Album review: Astral Weeks

1.Astral Weeks 2.Beside You 3.Sweet Thing 4.Cyprus Avenue 5.The Way Young Lovers Do  6.Madame George 7.Ballerina 8.Slim Slow Slider

(Note: The review below was written over a year ago and it was not meant to be a part of this blog. I've written it as free-form text. Please be warned and forgive me its imperfections, but I don't want to rewrite it now. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy it.)

Astral Weeks  1968

Devastatingly beautiful. The album that made me write about music cause somehow I needed to let it out. It wasn’t possible to keep listening to this and not to express the way I was affected.

First, few things. I didn’t like it first time. Now when I turn it on I can’t stop wanting to cry. It is very addictive. It may be the very best musical work of art.

It can be described as something immaculately beautiful, but it fulfils your heart with kind of beauty witch is in fact sorrow and it is damn hard to deal with it. This mournful sound is provided as a result of experience that the author of all compositions had been going through at the time of recording. May it be the sound that forerun the end of hippie era? - I subconsciously believe in that, but as far as I know it wasn’t the intention of Van Morrison, the creator of this piece. The main and unjustly forgotten feature of this album is that it was one of the most personal musical works of art till the date, and perhaps that’s where lays its most influential aspect. This is the album that gave the popular music a confessional idea.

Let’s pass over the historical details. I once thought that true genius would never bore you and so it is with this album. In fact, it is hard to apply here any criticism, cause all the tracks are equally unsurpassed. There are not many of them, but the compositions are more than balanced - all perfect from start to finish (and I don’t write it to save my time and space). No, this is the example that you wish that the album was longer only because you know it is impossible. Don’t believe me, well then let me provide you description of all compositions.

First, the title one, differs from every one of the rest. Oh, I’ve forgotten to mention that this LP is a very diverse one, which is surprising due to the fact the album mainly applied to the subject of grief and fatal love. The titular composition is probably the greatest opener in rock music, it has no reference. The track begins as some country or folky ballad but in fact it has nothing to do with such kinds of music. When you happen to hear the violins and flutes all making sense, structuring a classical-psychedelic masterpiece, then you are home, in literal and illiteral meaning, cause this track is some kind of invitation to the dream.

The second song “Beside You” is a heavier sounding piece of work. It begins with beautiful acoustic solo but later transforms into the blues, of psychedelic type. This one may cause problems with getting into – I speak from my own experience – but it pays off when it happens to be found a masterpiece.

Next; “Sweet thing” couldn’t cause you any problems with liking it immediately. The melody is ingenious and arrangements, especially the vocals, are so impeccable that even for those who never felt anything sweet in their life comes the moment of bliss in their hearts.

The last song written for the first, entitled “In the Beginning”, side is called “Cyprus Avenue”. Well, this song demonstrates Van’s writing ability as unmatched by no other artist, maybe. It is simply disarming and ecstatic, but supposedly it's the lyrical genius that makes this song such a standout, possibly even in the ground  of such an album. I don’t know if it is somehow to be description of a sunset but the mood captured on melody of this track must be connected with some serious weather or physical change.

Second side “Afterwards”, is the one that captures whole depression and howling of pain, but not on its first track which may be the most romantic and catchy song ever written. “The way the young lovers do” is amazing beyond words and despite of being the shortest song on the record it captures the essence of love with the accent on enamourment completely. This is exemplary piece of song that after hearing it you will be wishing for more…

Secondly, on the side nr. 2 your ears will be able to hear another story placed at the area of Cyprus Avenue but this time the subject of work is directly speaking a woman, title “Madame George". This one steps out of the limit of song, even more emotionally than technically, though here we get in touch with something definitely mystical and it’s really uneasy to state sth about it without completely embarrassing yourself. That's why, I claim that to me this beautiful ode is derived from nostalgic, innocent spell that can be known only by young man who hopelessly has fallen in love with an older women and starts to behave dizzy and unreasonably. Silly me? - I don’t know, but swear to God that’s what this song is about. Aw, and the melody – one of the most beautiful, ecstatic and enduring compositions – is that all? By far no! – the way the violins enter the section, after Van the Man begins The humming and cymbals are moved in… is the moment which must change your way of musical consciousness forever. What made me shiver, was the fact that in this composition there is completely no need of rush or even of tempo, and this melody could and in fact lasts forever. Still, this isn’t all. After you will become familiar with this piece and know it note by note like me, you will notice that still! you need to play this song over and over again. So what I claim is this song addicts. But, last not the least, it addicts the way only highest work of beauty could, so I highly recommend you this kind of addiction.

What I think of myself is that I’m very unprofessional reviewer, who till this point haven’t presented all men responsible for this incredible sound. Richard Davis, bassist who was creating most acute of bass playing right on this album, and other unjustly forgotten artists , Connie Kay, and Warren Smith, who provided excellent rhythm section playing drums and percussion. The other one, who has marked his sound on Astral Weeks recording tape, was Jay Berliner the guitarist. The album was produced by Lewis Merenstein and it took  three weeks and three sessions to record this album, which was released in less than three months from the beginning of recording.

Now to the final songs. “Ballerina”, the one, the most beautiful, ultimately resonant. Few other songs are able to make such an impression. That’s because this song is meant to impress. The arrangement, in which this song, directly proceeds “Madame George” is substantial. This is the only way to make you feel good after being so drugged. Ballerina prevents from slide… but for a while. It is ultimately beautiful chanson to female but without sexual context, it transcends the matter by evoking ideal beauty. Commentator is helpless, this song is topical and irresistible. Within the composition the impossible becomes possible when a process completes itself. In addition this song is insanely memorable, something you wouldn’t expect from seven minute tune, and announces the death.

Album ends with “Slim Slow Slider” containing one of the most original use of flute in music history. This song doesn’t concern the death, it is the aftermath of mentioned phenomenon, presented in slow motion. It really doesn’t matter if death has come or has to come It is the grief fulfilling in its eternity.  The song is the shortest but seem to be longest on the record. The melody is intoxicating cause it intentionally turns you back on earth. It was a beautiful dream.

Do yourself a favour and buy this record remastered.