Moondance

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

Does it get better than Caravan? Overall, very solid album.

Nastalgic album. Extremely relaxing. Could be good car ride music. Had no clue he was irish

I feel like I didn’t know these were all Van Morrison songs… I could listen to this album on repeat! They are classics for a reason!

Loved everything about it. Very calming.

The instruments on this album are what really makes this a great album. A good album for a chill day

Very enjoyable, good vibes all around

Nice easy tunes. Enjoyed the album. Never been through vans discography before only knew his hits. Guy does not miss though. Good vibes

Heard this a bunch. Classic

Good album

an emblematic piece of 70s folk rock - acoustic instrumentation with an eager wind section

Nice

If it weren't for the flute sections, this likely gets a 5 star, great album

I little more subdued than Van Morrison's earlier albums, but Moondance still has some essential tracks. Not Moondance itself though, that song is horrible.

This one's going straight to my "ultimate people pleasing music that's actually really good" playlist.

Another kind of album I somehow didn't think I'd end up reviewing because I just took it for granted. But it doesn't come built in with the world, someone made it, and it's comforting and joyful :)

Total classic. One of the first CDs I bought from Columbia House when I was a teen.

awesome awesome stuff. need to listen more, think I could get really into this album.

Dudes rock

Elementos de folk e piano foram o que mais gostei nesse álbum . KZ D-FI.

Favorites: And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Into the Mystic Didn’t wow me as much as Astral Weeks, but man Morrison at his prime was a standout songwriter and performer. There’s some really great cuts on this record that would be absolute bests for weaker songwriters.

Ikke så verst, høres ut som forventa, ingenting kjempespesielt men på ingen måte nokka æ hadde blitt fornærma over å høre ute i offentligheten.

Van Morrison tem uma voz característica, especial, e faz um tipo de som que passeia por vários estilos, às vezes meio folk, às vezes meio soul, "Moondance" tem uma veia jazzística guiada pelos sopros que me agrada muito. O cantor/compositor é acompanhado por uma ótima banda, então o destaque pra mim são os arranjos elaborados.

I had no idea this dude was Irish.

Van Morrison is great, some of my faves songs in this album but was the first time listening to the album in full. Enjoyed it. 7.5/10

Muy buen album al principio de una carrera que aún sigue a un alto nivel, pero no tanto.

Fantastic music, van at his most accessible. Only bettered by Astral Weeks and Veedon Fleece

Man, his singing is so cool. I wasn't ready for caravan when I first got the last waltz as a band enthusiast way back in HS/college?. Now I am - love the weird vocal affectations and stereo audio chaos of the title track- flute, horns just kinda doing whatever. Anyway, turn it up, it's got soul.

I love this album, so groovy

Ech ha jo eigentelch ned so gärn folk musig, de Van Morrison macht aber no erstuundlech gut. Ech fühle vorallem dass e rächte Jazzige ifloss spörbar esch wos Albom nomol wesentelch enteressanter macht. Trozdem werds wahrschiindlech ergendeinisch au langwiilig.

Thought of Van Morrison as soft dad rock but, once again, actually listened has dispelled my prejudice. Lovely singer-songwriter stylings. Just classic sounds, this Irishman’s music feels like Northern CA gauzy sunshine in the ‘70s to me.

Stellar album.

Full of hits, gotta respect the best blue eyed soul man to ever do it

Not sure how anyone could dislike this. It’s just such easy listening. Really an everyman’s album.

4.5

Nothing earth-shattering, just a really solid mix of jazz, folk, and pop that makes for a very pleasant package of tunes.

29/04/2025 This was an okay album.

I thought this was going to be a load of garbage. It seems I wrote off Mr Morrison too early, this album is some great easy listening. There was nothing on here that I didn't like but nothing on here that blew my mind. Obviously Moondance is the stand out but every song has its own charm. This may be due to the fact that there is a very apparent songwriting formula on this album where everything is sort of interchangeable with each other but I did like the one song they created so whatever. The only complaint I really have is that Glad Tidings (1970) is truly just Brown Eyed Girl (1967) but with different lyrics, like same key same riffs same post chorus (he doesn't say Sha on the la's, I guess it is a different song). All in all I can see playing this on a 5 hour car ride and being happy it's on.

Great album. I grew up listening to Van Morrison because my mom always played him. Super good composition and songwriting. Very easy to listen to in a good way. Feel good music for me. Strong 4

Van Morrison manufactured classics on this album, primo cut after primo cut, but dang do the songs on this album remind me of the albums art. A high quality piece, sure, but then a whole bunch that just do the same thing with minor variations.

solid early 70s rock album

Classic

I hadn’t realized how much of this album I knew.

Solid. Got some Bob Marley and David Gray vibes going on.

Stunningly beautiful album. In some ways I prefer this to Astral Weeks. Favourite song: ‘Into the Mystic’.

It’s a marvelous night for a moondance 9/10

Van the man

Van Morrison is a mood. And one has to be in the mood for that. Today, I was and enjoyed every second of Moondance and its churning, hypnogogic act of mysticism. Although there are several of Van's big hits here - And It Stoned Me, the title track, Into the Mystic - I don't think it is appropriate to call him a songwriter or to call most these tracks songs. They are incantatory, entranced repetitions, never properly starting or stopping, but turning over until the chanter moves on to a new idea. It is a gentle tumult, not so ecstatic as Astral Weeks, but one from which moments of beauty rise up: the flows and eddies that conjure up the water in the first verse of And It Stoned Me, for example. Even the cheeky/lazy references to Brown Eyed Girl in Glad Tidings suggest that everything is pulled up from the same well, not individual songs so much as different vessels into which Van Morrison is poured, different shapes and sizes, but the same substance. Whether or not you will enjoy the substance of Van Morrison is not a given. Or not a given on any given day. But, on this Brand New Day, I dug it. 3.5 I do not understand the passion that people have for notorious arsehole Van Morrison’s music. But I never really understand why I don’t. Like several other Van Morrison albums this is a very good album. I admire these songs very much. I admire the arrangements. Van has a terrific voice. It’s really a pleasure to listen to. Why can’t I love it? Is it just the notorious arsehole thing? But when I run down the list of artists I do love there are so many of them. It can’t be. Why not this arsehole? The mystery lives on. 3.5/5

I enjoyed it at the time, but it wasn’t very memorable

A little one-note, but then it's one really good note

Classics. This album is comprised of classics, it’s a staple album start to finish, despite the genre of music it’s enjoyable to the masses. 8/10.

A classic that helped to define the sound of a musical era, and totally deserves to be on any best-of list. Great songwriting, and beautiful incorporation of jazz without being cheesy. His voice is velvet and gravelly where it needs to be to convey emotions. Into the Mystic is my favorite on this album. 4⭐️

La portada da a pensar que es un álbum aburrido más, pero nada más alejado de la realidad, me encantaron en general los instrumentos en el álbum, pero el piano en especial me pareció espectacular, y hay una canción con armónica eso también me llenó el corazón. Hace rato no decía esto tan honestamente Rating: 8/10

This one is a romantic classic!

Very nice. Almost no bad songs.

Moondance and Into the Mystic are somehow the only two songs I recognize on the album. Even while the album cover is recognizable (probably because of Moondance song). It was good music and I especially liked how it got more folky in the song Everyone, but at the same time I found myself looking forward to when it was over, thinking I had a next album to listen to.

Wow!! so good! I especially liked "into the mystic." perfect work my walk in the rain to get an $8 coffee.

This album didn't move me in the way that Astral Weeks did. Still rather good though, although it tails off a bit after the first couple of tracks.

Pretty good!

Great album, too bad he's such a jerk. Solid music, though.

Definitely a classic. Great mix of genres throughout the album.

Soothing company for a night time road trip. Could do without the flute. Standouts; And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Crazy Love, Into the Mystic, These dreams of you, Brand New Day.

Knew the hits, but had never listened through. Consider my gypsy soul thoroughly rocked.

Just say you want to be Jim Croce and go

30/03/2025 Love this album Favourite tracks: Crazy love Into the mystic Glad tidings

In my opinion thuis is his best album

I like the fella what can I say

Wonderful folky/jazzy album. Sounds like a summer day. I love this.

Say what you like about Van Morrison, but at his peak he made some truly beautiful music. My least favourite song on this is actually the title track, which I find grating, but there are some real moments of loveliness on here. Also, why didn’t he sing in his Crazy Love voice more often? (Probably because he thought people might like it, the awkward bastard.)

It's Van Morrison

Morrison’s anti science antics -1, Into The Mystic +1, Smooth and silky

Brilliant

im still shook finding out this dude is irish.

Only know the hits from this album, kinda forgot how good they are, into the mystic is such an absolute banger. I never really put much thought into how god damn good of a singer Van Morrison was. This is good shit, I like all these songs, love the horns and stuff, just overall a good piece of business.

Not a bad track

Decent

A good album overall, folksy with a bit of jazz. "Into the Mystic" is my kind of music.

Great folk album, it wakes just the right emotions inside of you. The vocals are the star of the show, with great color, articulation and emotion. The melodies are great and easy going and they accompany the vocals really well. They aren't usually the star of folk albums, but they do their job perfectly on this album, with great dynamics and being loud and quiet when needed. They feature guitars, bass, piano, and even some brass instruments. All in all, I was really impressed sonically, with both music and vocals. The production could be better, but it really doesn't do much harm to the album, which is top notch either way. Showing once again that either you convey an emotion with your art, or you don't, other things don't matter as much. Some of Vans biggest hits are on here, but other songs don't sag far behind, this is a quality album through and through, and I will listen to it again for sure.

Van is not my man. I was partial to the other Morrison. But my wife owns this album, says she loves it…. But never spins it. You lose a star buddy.

J'men allait mettre 3 étoiles de souvenir, sans l'avoir écouté. Ce matin c'est un 4 étoiles. Album court, efficace. Mood impeccable, sonne bien. Morrison n'en fait pas trop avec sa voix comme il peut en être coupable des fois. Un bon album que tu peux mettre et chill the fuck out

Wonderful

A pretty and well-made record that I'll keep in mind for cozy summer evenings.

It's some nice singin'.

Great single, the rest album was good but didn’t blow me away. Good production and songwriting but I need to relisten more

Have listened to this many times, doesn’t get old. Love Morrison’s creativity and voice. Also love some of the humorous cuts from the “deluxe” version with Morrison giving the label many nonsense tracks out of contractual obligation - great sense of humor!

I've listened to this album so many times over the last 30 years that I can't look at it objectively.

Good stuff

Classic R&B record. Iconic songs.

Good driving music

Вроде хорошо, но оценку вьебал наугад, я плох в этом :(

Outstanding, gorgeous, evocative music made by a fucking ass-brained cuntfuck. You can’t win ‘em all.

bom demaise

Весьма весёленькие мотивы, жизнеутверждающие. И слушается легко, непринуждённо. 6,5 из 10.

Cool music however it can feel a little long.

This album just hums along. It’s another one where you get the impression that Van and the band just whip through songs while performing live and not really stopping to acknowledge the band until quite a few songs in. That’s when you finally get to cdt h your breath. That’s weird with an album like this because it’s not overly uptempo. It just chugs along at a faster than slow pace. If I was asked to give someone an album that they could go sit around a fire on a beach at night and just get lost in the joy of brain wonder. This would be a possibility. I also found that this album went on three or four songs too long. Short and sweet would have been better. Choice cut: Moondance

Listened to this on family road trips as a kid. Doesn’t get any simpler that that. Enjoyed hearing this again

Van the Man, bit of an unlikeable bloke by all accounts, but great music.

I love the folky rock sound, none of the songs are really showstoppers for me but as a whole this is a really lovely album Best Songs: Into the Mystic Worst songs: Everyone

astral weeks clears

good

Bangersss

Mixed feelings about VM. Really like some of his stuff (particularly Veedon Fleece) but sometime when I listen to his other stuff I often feel like "why am I putting myself through this?".

Excellent

This album was great. I don't think it had a bad song, let alone a meh song. Van Morrison has a very distinct voice, where it's either you love it, or you hate it. Me personally, I love it. The saxophone as well, at times felt necessary. It did feel a but repetitive at times, but the style I liked, so it wasn't a problem. Favorite Songs: And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Into the Mystic, These Dreams Of You, Glad Tidings Least Favorite: None

he cooks what can you say

Great roadtrip music, or sunday music

It was alright

The start of the album is great, the first couple of songs are excellent, the next few songs sort of lost me a little bit, and then the final song (Glad tidings) brought me back with the lalalalas 😎. Was a great background-noise-y album to have on as I worked, would definitely relisten. Fav song: Moondance

Easy listening, very nice

Love moondance

This album holds a special place in my nostalgic heart. In 2009, My band at the time was on its first tour up and down the east coast. We had one night of driving after a few wild show nights on the way to Boston and we were passing New York City. As we passed the city skyline looking forward to playing it on our way back after the Boston gig we all somehow agreed to listen to a mix cd that started with “Into The Mystic”. That song playing with the New York skyline to our right as we headed north will forever be a powerful memory seared in my mind. It was our “Tiny Dancer” moment from Almost Famous, all the ups and downs of touring melted away in that moment. I had listened to this album several times before that but that was the first time I truly felt that song. Anyway this is what I think of when going back and revisiting this brilliant album. 4.5

Liked this one for sure. Had two listens of it and there are no skips. Favorite was Into the Mystic, least was Everyone

I can't quite put my finger on it (though the album cover is a big contributing factor), but I find this dude creepy. Him singing about hooking up on moondance gives some serious pervert vibes to me. However, this album is infinitely better than Astral Weeks, I respect how much his sound and lyrics evolved from that garbage can. 4/5

This was surprisingly good. I think it does some interesting things to blend other sounds into traditional late 60s early 70s folk - but not enough to justify giving this album five stars.

& this whole time i thought van morrison was like kiss! the soul, the jazz, and the r&b influences. there are some parts of this album that lag, but the subtle irish influence is wonderful in this album. that + the fact that i just learned "brown-eyed girl" was supposed to be called "brown-skinned girl" has put me in fan territory.

Excellent. Favourite track is Moondance 4/5

I prefer the ethereal, flowing, lost in time/space nature of Astral Weeks. This is a bit too slick for me. Still some great songs though.

Solid

Soulful Van He the man Grumpy Stumpy Lovely song Not too long Solid four Wanting more

Van de album covers van Van Morrison (iig Astral Weeks en Moondance) word ik altijd een beetje ongemakkelijk. Wat voor mij vaak de reden is dat ik de LP laat liggen of de plaat niet aanzet. Gelukkig is er deze app om mijn ongemakken te overwinnen... En daardoor werd dit een hele taaie waar ik 3 luisterbeurten voor nodig had om echt te doorgronden wat ik hier van vind. En dat komt vooral omdat het schier onmogelijk is om Sir Van in een hokje te plaatsen. Het klinkt veels te Amerikaans om Noord-Iers te zijn. En waar Moondance inderdaad meer country invloeden kent ligt het er niet zo bovenop. Ergens voel ik ook dat dit een beetje de proto indiefolk is, waar ik zo'n liefhebber van ben. Dat komt met name door de focus op de akoestische gitaar (in Everyone zelf gecombineerd met fluit). Into the Mystic is echt fantastisch. Daar hebben mannen als Billy Bragg, Will Varley of Frank Turner denk ik ook goed naar geluisterd. Voor mij het hoogtepunt. Ik eindig dus met veel meer positiviteit dan verwacht, en de volgende keer neem ik Moondance mee uit de platenbak. Ik waardeer zijn muziek veel meer dan gedacht! 8/10 Highlights Caravan Into the Mystic Everyone Glad Tidings

Pretty shortly into And It Stoned Me I had a feeling that most of the album was going play out the same way, a decent enough folky tune Moondance got me by surprise, that's a nice jazzy number. It distinguishes itself nicely without being so outlandish that it sticks out like a sore thumb. It does kind of revert more back into the style of Ant It Stoned Me, but I also really enjoyed Into the Mystic. The saxophone adds a really nice additional layer to the folk style (which goes for the whole album, not just that song) Liked this more than I expected Highlights: Moondance, Into the Mystic

Van Morrison is definitely a vibe. One of those easy early morning 70's AM gold vibe. Good stuff!

There are some really great songs on here. Into the Mystic is such a beautiful tune and I’ve always been a big fan of Moondance too. However, in listening to a whole album of Van, I found myself growing tired of his voice. So while I like pretty much all the songs individually, I didn’t love them all collectively.

can i just have 1 mo moon dance w u my lov

What a wonderful, but familiar mix Morrison has. Blues, jazz, folk,and something that one can't put a finger on. That is more true of his album Astral Weeks, but this album, although having familiar radio tunes, has a deeper meaning together than separate. 4/5

Whimsical and gritty. Van might be a cunt IRL but this is still a great listen.

First half of this album is a 5...back half a 3. 4 total with 3 all time tunes. Great stuff Van.

4.5 This one is going to get some familiarity bias as it was always on in the house growing. Through this listen I knew pretty much every lyric and note, I just didn't realize it was all on this one album. In a critical sense, a few things bugged me, piano and bass were a bit busy and the bass was pretty high in the mix, enough so that it was distracting. But for me the songs were all great. Brand New Day is a stone cold soul banger and I think could have been a huge hit on the R&B charts if someone had covered it, (Aretha would have been great)

Album started off crazy strong, and the title track is definitely my favorite. Lots of silly songs on here, but the music is still solid. Not on the top of what I reach for, but still really good.

We played this in college non stop for 2 yrs, used to lie on the roof and watch the stars and listen to Van M. So I am biased..I know it by heart and it's long been engraved into my brain. Into the Mystic was one of my Dad's favorite songs, I always think of him when I hear it. Seeing him at the Beacon 4th row doing Astral weeks from start to finish changed my perception, which is why I give this a 4 and not a 5 even though it probably deserves the 5 : )

It doesn’t seem like some of these songs would live in the same space. I can feel Crazy Love deep in my chest and Moondance sounds like hope with a bit of joy. Into the Mystic, now that one, it makes me walk lighter. A fun, unexpected ride which touches deeper than expected on some songs.

I've heard this before. Lots of great songs. Just short of a classic.

I suddenly grew a mustache, learned to tango and started calling everyone 'baby!'

Jest coś kojącego w tych melodiach. Muzyka jak promień słońca. Niektóre utwory są niesamowite, ale niestety jest też sporo przeciętnych. Mimo wszystko jest to mój rodzaj muzyki, strefa komfortu, którą czasem trudno opuścić. Brakuje tylko Brown Eyed Girl 7/10

Catchy feel good songs that still hold up.

pretty nice, very samey.

van Morrison I love you

Good, a few bangers

Catchy choruses

Best one yet 7/10

Great album, folky and with excellent songwriting. I also like Van Morrison's nasal and instantly recognisable voice. Not my favourite Van Morrison album (that may be Poetic Champions Compose) but still a solid 4.

Maybe a 3

yeah

Fantastic highlights. Consistently enjoyable.

Back to back bangers Ik vind dit oude mannen neuk muziek Maar wel mooi

Sehr schön, verträumt, zeitlos Möchte ich nochmal hören Gefällt mir gut, viele Lieder klingen bissl gleich

Doesn't do anything revolutionary, but what it does it does really well. Might just be because it's old though.

Smooth with a great groove. A classic.

Surprisingly great! It’s chill and relaxed yet also happy and peppy which is hard to do. When i to the mystic came on i had a sudden *aha* moment! Say what you will, but the American Pie trilogy always holds a nostalgic place in my heart. During the end of American Wedding there is a sweet moment and a cover of this sing plays. I have always LOVED this song but never really knew it. Will listen to this album again!

4.5

So far, Van Morrison is one of those artists you can’t seem to go wrong with. I say so far because I still have plenty more of his albums to work through. What I find really impressive about him is the way he blends so many different genres into his songs—from rock, folk, jazz, blues, and soul to R&B, and who knows how many more. While I like some of his stuff more than others, across the board, he makes really good quality music. This album is pretty good from beginning to end.

The last time I listened to Van Morrison was nearly a year ago, with his lengthy live album It’s Too Late to Stop Now. I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy, but I don’t really frequent his music. But I thought the idea of getting to properly hear his studio material after so long would be enjoyable. This was the follow-up to Astral Weeks. I’ve never heard it obviously, but I was surprised to learn it didn’t do well commercially. This record was much better received, and I understand why. It’s a really solid folk rock album. And it’s given a slight edge in my mind over other folk albums of the era because of the jazz bits they brought into this. This is a context where jazz sounds really good, and it honestly wasn’t utilized enough. The touches of jazz are actually really well balanced with the regular folk and soul stuff. They don’t feel artificially forced into the music. And it makes for some of the biggest highlights in Morrison’s career. Three of these tracks are some of the most popular he’s ever released, with Moondance and Into the Mystic being particularly special. And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention his voice. It’s so iconic, and really fits these very warm and sultry songs. Only reason I’m not a huge fan of Crazy Love is because I believe it’s the only song not sung by him. Still, this is good stuff. Not perfect, but those saxophone bits are too cool for me to care. Rating: 7/10

Excellent album, a classic that deserves it's spot on the T1001. It's loaded with good tunes and radio staples like "And It Stoned Me", "Moondance", "Crazy Love" which you may have heard at my wedding, "Caravan" & "Into The Mystic". All hits, impressive output for one album, Side One must have crushed it in 1970! The man could sing the phone book and make it sound good. It's impossible to deny the staying power of this album and the impact it had on radio since it's release. "Everyone" is the only weak track on the album.

Nice album. I've always loved the song Moondance and the rest of this album does not disappoint

The hits are still super pretty. I don’t love everything. But the good is great. And this band is outstanding.

Great singer. Great songs. An Irish All-star.

Pretty good but not as good as The Melodic Blue (deluxe)

3.9

Solid album. Love the low-key horns and the subtle guitar passages.

Surprising amount of variety on one album, from proper bluesy and country to jazzy and soulful. Very enjoyable album and lots to go back and discover on repeat listens. One standout was the mellow, yearning vibes of Crazy Love.

Comfy old pair of slippers.

“Moondance” is my least favorite of Morrison’s songs. But that’s balanced off by how much I like “Into the Mystic.” The other tracks here are pretty solid.