Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 10/25/1990
Run Time: 46:05
Astral Weeks is generally considered one of the best albums in
pop music history. For all that renown,
Astral Weeks is anything but an archetypal
rock & roll album: in fact, it isn't a
rock & roll album at all. Employing a mixture of
folk,
blues,
jazz, and
classical music,
Van Morrison spins out a series of extended ruminations on his Belfast upbringing, including the remarkable character
"Madame George" and the climactic epiphany experienced on
"Cyprus Avenue." Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar,
Morrison sings in his elastic, bluesy voice, accompanied by a
jazz rhythm section (
Jay Berliner, guitar,
Richard Davis, bass,
Connie Kay, drums), plus reeds (
John Payne) and vibes (
Warren Smith, Jr.), with a string quartet overdubbed. An emotional outpouring cast in delicate musical structures,
Astral Weeks has a unique musical power. Unlike any record before or since, it nevertheless encompasses the passion and tenderness that have always mixed in the best postwar popular music, easily justifying the critics' raves.
~William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
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