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Astral Weeks - Live At The Hollywood Bowl [CD]

Van Morrison Audio CD
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)

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Biography

One of music’s true originals Van Morrison’s unique and inspirational musical legacy is rooted in postwar Belfast.
Born in 1945 Van heard his Shipyard worker father’s collection of blues, country and gospel early in life.

Feeding off musical greats such as Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Muddy Waters, Mahalia Jackson and Leadbelly he was a travelling musician at 13 ... Read more in Amazon's Van Morrison Store

Visit Amazon's Van Morrison Store
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Product details

  • Audio CD (9 Feb 2009)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Format: CD
  • Label: EMI Music UK
  • ASIN: B001O0EHXG
  • Other Editions: Vinyl
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 28,802 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

1. Astral Weeks/I Believe I've Transcended
2. Beside You
3. Slim Slow Slider/I Start Breaking Down
4. Sweet Thing
5. The Way Young Lovers Do
6. Cyprus Avenue/You Came Walking Down
7. Ballerina/Move On Up
8. Madame George
9. Listen to the Lion/The Lion Speaks
10. Common One

Product Description

BBC Review

Recorded over two nights in 2008, this live reprisal of Van Morrison's most critically lauded album is one hell of a surprise. For a man whose truculence and seemingly inexorable down-shifting into some kind of pub blues/jazz act had made most of his long time fans despair that he'd anything really truly special left to offer, Astral Weeks Live is nothing short of miraculous. Wailing, emoting and yes, reinventing his mystical chronicle of a Belfast childhood, supported by a superb band (with whom he'd had just one full rehearsal); this is Van the Man in peak form.

Morrison's last album, Keep it Simple, certainly saw him lighten up and get in the groove in a way he hasn't done for aeons, but this is a quantum leap. Before accusations start flying of critics merely liking this because it harks back to his supposed 'glory years' of ther late 60s and early 70s, take note: this album succeeds because it steadfastly refuses to merely recreate that was, in its stream-of-consciousness-folk-jazz way, unrepeatable. The original running order has been altered, numbers like the opening title track, Slim Slow Slider or Cypress Avenue get extended codas where Van lets his muse take full flow, leading him back into those blissful, repeated exhortations that always made his live shows something of a religious experience. And make no mistake, this is deeply spiritual stuff. The weight of experience along with some kind of personal turning point seems to allow Van to let loose in a way that he hasn't done for years.

None of this would be as good without such an exemplary band. Most especially the Spanish jazz guitar of Jay Berliner, the guitarist on the original studio album. You spend the first two minutes noticing how Van's voice has coarsened and dropped a register or two, until suddenly the flutes, violin and kick in and you're gone along with Morrison. Mixed as to include the cries of pleasure from the lucky crowd it's also a fine production by the Man himself. And yes, that's a smile on his face on the cover. That should tell you all you need to know. --Chris Jones

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
66 of 71 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Van's 1968 revisited a triumph 6 Feb 2009
Format:Audio CD
So, you record an album in a couple of days when you're nothing more than a wet-behind-the-ears scallywag from Belfast. Paraphrasing Dylan, channeling Robert Johnson, Van had stuff bustin' from his head. It didn't match up with what he did with Them, there were no pop songs there, it was all a bit over the place and no one quite knew what to do with it. From the early 70s on, however, "Astral Weeks" began to appear on best of lists from here to there. Never a big seller, it has nonetheless become one of the touchstone albums of the past few decades. Morrison never revisited that type of sound in the studio, though he obviously still had a great love for the album. For whatever reason, because he found the sound in his head from 1968, because he doesn't own "Astral Weeks" (notice that it isn't included in the recent remastered album series), he took it out, gave it a shake, dusted it down, assembled a great band and took the whole thing to Hollywood. Though his voice doesn't have the range it did all those years ago it works a treat. This could have been a polished, clean and sharp performance; instead there's a real sense that Morrison is pushing the songs and the performers and, whisper it, enjoying the arse off himself. This could have been a disaster (the cover certainly is!) but it isn't; it's a powerful, moving, hugely enjoyable performance. The songs skip and skittle from Van and the band and there's a real sense of performance - this isn't an exhibition of a work of art from the past, it's a vital, dynamic revisiting of a weird, odd, moving and beguiling collection of songs. Van lobs in a couple of bonus tracks too - the fabulous Listen To The Lion and the much underrated Common One (which is essentially a vocal sparring match between him and Richie Buckley). A treat. Now, Van what the hell is going on with those teeth?
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars drive it 21 Aug 2009
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I listened to the album on my back way home from work, latish and as the sun was going down over the hills and fields. At first I was a bit sad as I couldn't hear the beautiful words as clearly as on the original and his voice was different, gravelley, slurred, but I began to like the orchestration and slowly I got into it. Well, the sun was setting and it was a warm night and I got to the quite fabulous version of Slim Slow Slider and I was there, on the night, in the audience mesmerised, hypnotised by the whole voice, viloin, guitar sliding magical mysterious thing. In a world of my own with the master and his music. And I couldn't stop driving I just went right past my door and on and on as it got dark the sun set and I drove til the music came to an end...and then I went home. That was quite an experience.
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68 of 76 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome back Van . I have been healed . 9 Feb 2009
Format:Audio CD
As the saying goes "back in a former life" I was a huge Van Morrison fan. It was fair to say that Van's music was my religion and that "I was healed on a daily basis". To "practice" the religion I had seen Van in concert, way over 50 times, and had bought or swapped as many bootleg albums. I had everything the man ever released commercially.

The religion stopped for me about a decade ago; I stopped being a major fan--I thought I would never see the day but it happened. Why? Well, painful as it was, I had to accept that the albums that Van was releasing were so beneath the great man's talents that it was sad to see and hear.

I could no longer support the man on his journey; a journey that had taken the shape of releasing an album a year for the sake of it. Each album was identical to the last - the music never changed, either did the voice .Even when he experimented with Skiffle and Country, well the end result was even sadder. So I stopped buying the albums and stopped going to concerts. I still practiced the religion but it was on a diet of previous albums ,former glories.

Today I was in my local record store and I saw this album. Considering that I believe that "Astral Weeks "is the greatest album ever released and "Sweet Thing" the greatest song I had to see if the religion could be re-ignited. Well the answer is a definitive yes. I have just finished listening to the CD and I have goose bumps on my skin and hairs are standing on the back on my neck. Van is back.

Musically, Van has reached heights here I did not believe were ever possible again. Sure his voice is no longer the same but he has got it to levels he hasn't got it to in twenty years. He has put together a band that are as good as the Caledonia Soul Orchestra were thirty odd years ago. Ritchie Buckley, Paul Moran, the string section, everyone, reach levels of musical brilliance to match the genius of Van.

This is the reworking of a masterpiece, different to the original but every bit as good . Is it better - that is impossible but I repeat it is as good . I can't pick highlights - the whole album is so superb. As you can read I am running out of superlatives.

As for the cover , I can only remember one other album cover that Van smiled and that was where a photographer tricked him and the record company released it much to Van's displeasure . In this case I would bet that the image was caught live during the performance and that Van gave his blessing to the photo to be used as an indication that he too was totally surprised to revisit, to be transcended back into the garden, all misty wet with rain, to be healed again. Or best perhaps to leave it to Van's words reproduced on the back insert " Get on the train....I believe I've transcended ....I do believe ....I've transcended...to be born again - I have transcended ....I've transcended .......I've transcended TIME."

Welcome back Van. I thought I would not live to see the day I got my religion back. I had hoped, never expected. A grateful fan.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars At last !
At last we can hear the whole "Astral weeks" album sung and played live by one of the greatest singer-songwriters ever . Read more
Published 3 months ago by Casanova Claude
5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't think that he had the interest or passion left to pull off...
If you wondered whether the Man would ever again enter the spiritual ether in live performance, then this is the revelatory proof.
Published 3 months ago by Keith Rowley
5.0 out of 5 stars What a classic
Astral Weeks remains a classic album - I have loads of Van the Man but always return to this one
Published 4 months ago by Crowshott
5.0 out of 5 stars A reminder of continuing greatness
The original Astral Weeks has to be heard to be believed. It is as concentrated a musical meditation as I've come across. Read more
Published 18 months ago by angus six
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic but not for newbies
This is a truly amazing album by a seasoned pro but in my opinion it's more for dedicated Van fans than anyone else. Read more
Published 20 months ago by pjdarcy
4.0 out of 5 stars Astral Weeks -Still alive!!
Van Morrison in common with other Northern Irish legends such as George Best, Alex Higgins etc peaked early. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Snowball
5.0 out of 5 stars Van the man
This is Van Morrison at his best, fantastic band, fantastic revisit of arguably his best work, and sung to day like he still means it, free flowing, deep, at times... Read more
Published on 2 April 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece
This is one of those albums you need to own. Despite other sonwriters who finish their careers covering their old classic versions, Van Morrison manages here to keep the spirit and... Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2010 by J. J. B. Abellan
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
I feel for the backing band who are amazing and it is to them I award the 2 stars. The vocal delivery is half-hearted at best and in the club singer style at worst. Read more
Published on 27 Nov 2009 by L. Harris
3.0 out of 5 stars Not one of Van's Best
I never bought the original Astral Weeks CD, so maybe I'm missing something. To me, this is the weakest Van Morrison offering in a long time. Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2009 by Stephen Garner
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