Deep Cuts, Issue #2: Astral Weeks

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks

Fun trivia fact: this is the first album that Van Morrison made on purpose. Most people don't know that the single cut of "Brown Eyed Girl" comes from what Morrison thought was a demo session in New York, the cuts from which were released as an album without his knowledge or permission. It was a lucky mistake, but he apparently would rather have been making things like this.

V.M. has called Astral Weeks "anti-pop and -rock," which it sort of is. The arrangements by Larry Fallon are certainly faux-classical enough, but V.M. can hardly excise either pop or rock from his singularly fine voice (which, it should be noted, tenants te front of the mix where it ought to except on "Sweet Thing," where, inexplicably, the hi-hat does; strings share the focus on the left division of the stereo mix. Weird).

A motif of the ghostly accompaniment is the sustenance of a single note over several measures and chord changes, suggestive of the eternal or of the solid. V.M.'s pretensions to grand themes are certainly legitimized by choices like this, at the very least in theory, and often decidedly in effect.

"Cypress Avenue" is a bassist's textbook on what to do when one finds oneself the focal accompanying instrument. Excellent work by Fallon and upright bassist Richard Davis.

V.M.'s ambition often drowns out the successes on the album with unfortunately bloated songs. It's as if he thought of every riff possible for each song, then included them all and insisted they remained on the finished product.

The rhythm guitar is out of tune on "Ballerina." With so much care taken elsewhere, why such an annoying, sloppy oversight?

"Slim Slow Slider" is the best and final track, evocative, haunting, and bleakly transcendent.

Gems: "Slim Slow Slider," "Cypress Avenue"