Moondance

Solid album with some folk, rock and blues elements

Amazing, never heard the album before but wow.

Never heard this before, had no idea what to expect. Enjoyed it.

A deep relaxing listen, found it to be perfect album to drive to would happily revisit on a road trip

I know he’s a COVID-denying piece of shit, but Van really knows his way around a tune. This has got to be his greatest collection of music. B+

Good liked the acoustics

Mélodieux et agréable à écouter

First, if I saw this cover on Instagram today, I would never listen. Second, this album sounds like September. Van Morrison is a genius. Wish he got more love.

How on earth was this the successor to Astral Weeks? Quality is obviously still here, but the structures and lyrics are almost complete opposites of his previous output. There is still plenty of room for innovation, and the title track is just immensely impressive.

An almost surreal successor to Astral Weeks. What a musical journey Van Morrison undertook in those years. An incredibly impressive track list with a few minor misses.

Very easy going pleasant Van Morrison soul. Good, warm stuff.

Moondance - this is a solid four stars for me. The first side of this one are all pretty great and I've heard 'em a million times. The flipside is decent but fades into the background a bit. Good performances across the board, I think, but not as engaging. Kid A - This is a big disappointment for me following OK Computer, which I liked every corner of. There's great stuff in it, but it's not something that holds my attention all the way through. It sounds so canned that I just want there to be a little bit of fresh air in it. Anyway - Moondance gets 4, but Kid A gets 3.

The production of this album is lovely, feeling like a warm hug. And it's certainly got some memorable tracks - the incredible blue-eyed soul of 'Crazy Love', the choogling 'Glad Tidings' and of course the jazzy, yearning title track (one of the first pieces I ever learned to play on piano). It's hardly an original observation to make, but Morrison has a helluva voice. All the material fits around it very snugly. At times, perhaps, it's too 'just so' and oozes into the background, but overall Moondance is a very pleasant, folksy, soulful listening experience.

I always mix Van Morrison and Joe Cocker up in my head, even though I don't think they really sound anything alike. Maybe it's just the soulful white guy thing. At any rate, agree with Alex about the production. This thing just sounds good, so even after the two singles I knew passed and it faded from the forefront of my attention, I still enjoyed just having it on and up in my earholes. I wonder if it still gets played at spring gatherings on the lawns of art schools? Probably.

Alegre

Twee gin tonic mare en deze voelt geweldig hehehe - Brand new day is echt gewoon top hoor ik pak hem mee!

como para estarlo escuchando de fondo, suena a rock clásico por excelencia, son sonidos reconocibles y agradables, me gustó

It was good

Sweet soulful singing, with gorgeous instrumentation (THOSE SAXES) proves Van Morrison knows how to write not just a beautiful song, but a super catchy one too. Favorite Tracks: Caravan, Moondance, and especially Into The Mystic

This absolute piece of shit is a very talented musician!

This is peak Van Morrison for me. Big points for It Stoned Me and Into the Mystic alone. The rest is great too.

+And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Everyone I like the part in the first track where he goes "Take a load off, Fanny, Take a load for free"...oh wait, that's The Weight by The Band; And It Stoned me sounds a lot like that song, but that's not a bad thing! Van Morrison doesn't fix what isn't broken here, just soulful, swanky, and smooth. I dig it.

Great, even excelent at some points

Very nice. Great sound.

I really love this album and a lot of early Van Morrison. Such a nice sound that you can just relax into, a right banger in my opinion.

my goodness, moondance is so, so pleasant to listen to! i didn't know van morrison made such soft music. the whole album flows seamlessly and smoothly together. "crazy love" is beautiful and has such lovely lyrics. the sax, the piano! the optimism in "brand new day"! this was such a well rounded album. i am looking forward to listening to it more.

Aside from some general knowledge of a couple of his biggest hits, I am not really educated on Van Morrison. I wasn't even aware that Moondance was originally his song. So imagine my surprise when I hear this album and it's basically some kind of weird folk-blues-jazz hybrid. On the other hand, I WAS familiar with his original Crazy Love, which in my opinion is one of the sweetest folky love songs to ever be recorded. It is quiet and intimate and highlights the most subtle vocalizations in Morrison's voice. I really enjoyed this album and found myself going back to it for more listening.

Listened to this on a previous list and didn’t really stick with me. It’s time I really enjoyed it.

I think this is the first time I've listened to Van Morrison. It's very good singer-songwriter album with a lot of versatility and a strong, full-bodied sound. Still nothing to get overly excited about though.

Very enjoyable and easy to listen to. Moondance was very recognisable…didn’t realise it was VM.

Went back for a second listen because the first time through was so nice.

Very cool, mellow, amazing story telling. Easy to relax and listen to and makes me think of enjoying a nice summer day.

I've had Morrisey and Jim Morrison, finally a Van Morrison record. This is so good. 4

Really great folk stuff here from Mr. Morrison. I think the thing that sets apart a lot of big folk names from one another is their unique vocal timbre and exquisite songwriting. Worth a listen for sure.

Més melòdic i musical que 'Astral Weeks', menys donat a la improvisació i mostra perfecta del que hauria de ser la resta de la seva discografia en el futur. Folk rock pastoral i molt personal, amb una de les veus més característiques del rock

A really pleasant listening experience that unleashes its penchant for standout moments in every song, therefore making them memorable. A necessary step forward from the impossible to follow Astral Weeks and is thus an essential part in the story of Van the Man. Favorites: And It Stoned Me, Crazy Love, Caravan, Into the Mystic, These Dreams of You, Brand New Day.

Yacht rock to the fullest

Listened. It's more pop than Astral Weeks but still really good. Would like to listen again for the lyrics

This was a great album! Very chill but insanely catchy at the same time. The best way to describe it is that it feels like a sunny/relaxing day with bright and cheery vibes present throughout. I was only somewhat familiar with Van Morrison (mainly through his biggest song, 'Brown Eyed Girl'), and the title track was the only song I ended up recognizing during this listen; however, this album made me appreciate his voice and songwriting capabilities way more as these songs are excellently crafted/performed. 'And It Stoned Me', 'Caravan', and 'Everyone' were the standouts on my first listen, but every track here is smooth and solid. While it is not the most diverse album in terms of instruments or sounds, I did appreciate the moments where VM brought in harpsicord, flute, and saxophone to add a bit of variety. It is not groundbreaking necessarily, but it feels like the type of album that is hard not to like. I would definitely give it another listen in the future. 4/5.

Some really great singer/songwriter stuff. There's a reason he's a legend.

very solid, liked it quite a bit.

Pretty solid album I've heard before

Solid one

I liked the improvisational feel of all the songs on this album. It is what he was going for, that jazzy type of mood. "Everyone" could have sounded annoying and repetitive, and yet it holds up because of the delivery. It's one of my favorite tunes on the album. I think we've all heard the title track "Moondance" at least once or twice in our lives (I've had to play it a few times, not an easy tune.). But the other stuff on the album is just as freeform and improvisational, I quite enjoyed it. I wonder if that feel is brought to the songs live, and how many of the songs were performed live. So yeah, really enjoyable high marks for me. I'm glad the album is more than just the title track. A lot of times albums can't get past that big hit, but this one was able to do so.

I was pleasantly surprised, because of this album, I so far only knew the title song, which I don't particularly like. But the other songs are quite good in a Summer Vibes kind of way. Very solid 4/5.

Nautin. Hyvää blues?-tunnelmaa jostain jenkkien erämaasta.

Not the absolute best Van effort, but high quality nonetheless from the old curmudgeon

Not much to say about this one. After *Astral Weeks* proved itself too complex for the charts and general audience of his time, Van Morrison chose a far more direct approach, adding a *huge* chunk of rhythm'n'blues to the formula. And to help him attain his goals, he found a stellar backing band in the Catskills, after following Dylan's steps over there (for a relatively small town, Woodstock seemed to have quite an impressive scene, which did not wait for that famous festival to thrive). Such a backing band behind Van Morrisson brings *a lot* to *Moondance*. The saxophone section--tenor, alto and soprano--is just doing an extraordinary job, all lush and sinuous, especially on the most memorable songs ("And It Stoned Me", "Caravan" , "Into The Mystic", "Glad Tidings", "Brand New Day"). Great performances overall. As for Van Morrison's voice, recorded in live takes throughout, it is technically perfect. You really believe he is a genuine American r'n'b singer. Well, except maybe on the title track, but it's probably because that cut is a little underwhelming compared to the rest, sounding more like a jazz parody executed in a second-tier club than a genuinely interesting cut (putting this song in slot number 2 was not the brightest idea in my honest opinion). That being said, even some of the least immediately striking cuts have something going for them. Case in point: "Everyone", with its clavinette and flutes heavily drawing on Irish folk influences. And lyrically, the songs are very interesting and personal, displaying a sort of down-to-earth mysticism about love, nature and mundane experiences. Such a thing doesn't even seem possible on paper. Yet Van Morrisson pulls it off effortlessly. The only reason I'm not giving this album five stars is because as far as I like albums with a single intent in mind, this one is just a little too one-note for me. After *Astral Weeks*' commercial failure, and from this point onwards, Van Morrisson would only take calculated risks, for better or for worse. And here, it shows. But even with that minor grudge in mind, this is definitely an album to listen to before you die. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 983 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 7 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 6 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 4 Albums on which I feel my judgment is muddled by my past forays into specific genres instead of others (some might end up on my final list if they're culturally important): 1]

Van morrison is a referent. Good singer and his compositions are great.

Morrissey and Van Morrison on consecutive days. What have I done to be saddled with these two bastions of COVID misinformation in such proximity? With that being said, this album is pretty fun. He does white guy blues without it being too cringy. Much like the last Van Morrison album that I listened to, Astral Weeks, there are lots of instrumental additions to the composition that are unexpected and well executed. I may be of the personal opinion that Van Morrison is a twat, but I guess I like his music 4/5

неплохо готовиться к европе получилось

Finally! After a run of 2* albums, something I actually like! It’s charming, playful, romantic. It’s a shame Van has turned into such an objectionable grown-up, but there you go!

One of those albums that feels like a comfy blanket or a warming drink. Soothing without being trite. Along with Tupelo Honey this is a an Morrison at his finest

Was overall decent

Yes, the night is magic.

Easy listening!

Melodic

A long time favourite. Absolute magic for the first half of the album, musical masterpiece in Into The Mystic, then a slow decrease in song quality through to the end.

This album was a pleasant experience. It’s tonalities and timbres got me in a soothed mood right from the beginning. I had never listened to Van Morrison before, maybe did not have the interest or was not ripe enough for it. Now I want to go down the rabbit hole of his music

Solid album filled with good music. One recognized song

Classic album. A good spin.

Very good. Brown-eyed girl cunningly rewritten as Glad Tidings. He was obviously a huge influence on Loudon Wainwright, who stole Come Running for People in Love. Don't like all the songs but Into the Mystic is worth 4 stars all on its own.

Another album I think I had a cheap cassette reissue of and played a great deal in a certain phase of my 20s. Not really into Van Morrison any more but this is still pretty flawless.

Belongs on the list: 5 Monumental Album: 4 Influential Album: 4 Van-the-Man™'s best disc. 4.5/5

Ah, here was Van the Man at the top of his game. Such finely skilled songs such as And It Stoned Me & Moondance, such a unique voice, such a talent. But even then, back in 1970, as a man, I bet he was still a bit of a tit.

was not bad

Moondance's a hell of a track

9/10

I've been pretty down on the 70s sound, but this just works for me. He has a good voice without all the twang to it.

Vam Morrison begin with the band "Them" and then was famous as singer alone: a referent.

This is packed full of good songs but it also has my favorite song, Caravan.

Moondance and crazy love are such great songs… rest pretty good

I like Van Morrison's music; even saw him perform not long before covid. This album contains many classics, and I will rate it without taking into account Van's... problematic tendencies.

Moondance stuck in my head for days afterwards. Is that good?

Nice

Very nice listen

Great

Van the man's more poppy effort. Songs have soul and finesse with his amazing vocals. Ignore the fact he's a fucking terrible old man with regressive views that would make Trump blush - or at least high five him. Best Tracks: And It Stoned Me; Moondance; Into The Mystic

Quite pleasant.

Actually great. I mean I know it's great, but I hadn't properly listened before, and it's brilliant. Shame he's a grumpy sod.

Damn, what a rock-solid album. I really like his sound, very relaxed and comforting.

Heard quite a few of these love standards before. Between Cat Stevens and Van Morrison, it’s been a gravel-voiced balladeer couple of days

I knew more of these songs than I thought I would, and the ones I didn't know felt like old friends anyway. Very good stuff.

Quite good, a moody one

Wikipedia tells me this album was a huge deal. I guess it's been so influential that whatever made it so remarkable has now become commonplace? It was a nice listen, for sure. Fave track - "Glad Tidings", let's say, but I didn't feel like there were any stand out tracks - they all blended together...

A bit cheesy, but it’s a solid feel-good album that I enjoyed cleaning the kitchen to. 8/10

Pretty classic but definitely too much Van Morrison at once. On their own the songs were good, didn't have to think about anything too hard. 8

The album cover is me waiting for the next album to generate. 7/10, Moondance was a good track, nothing too special about the album in general for me though

There were some good songs but the back half got a little sing-songy to me. 7/10

So many greats on this ablum. Would listen again.

If I haven't heard this album as a whole before, I've heard most of the tracks before. All of the tracks are good, and this would be an easy album to re-play. "Crazy Love" might be my favorite track, and there are some covers of the song that I like almost as much. Liking the covers is evidence of Van Morrison's talent for writing a good song. "Into the Mystic" is another favorite.

Great.

Solid album. Haven't heard most of the tracks

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Moondance

Van Morrison is at some of his most soulful and polished on this album that has some of his most lauded tracks. Smooth and serene the ballads go from deep longing to everyday love.

Another classic

For some reason, this album has stood the test of time. I'll definitely listen to it many times again.

Some absolute bangers on this

4

Kennismaking met andere muziek van van Morrison dan "Brown eyed girl" erg fijn.

If Elton John was a guitar player.

Went expecting to enjoy it but not as much as I did. Not a single bad song on the album. Starts out very strong.

A solid album with 4 or 5 amazing songs that everyone knows. Side two is pretty forgettable, but the sheer caliber of the songs on side one is mind-blowing. Songs like those feel like they must have appeared fully formed out of the ether, because it's difficult to imagine someone being talented and inspired enough to have written them. Still, it doesn't quite reach the level of those rare few albums that are filled front to back with great songs and no filler. This album does have some filler.

I'm not sure to what extent he is describing a depth of emotion I've not experienced or if he's just that good at expressing himself in song.

Classic album, no complaints.

Easy listening and soothing vocals - nice for a drive or chilling. 7/10

Great music ... Clean expressive lyrics where the instruments don't overwhelm the songs

Po meni najbolji album Van Morrisona. Pravo jesenski.

Better than I remembered it.

I’ve heard good things about this album and it didn’t let down. This is great, a warm and relaxing album to put on and just forget about everything for 40 minutes. Especially the first side of this album is absolutely perfect the 2nd side might be a bit worse but still great. Sadly the last 2 songs were kinda worse especially the last one idk why but I didn’t like it as much as the rest of the album. 8/10

Nice is a nice and fun album. I enjoyed the different rhythm/melodies, and even though most of the songs are slow I found them uplifting.

My favourite Van track on this makes it a winner for me (Moondance). Almost every song eminates warmth.

His best album for me (at least from the albums I’ve listened to) A singer at the top of his game on it - some classic songs - great stuff

very musical! like it so far. contender for 4 *?

Pretty familiar overall, but enjoying it.

Weer een zalig album. De generator is zijn best aan het doen de voorbije dagen.

It's Van, what's not to like.

Dromerig, jazzy en soulfull. Een ode aan vrijheid, natuur en muziek.

Not my usual genre and probably never will be but I enjoyed the album and can understand why it would have a good reputation.

This is one of my favorite Van Morrison albums. When I opened it up I already had five of the songs starred. It's a banger album for me. I'm going to go ahead and give it four G L O R I A 's

Just what I needed for the day.

Great album. Awesome through and through.

Enjoyed this alot more than I expected.

Enjoyable.

I like the way, in many songs, he starts signing on the first note, without any preamble, like he doesn't care what the rest of (white) bands are doing in 1970, he's doing his own thing. There are some real classic tracks . I always thought Moondance would make a great jazz standard (maybe it is?). Nice horns and backing vocals.

I’ve got a pretty superficial knowledge of Van Morrison and I’d never listened to this album before (although I knew a few of the tracks). Will definitely be going back to it again. Detected a bit of Belle and Sebastian on album closer ‘Glad Tidings’. Not sure whether Mr Morrison was influenced by the infant Stuart Murdoch, or it was the other way round (I’ll let the lawyers fight it out), but loved it either way. First album on the list that I’m genuinely glad I’ve heard before I die.

chill

Very nice vibe

This takes me back to memories of mum and dads Van Morrison vinyl records spinning the tables when i was a youngun

I liked it a lot!

Beautiful, warm sounding album. Familiar and welcoming. Would be great to listen to with friends on a summer's night!

More country influences than expected, title track is a bop, will listen again

Jams

i oscillate between thinking he's annoying and really respecting his music. this one is pretty solidly respectable.

Great smooth classic rock album. It has some jazz infusion in there as well

I really enjoyed this album. Backyard bbq/summertime music. Album is just solid top to bottom.

Gotta be a a fan of some Van the man, while you crack a can with dinner in the pan. Prefer his Astral Weeks album, but some classic tracks on this album

It’s kinda samey but what he does, he does well.

Great album and surprised by how many songs I already knew

Classic jazz/alt fusion.

Despite being a conspiracy theory dumbass, that record is still great.

Going in blind. Don't know much Van Morrison. Hate Brown Eyed Girl. Really soulful and jazzy, nicely surprised. Reminds me of The Band with more horns. Solid listen.

Chill vibe

Perf with beers in the sunshine. Love the prevalence of trumpet/clarinet/other blowy tube instruments

Chill. 4/5

Very nice, chill, standards. I only knew Van Morrison's song Brown Eyed Girl before.

I enjoyed the album. Only ever really hearing “Brown Eyed Girl” this was definitely a different sound, but the sound of the time for sure. The first song “And it Stoned Me” remind me a lot of The Band’s “The Weight.” Definitely open to checking out more of his music in depth after hearing this album.

Nice. This is what I was expecting when I got astral weeks a while ago but was disappointed. I’ll try to listen to more Van.

Ah... one of the 10 albums I got for $1 from Columbia House back in the heyday of CD clubs. Liked it then, like it now.

i love these oldies vibes yo

actually quite good.

Abordagem diferente do estilo, com os metais tendo destaque sobre o violão/guitarra. Mistura de Blue, Rock e Soul

more smooth than drinking dr pepper

Really really like this album. Caravan, into the mystic, are so good. The lyrics are not that deep but still poetic and the chord progressions are not obnoxious but still rousing.

The origin of FM rock. Very listenable/ as was I think intended.

There’s no denying this mans ability to write a tune!

3.5

Jedna pesma je bila na 31 pljejlisti, i ta je nekako najbolja. Ostatak albuma sladak ali nije moj fazon.

A fun listen with a few clear standouts. Moondance, Crazy Love and Into the Mystic are the clear standouts. The rest is solid enough though and I'll try to revisit it when I can.

전체적인 분위기나 느낌이 꽤 나쁘지 않았다. The overall atmosphere and feel weren't bad at all.

Joa, ist okay - würde mich wundern wenn ich das irgendwann nochmal höre

chill and ballady jazz rock

Helt ait

not bad, i like Van Morrison, distinct sound from that era of music. Moondance itself is just a pleasant jazz adjacent song to vibe to

기억잘안나는디요

Just okay

Second Van Morrison, though is technically my first. I assembled a pre-written review for "It's Too Late to Stop Now" a couple of months back simply because that album was very long. It was an interesting listen. I didn't care much for the actual music, though I certainly appreciated the spectacle. Rather than relying on digital effects and other forms of concert trickery to produce an authentic studio sound, Morrison went all in on a meticulous, clean, measured analogue approach, which was primarily accomplished through a highly adept backing band. I thought that album earned its spot on the list, and hopefully this one will as well. Here goes. Hmm. This boomery music just isn't my speed, though I won't deny that it isn't snazzy. The rhythmic brass numbers that persist across this album are generally engaging, though there's nothing that really hooks me. The same can be said about Morrison as a performer. He's adept and well-suited to this style of music, though I just find him tepid as a result of my own musical tastes. If there's a silver lining, it's that the songwriting is generally adept and features many competent vocal hooks around the choruses. I also appreicate the self-contained runtime as well. All in all, I didn't mind dipping into this album for a few, though I doubt I will be returning. Book time. Morrison's breakthrough release in America. The lineup of musicians that Morrison assembled for this album are among his most esteemed collaborators, namely John Platania, Jack Schroer and Jeff Labes. This album is larger and more grandiose in its sound than his previous outings, notably adding Morrison's now-distinctive horn sections to his musical repertoire. In the book's words: "The first side of the LP is almost perfect." Wikipedia verifies that this was a pivotal release in Morrison's career, was massively successful and is widely considered to be one of the best albums ever. The critic response was glowing, and the album has received enduring acclaim in the years following release. The album only charted in six countries, though it performed well in all of them. The album notably peaked at No. 32 in the UK, No. 29 in America, No. 20 in Australia and No. 9 in the Netherlands. Yeah. All signs point to this being a worthwhile pick, and I think two list albums and a live album is about right for an artist of Morrison's standing. I cosign this inclusion.

good, little flat and repetitive at times. 3.5 out of 5 for me

3 stars almost leaning 4: Some really nice songs on here that I would listen to again. This might upgrade to a 4 with additional listens, but I guess part of the reason it gets is 3 is that I am not that keen on doing additional listens. If this album was on while I was cooking or something it would be pleasant, but I am not sure that I'd ever choose to put it on. I don't think I'd pick it up at the record store.

I have it more time than the live album we previously had. Connected a lot more and can see it growing to a 4 one day.

3/5. Starts off like a masterpiece, then slowly turns into Van Morrison mumbling his way through a breakfast meeting.

Decent album. Listened to it a lot when I was younger

I like Van Morrison's music a lot but I was disappointed with this album overall.

Muy tranquilo y tiene tipo jazz, no hubo una canción que me encantara, pero está bonito

Some kind of country. With brass too though? Bit bluesy. Honestly without vocals the opening track sounds like something the Rolling Stones would have made. Can you call this blue-eyed soul? I think so. So, a mix of country and blue-eyed soul. You can hear the DNA of Brown-Eyed Girl here. Moondance is more jazzy, sounds like a Sinatra cover - but I like it Crazy Love reminds me of We Found Love Right Where We Were by Ed Sheeran?? (Oh it's called Thinking Out Loud) Folksy sound in Everyone... Best track - And It Stoned Me, Moondance 3 stars - it's nothing special for me, I do appreciate the variety though

Not bad. Moondance in to crazy love is a pretty good one two. Astral weeks is my all time fav from him tho

Very nice

Pleasantly not bad. ★★★

This is Friday night on the pouch on a cool night kinda music.

It’s hard not to hear Van Morrison as the kind of guy to take himself too seriously. When he leans into the sort of country-fried rock in songs like Caravan, he’s at his best. Though, Crazy Love was fairly douchey. His inclusion of jazz and blues elements, particularly in the horn sections of some songs, helps his music shines. His voice works when it’s forceful and pained. The titular song, Moondance, is absolutely his best from this album, but he displays some incredible vocals on other tracks throughout. He’s got a somewhat Fogerty quality, and, as a fan of CCR, I dig it. The piano and bass on most tracks were delightful and helped to round out everything. The drums were present, but felt under utilized largely. The guitar was decent, but, again, not as well represented as I would have liked. Ultimately, it was his vocals that carried each track with little room for the instruments to take center stage and lead the way. Also, I just want to note that Glad Tidings has the same chord progression for both the guitar and bass of Brown Eyed Girl. It irks me when singers/bands do that. You don’t have to change everything, but at least TRY to disguise it.

is nothing special

Heard some of these before with Dave as a kid good vibes but nothing that made me say wow

one of the albums of all time

Very enjoyable listen

An okay album, I liked These Dreams Of You the most.

Moods for days

Not a bad album that was enjoyable, if only a little same throughout. 3.5/5

Overall, not a bad album. I know that it's quite old and it was quite nice at the time, but nowadays it is a slight bit outdated. I am not saying that it is properly outdated like some other albums that I've heard, because I enjoyed having this album playing in the background, but I feel like I have been stimulated a lot more lately by more exciting music, so although this is chill, I am a bit numb to getting excited.

-not really my kind of music for the most part but i understand why hippies and whatnot love it so much -not too terribly much to say about this one. it speaks for itself. i can appreciate some longing soulful 60s-70s as much as the next guy and Into The Mystic is phenomenal -Favorites: Caravan, Into The Mystic, Glad Tidings

Actually like a few songs off this album, not as much as I thought I would but some for nostalgia purposes. Not really up there for me, but I am intrigued to give this album a proper listen in future. Maybe it was timing for me this time.

When I was 16, I watched a lot of my heroes fall. It was 2014, and I was heavily invested in the work of the British YouTube community. I'd gone to a few meet and greets, and learned how to play the ukulele because of Charlotte McDonnell. This was the place where I figured out that you didn't have to wait for someone to let you make things - you could just make them. There were so many musicians and creators that I looked up to, and by the end of 2014, they were facing consequences for their reprehensible actions. ────────────────── Moondance is the third album by Van Morrison. Van Morrison, up until 2020, had been considered one of the all time greats of popular music. Whether it was from his time in Them, to Brown Eyed Girl during the Summer of Love, and the rediscovery and reappraisal of Astral Weeks, Van Morrison has inspired millions of first dances at weddings and gotten thousands of Northern Irish kids to pick up the guitar. By all accounts, a nice fellow and a wonderfully talented songwriter. His years of goodwill had quickly been dashed by his Covid denialism in 2020, and his rallying against the lockdowns. ────────────────── While these two things aren't closely comparable, it's strange to watch people you respect and look up to become pariahs. This is usually for good reason, but it still hurts. I'm so grateful and proud of those women for standing up and speaking out against their abusers, because where I stand now, I would never want to support someone like that. But it hurts to watch someone you admire to be revealed to be a serial abuser. What does that say about you that you didn't know? Are you a fan? Did your money support them in doing that? The answer is no, they would have hurt someone regardless. And we do not know what the people on our screens do when the camera is off. ────────────────── Moondance is a nice album, and I want to talk about it objectively. It's a nice and sweet album. The title track is a song I hold very dearly, after my brother showed it to me around 15 years ago. There's also some fantastic moments on Caravan and Everyone. They're beautifully written songs, and the instrumental backing is truly joyful. It's a wonderful piece of work. Van Morrison's legend status would have probably been cemented if he'd made this album and nothing else. I like this album a lot, but at the back of my mind - there's that thought that maybe I shouldn't be listening to music by such a weirdo. ────────────────── Charlotte McDonnell is doing really well. I'm really, truly happy for her.

First listen. Moondance is a nostalgia trip. I thought the first few songs were alright. I really like Into the Mystic. The rest of the album felt like it was in the same key. Van Morrison’s vocals are great and the performance on the record is wonderful. I’m just not a big fan of the latter half of the album.

Great voice but did seem to drag. 3/5

Я його знаю) А Глорія буде? Глорії нема(

3.5 Pretty good and I enjoyed it, but can't say it's really stood out for me from others on the list

Pretty decent, interesting voice

The band are great, his voice is so distinct. The songs float between a few genres. Soulful and jazzy I liked. Rounded down due to amount of la's

Good

Not as good as Astral Weeks!

Moondance is longer and less good than I remember it. Used to love that song

Nothing memorable but good enough

뭐라 쓰지

not really my taste but still had some nice songs, lil bit of funky, some pretty songs

I was aware of quite a few songs from this record from the radio and other media over the years, but had never payed it much attention, the mixing is to DIE for and the arrangements are gorgeous. The second half has a significant fall off in quality. But still a great listen overall, will be coming back to certain tracks over the whole album. 1) Moondance 2) Everyone 3) Caravan Least Favourite: Brand New Day

honestly good sound don’t think i’d rly listened to van morrison bar the classics

The first song sucks, but the rest are kinda nice. On of the better more folky songs on this list.

First song made me think this was going to be terribly boring. The second song was however quite a bit better already. After that it did get a little stale but it remained decent all throughout the album. Not my thing but not bad music, pretty original and musical.

Fun album. Not that deep.

I like Van Morrison, but I don’t love Van Morrison

Everyone is a great song but it's mostly just samey

Echt een eind jaren 60, 70 sound. Iconisch in haar tijd, maar niet meer van deze tijd? Soms heb je van die albums of artiesten die ook 50 jaar later nog steeds mee kunnen, ze voelen niet verouderd. Dit album heeft dat voor mij niet, dit is een zoetsappig romantisch plaatje. Zonder rauwe randjes of sprankel. Luistert gewoon prima weg, misschien wel nice als je aan de heroine zou zitten. Al heb ik dat nooit gedaan en zou ik dat ook niet aanraden. Tenzij iemand jouw ergste vijand is, dan is zo’n opium misschien wel een goede aanrader…?

Ik vind het wel een leuk album. Ook best goed. Hele goede baslijntjes. Maar niet heel spannend.

Van Morrison, echt zon grote naam die je vaker hebt gehoord maar nooit echt de muziek van hebt beseft. Af en toe komt er een nummer voorbij waarbij je denkt: oja, dat is van hem dus, oke. Het album heeft me een beetje koud gelaten, tis vrij positief, romantisch maar het mist voor mij een beetje wat scherpe randjes.

Es como escuchar The Strokes. Es decir, son todas iguales, solo que esto es folk/jazz/blues (con lo malo del folk). Están bien de fondo, fácil de escuchar, ninguna me disgusta... Pero ninguna me dice nada especial y pasan desapercibidas, no me atrapa. Todas me gustarían en un bar con una cerveza en la mano o incluso como música en directo, siempre y cuando el plan sea que la música "está de fondo". Dicho eso, no hay nada que me haya hecho saltar una canción o como para decir "¡quita eso anda!". Eso ya es un gran plus. ⭐⭐⭐ Mención especial: Moondance

Redundant with some very good tracks! The tempo and songwriting blended for me

I don't think I'd ever heard Van Morrison before, but I felt like I had. I had to look it up, and that's because I've heard counting crows. The slow jazzy piano playing ballads don't really feel like my thing, but I enjoyed it well enough.

Nice in the background but didn't jump at me. 3

A very inoffensive album. If Moondance wasn't so ubiquitous it wouldn't be very memorable for me.

I recognize that he's a pretty talented singer, but this album didn't really fall on my ears well.

No es de mi agrado

I'm a Van fan but I can see why he's marmite out there. This album is a good example of his tracks blending into one sound with no variety of tempo or pace. Love his voice though

I find this to be really very solid, it blends together a little bit maybe and even though there are undeniable classics here the sound is almost a bit too much for me in places, still a solid 6-7/10 tho

this might be the least jazz, jazz album on the list. yes it really is jazz but is it really? moondance is def the best track on this list of songs, but a lot of it i felt like i wanted more, even when there is a lot of stuff going on in the tracks. Morrison is a very great songwriter tho.

Van Morrison, you came from the absolute rubbish Astral Weeks and produced something worthy of this list. It's such a nice jazz-adjacent album that was perfect for the walk that I listened to it on. However, after the brilliance of Moondance (what a great song), it loses its momentum and turns into decent album tracks that work well together, but aren't particularly special. Great album, needs something more to push it up a score.

Was okay, but I was expecting better from what I've heard of this guy.

personal review ignore inconsistent grammar / restating of points / poor narrative. It's starting off really strong with "And It Stoned Me", great guitar tone and solo near the end of the song, singing is overall unimpressive technically but emotional. CLASSIC 70s vocals. Kinda hate that he's anti lockdown and republican but he's also really old. Second song "Moondance" is incredibly jazzy. Not sure if his vocals suit a track like this quite as much. Still pretty good. I like the woodwinds. How did he do that at the end of the song when he said "la la la" white boys don't do that anymore. He's trying to be a black woman. Crazy Love confirms this. Very soft, feminine vocals. I'm pretty sure the backing track is black women? Weird comment I know, but it is a little jarring for the album cover. Apparently 'Brown-Eyed Girl' was originally called brown skinned girl. I'm pretty uneducated on this but it seems like he's appreciating rather than appropriating. "Switch on your electric light" is a pretty funny lyric because apparently in 1970 they had to clarify. Caravan is a very enjoyable track. Banger. Could see me playing this for a Instagram story while golfing or cruising around the suburbs. A little yacht-y (see what I did there? I didn't). The foghorn on 'Into the Mystic' is pretty great. "I wanna rock your gypsy soul", contrasts that by being a pretty weird line. A little fetishizing and reminds me of what we read about in comp lit 114. Although its much past that time the remnants are still there. It's pretty gross. Maybe I'm too woke. People seem to really love this song but it's not for me. "Come Running" did not really grab my attention, will relisten. Sax solo on "These Dreams of You" rules. It sounds a bit like the saxophones are layered for harmonies but I think that there's only one sax player in the band? Were they mixing? I was not aware. This album almost feels after its time. "I've be used bruised and so confused" Is the type of low hanging fruit line that you only see on older records and I'm going to go against the grain and say that lines like this objectively suck. Art takes creativity. Art takes cohesion. The layered backing tracks on Morrison's records juxtapose his simple vocals. "My heart is fill // I've got the will // And I don't really feel so mean" He's bringing me back in. Maybe the contrast between his lyrics and the backing track does him a service?. "Brand New Day" is probably the most interesting track to me so far on the record. The clavichord on "Everyone" really comes out of nowhere. This is Ren Faire music if I've ever heard it. Cool Ren Faire music. Saying 'everyone' like 9 times is not a chorus Van Morrison! Why were people so bad at choruses back in the 60s-70s? It makes me actually mad because their verse writing is arguably better than it is today. But in modern music which has almost done away with the verse a song lacking a strong chorus just sounds so forgettable. His vocal Timbre might be the best part of his music. That isn't to say that the backing tracks aren't great also. His voice is so distinct. It comes out really well on "Glad Tidings" but the backing track is a little boring for my taste! Overall this record has some pretty decent highs. But is pretty forgettable. I also don't like 'Van' very much at all. After reading some reviews I've settled on a 3/5.

Variation lacking big time on this one. Morrison has a good voice, the instrumentals are always pleasant but everything mushes together in a way that makes it hard to tell one song from another. Still speaking of the instrumentals, there was anything that felt really distinct enough that I could grab onto it. Just a soup of bass, kick drum, snare. A little piano here. Everything feels a bit... half-committed? Such is the danger, I feel, of Folk Rock sometimes. That said, there are still some songs I enjoyed that I'd happily listen to again; "Moondance", "Crazy Love", and "Come Running".

Boomer muziek

Didn't think it was much of my vibe but I actually quite enjoyed myself. Nice surprise, nice listen.

I don't like Morrison's voice and delivery too much. But I did like this. 3,5.

Van wailing away

The obvious Moondance stands out but Caravan is what hooked me. First four songs establishing the tone of mellow, easy like Sunday morning. Caravan laid all the way back. Kinda looks like Gordon Lightfoot RIP Into the Mystic and we have an established trend of deep grooves. Someone put a nickel on the record arm. Bit of a lull for the next two until Brand New Day starts and we're back on track. 3 good songs, the rest was filler. It felt like the overall arch of the album was lost along the way.

i'm feeling a little let down by this album. the list of genres for it includes irish folk but i'm only hearing that on exactly one track, "everyone", which is mostly doing it via a twee little flute part that i kinda don't like very much? its pissing me off a bit..... i got my hopes up for nothing........ ....anyway. other than that, this kinda feels like what the band were trying to do on the two albums of theirs from this list? at least on tracks like "and it stoned me" and "caravan". van morrison is pulling it off a hell of a lot better than they did, thankfully, but i'm much more into the tracks where he's going for more of a soft, soulful sound, like "crazy love" and "brand new day". the gospel choir on those really elevates them too, at least for me. my favourite this time is between the two of those for sure. ultimately i think this one's a bit hit and miss, although the deviation is kinda low if that makes sense? like, i don't think any of the tracks i'm less into are bad, more "less good", but at the same time, i don't think the best tracks are amazing either, they're just, "better". so as a whole it's.... fine..........?

Of course everyone knows Moondance, which is an excellent song. The rest of the album is fine, but mostly seems like background music. A nice feel and sound, but not much that grabs you by the throat and demands repeated listening. I would go with a 3.5 if there were half stars. And if I had never heard Moondance before, I am sure I would have rated it 4.

Not my Kind of music but surprisingly good

Decent, but feels like a step down from Astral Weeks. Songwriting is still really strong though so I can see myself returning to this.

This was fine, it's just not really my thing. I can see why people like it but I find it a bit too much 'singing'? Like really singing, singing to make the sound come out of your mouth. Trying to make people dance through the sheer power of your singing. Not really my kind of pop music.

I am enjoying "and it stoned me" It was a nice album. Enjoyable and sweet

As previously mentioned when we last had Van, I don’t subscribe to the cult; however, were I to, this is one of only two albums which would give me pause - at least for the first half. The title track is a classic and probably his best recording. “Crazy Love” is gorgeous, as is “Into the Mystic”. After that, the wheels come off.

Ooof. Tough one for me Van Morrison. I feel like, coming from Northern Ireland, I have a responsibility to give props to the guy. Being from here and being involved in music though, I also happen to know plenty of people who have worked with, or for, him over the years and the consensus is that he’s a whole set of bastards rolled up into one person. I’ll admit I do have half a dozen of his 70s albums, but I have a lot of albums generally, so thats less of the commendation than it sounds. In my head, I had ‘Moondance’ (the album) as my favourite and “Moondance” (the song) as one of the cheesiest things he did in those early years of his career (he surpassed the cheesiness many times over beyond the 70s). Listening today though, I think I am downgrading the album. Nothing maybe matches the title track for cheese, but the album, while in a sense solid, is simultaneously kinda light. There’s quality sprinkled all across the songwriting, and his vocal performance on “Crazy Love” is impressive, but there’s not a great deal to get your teeth into. The arrangement of the title track might have actually been appropriate for the whole album though it would have made me retch. Just as I returned to ‘Highway 61’ from a brief sojourn with ‘Blonde on Blonde’, for its gravitas I think I’d better get back to ‘Astral Weeks’ as my Morrison peak. I guess I’ll find out when it’s generated for me. Much as Van might like think he belongs in the same sentence as Dylan, I feel a little nauseous that I just made that happen. Highway and Blonde will be getting 5* from me; this gets 3* and let’s see how Astral Weeks fares.

not jazz

70’s

Classic Van Morrison

Heard before?:❌️ Will listen again?:❓️

feels like im gonna watch peak comedy movie.

Sounds great for 1970, paving that way for a sound that would morph into yacht rock. In my mind, Van Morrison starts one end of yacht rock, and Steely Dan bookends the other end a decade later. “Moondance” is really that good, a totally unique composition sung dramatically by a just as unique voice. As for the rest? Meh. If you like Van Morrison for his very specific sounding vocals, I’m sure you love this album. It’s all very samey. But that sameness works against it for people like me, wanting something more. “Caravan” is good but damn it takes its time getting to the good part with that post chorus walk-down melody. Everything else just passes right by. Not bad, but not my jam. I respect it but don’t seek it out. Soft 3/5 I’m very indifferent to this one

Angry Leprechaun.

Fine, I suppose. I don't understand people who act like this guys voice is the stuff of angels and dreams. It's pretty OK< sure, but even from his era, Nick Drake blows him out of the water. It's OK, I suppose, but I don't care if I ever hear it again.

pretty good

This is an interesting album. I can't tell if I recognized the songs or if they sound like other songs by Van Morrison. Some of the songs are catchy but I'm confused why Van Morrison references Romani / caravan life so often. He says a potential slur for the Romani peoples couple of times and has other songs that reference them as well. Obviously it was a different time but it's so interesting how he seems to refer to this community. I am curious as to why this album made the list, when Brown Eyed Girl is his most iconic song. I wasn't aware that the singer was anything more than a one hit wonder.

I am very close to giving this a 4-star review, but it did take me a minute to get into it. Though there were songs I enjoyed on the first half ("Into the Mystic" and definitely "Caravan"), it made me resistant to getting into it. "And It Stoned Me" is a dud, where I could see some oppositional person enjoying it, but I don't think I will ever be someone who enjoys that song. "Moondance" is always a jam, though a bit tiresome due to its over-rotation. The second half leaned further into qualities I like and why a person would probably put on Van Morrison: it feels happy! happy! happy! My Van Morrison knowledge is limited, but happy folky songs is the speciality. Not groaning about the times or banging your head against the wall, but a simple "la la la la, la la la la" ("Glad Tidings" is good, but "These Dreams of You" is oh so lovely).

First song was good , then the album became kinda monotone. Just a typical country blues album

Iconic voice, enjoyable songs, impressive enough in its own way, but not an earth-shattering essential.

I think if prompted I couldn’t name a single Van Morrison song without clues and yet I’m like oh! This cutie song! And this one! Over and over. (Oh I just checked and forgot brown eyed girl exists so I stand by my claim.) Lovely for a drive, may never listen to again.

The man has pipes

Pretty catchy but not phenomenal

very nice instrumentally, good variety.

really liked how much this sounds like motown classics

Into The Mystic

Super relaxed album! Love the chill instrumentality and his voice!

Bueno para escuchar en un viaje, a la mañana o a la tarde.

Moondance and Glad Tidings are the saving grace of this album. Otherwise, it's a 2.

It's quite a lovely album.

I liked this a lot more than Astral Week, but I'm still not crazy about this album. It's good, but every song sounds the same. Mid 3.

Honnêtement oui c'est bien, mais j'y reviendrai probablement pas, next. Playlist pick : Moondance

Classic, classy, and a little boring Standouts: Into the Mystic

Nice background but a bit samey .

Good album

A solid 3 Music for a background of a evening there are different types of people. The artist is a dumbass so probably will not listen him again (maybe Moondance will be repeating sometimes) Fav song: Moondance

Good until it is not. His voice begins to grate after awhile.

Fine. A bit nasaly and whiney for me but overall it was just fine. 3/5

Leuk album

A classic example of liking one song while the rest are just completely ok

i don't think i've ever felt like the beginning of an album was so abrupt?? i don't know if it's just the version i listened to or what. i was quite back and forth with this one, literally from track to track. overall imo side B was a better listen. fav: moondance

Singer/Songwriter Folk and Soul go really well together, and the occasional horn section does womders to elevate the tracks. The singer doesn't have the most pleasant voice though, especially when he is dialing up the intensity.

Gostosinho, calmo, pacifico

Caravan bien

It's ok?

crazy love is a lovely song

Estuvo chido carnal.

"Into the Mystic" was pretty enjoyable but couldn't stand the title track. Very 70's blend of folk, rock, jazz, bluegrass, etc.

I thought it was not v memorable. Give me some beats man

Some songs were really cool.

Good but not amazing for my ears. I've never really understood the religious fervour of van Morrison fans. Kind of basic blues jazz folk, with a couple of good grooves and an interesting attitude

A very American and blues feel to this album. I'm not a big fan of the blues but it's quite enjoyable.

First song, it's okay nothing special. Pretty average, well-performed late 60s rock. Second song is really good. Jazzy and catchy, interesting instrumentation, good singing, nice lyrics. 3rd is nice, nothing special but quite sweet. 4, he's belting the song out for sure but does it need belting? 5, this one's nice, kind of chill I gave up doing a song by song. The album is pleasant enough but nothing amazing. I'm kind of bored by this album. It doesn't get any better, it kind of middles around in this jazzy, mellow, background noisey sort of place that refuses to connect with me. He sings with a soulfulness that the songs just don't have. The songs are just okay. They're not badly done, they're not bad songs, they just exist and I can see why people would like them, I'm just not convinced that this guy - who writes and creates these songs - is afforded such legendary status when everything he does is done better by so many other people.

Album #92: Moondance - Van Morrison Genre (W): R&B, soul, rock, jazz, pop, Irish folk Singles: Come Running, Crazy Love, Moondance I have listened to this album once before. Thoughts?: This album is better than Astral Weeks, but I still feel the arrangements are unremarkable and the songwriting works but it’s not memorable. Favorite songs: And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Caravan, Into the Mystic, Everyone

Fine

Mom loves Van Morrison and she used to play this album when I was a kid, so it has sentimental value. Pretty good orchestration and songwriting all round.

7/10

He sings with his tongue. 6/10

I’ve never been a fan of Van Morrison. That’s partly because I’m not really into blues music, and partly because I saw Van Morrison live once – it was the most bored and arrogant performance I’ve ever seen. A real grump. I can’t really get to grips with his landmark album ‘Astral Weeks’, but ‘Moondance’, with its late-sixties charm and that peculiar blend of folk-rock, R&B, soul and a touch of country – largely free of classic blues schemes – has a lovely patina that’s easy to appreciate, even if you can’t stand Van the Man.

I like the title track and this was pretty okay.

Not my regular go to artist, pleasant listening but not really my taste.

A nice listening experience for sure but didn't do much for me beyond that. It's feel-good music I'd sway my head to when ordering food at a cozy late-night bistro. Maybe it's because I'm so much younger than when this album first came out, so I can't fully appreciate it for what it is. I didn't grow up with this kind of early dad / grandpa rock, and relatively modern records are just more exciting to me.

Standard Van Morrison lp.

Stoned me + Moondance o Crazy love - Caravan o Into the Mystic + Come running - Dreams of you - Brand new day + Everyone o Tidings +

Enjoyable, will listen again

Not bad - not my thing but acceptable background music at a party

I'd give a man a handjob with one hand while doom scrolling with my other hand to this album I think