listening to astral weeks when i was a teenager and having his voice hurt my ears (much in the same way bob dylan's used to), but obviously im now receptive to the cool qualities of it, it rly is genuinely gritty and emotive and more than anything its Sincere, with zero posturing or smugness or condescension towards the material (which really i think is where a lot of similar vocalists go wrong for me). and the songs themselves are lovely and punchy...not something that immediately becomes part of me, but i can understand why it would for some. i definitely owe astral weeks another shot sometime, there is clearly still some Pleasure to be gotten for me out of his music. even if he is a bigass chud.
Many classic tunes - even the deeper cuts - track pick 'Glad Tidings'.
Banger after banger
Didn't really listen or appreciate him at the time, but my goodness how this album has stood the test of time. Amazing songwriter.
Good
Classic
better than expected
I liked Liv did not
Love the sounds! Listened to it at Desmet today.
For sure bopped along with some of these tunes - the vibes were good.
****A very good upbeat album
So good!
S’good and his vocal style is unique
I’ve always loved VM. My mum played him a lot growing up and there’s just something so endlessly warm and nostalgic and enjoyable about his music.
One of my already favorites
Good vibes. Would listen to again. I enjoyed the instrumentals.
Very enjoyable chill rock album
I really enjoyed this album. Brought me back to sounds we just don't hear anymore.
“And AYYYYY wanna rock your gypsy soul, just like back in the days of old!” You’ve probably heard about half of this album without even realizing it.
I always have a soft spot for this kind of rock. I love the vibe it brings, the vocals, the jazziness… very mellow and folky and puts me in a good mood. It’s a great record all around, and one I’ll have to revisit again for a deeper listen.
Pleasant feelings, summer days, love in the air. This brings me back to my Ireland trip last summer. I’m always here for some blue-eyed soul 😊
I haven't finished listening to it but I enjoyed the songs I've heard so far. They are mellow and chill and good background songs. I will continue to listen to the album.
I inherited a copy of this album on vinyl from friends who were disposing of their vinyl. I'm not a massive Van Morrison fan (though his potty Cvid views were decades in the future at this time!) but I found this album more fun in many ways than Astral Weeks, being rooted a bit more in the R&B side of things.
Northern Irish songwriter. 70s folk. Jazzy.
Harpsichords and yazz flute? Sign me up
Okay this is really good. Definitely going to come back to this one
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5. Again, almost a perfect album! The hits from this are nuts, and really made me appreciate Van more than I think I ever did. Last couple of tracks blend together, but the cohesiveness of the album as a whole is awesome.
While I put this in the same category as I do Cat Stevens and Simon and Garfunkel - safe, easy listening rock - I can’t describe Van Morrison as boring. He uses a variety of instruments and backing vocals that keeps this album interesting
Good stuff by Mr. Van Morrison.
So lovely. This kind of music always helps me relax.
Very good