Misplaced Pages

#180819

133-552: Moondance is the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison . It was released on 27 January 1970 by Warner Bros. Records . After the commercial failure of his first Warner Bros. album Astral Weeks (1968), Morrison moved to upstate New York with his wife and began writing songs for Moondance . There, he met the musicians that would record the album with him at New York City's A & R Studios in August and September 1969. The album found Morrison abandoning

266-506: A Rolling Stone review as: "rebirth ( Into the Music ), deep contemplation and meditation ( Common One ); ecstasy and humility ( Beautiful Vision ); and blissful, mantra like languor ( Inarticulate Speech of the Heart )." The single " Tore Down a la Rimbaud " was a reference to Rimbaud and an earlier bout of writer's block that Morrison had encountered in 1974. In 1985, Morrison also wrote

399-500: A $ 20,000 cash transaction that took place in an abandoned warehouse on Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. A clause required Morrison to submit 36 original songs within a year to Berns' music publishing company. He recorded them in one session on an out-of-tune guitar, with lyrics about subjects including ringworm and sandwiches. Ilene Berns thought the songs were "nonsense" and did not use them. The throwaway compositions came to be known as

532-532: A 2008 Rolling Stone review, Andy Greene writes that when released in late 1974: "it was greeted by a collective shrug by the rock critical establishment" and concludes: "He's released many wonderful albums since, but he's never again hit the majestic heights of this one." " You Don't Pull No Punches, but You Don't Push the River ", one of the album's side closers, exemplifies the long, hypnotic, cryptic Morrison with its references to visionary poet William Blake and to

665-661: A collection of traditional Irish folk songs recorded with the Irish group the Chieftains , which reached number 18 in the UK album charts. The title song, " Irish Heartbeat ", was originally recorded on his 1983 album Inarticulate Speech of the Heart . The 1989 album, Avalon Sunset , which featured the hit duet with Cliff Richard " Whenever God Shines His Light " and the ballad " Have I Told You Lately " (on which "earthly love transmutes into that for God" ( Hinton )), reached 13 on

798-568: A consciousness that is visionary in the strongest sense of the word." "That was the type of band I dig," Morrison said of the Moondance sessions. "Two horns and a rhythm section—they're the type of bands that I like best." He produced the album himself as he felt like nobody else knew what he wanted. Moondance was listed at number sixty-five on the Rolling Stone magazine's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . In March 2007, Moondance

931-425: A decline in the critical reception to his work. The decade began with the release of The Best of Van Morrison ; compiled by Morrison himself, the album was focused on his hit singles, and became a multi-platinum success remaining a year and a half on the UK charts. AllMusic determined it to be "far and away the best-selling album of his career." In 1991 he wrote and produced four songs for Tom Jones released on

1064-555: A guru is, I don't have a teacher either. After releasing the "No Guru" album, Morrison's music appeared less gritty and more adult contemporary with the well-received 1987 album, Poetic Champions Compose , considered to be one of his recording highlights of the 1980s. The romantic ballad from this album, " Someone Like You ", has been featured subsequently in the soundtracks of several movies, including 1995's French Kiss , and in 2001, both Someone Like You and Bridget Jones's Diary . In 1988, he released Irish Heartbeat ,

1197-606: A hamlet in upstate New York with an artistic community. According to Planet, he was influenced by Bob Dylan , who had just moved out of town when Morrison arrived. "Van fully intended to become Dylan's best friend", Planet recalled. "Every time we'd drive past Dylan's house ... Van would just stare wistfully out the window at the gravel road leading to Dylan's place. He thought Dylan was the only contemporary worthy of his attention." Morrison began writing songs for Moondance in July 1969. Because of Astral Weeks ' s poor sales figures,

1330-476: A member of a working-class community, he was expected to get a regular full-time job, so after several short apprenticeship positions, he settled into a job as a window cleaner —later alluded to in his songs " Cleaning Windows " and " Saint Dominic's Preview ". However, he had been developing his musical interests from an early age and continued playing with the Monarchs part-time. Young Morrison also played with

1463-597: A more commercial entry, still rich with the soul-folk nuances of this sensitive Irish song surrealist". Moondance reached the top 30 of the American albums chart and the top 40 of the British chart in 1970, while establishing Morrison as a young, commercially successful, and artistically independent singer-songwriter with great promise. Its eclectic, lushly arranged style of music proved more accessible to listeners and translatable for live audiences, leading Morrison to form

SECTION 10

#1732787061181

1596-665: A night. While in Germany, the band recorded a single, "Boozoo Hully Gully"/"Twingy Baby", under the name Georgie and the Monarchs. This was Morrison's first recording, taking place in November 1963 at Ariola Studios in Cologne with Morrison on saxophone; it made the lower reaches of the German charts. Upon returning to Belfast in November 1963, the group disbanded, so Morrison connected with Geordie Sproule again and played with him in

1729-405: A partner at JAC. The "A" and "R" initials were derived from their surnames. But also, Arnold and Ramone relished the idea that their initials and company name matched the industry acronym for " artist and repertoire ," an important avocation in the recording industry. Jack Arnold ended his association with A & R Recording shortly after co-founding it, due to health issues. The original studio

1862-493: A passing train—against "which human life and death play out their little games", and in which the narrator's and his lover's dream will not end "while knowing of course it will". According to the writer, " These Dreams of You " manages to be simultaneously accusatory and reassuring. The lyrics cover such dream sequences as Ray Charles being shot down, paying dues in Canada, and "his angel from above" cheating while playing cards in

1995-544: A prolific career engineering some of the 1970s' most popular recording artists. In summarising the album's legacy, Ryan H. Walsh wrote in Pitchfork : The album would solidify Van Morrison as an FM radio mainstay, act as a midwife for the burgeoning genre of ' soft rock ,' and help usher in the '70s in America, where the beautiful hippie couples of the late '60s would soundtrack their developing newfound domestic comfort with

2128-426: A quality of intensity in that wail which really hooks your mind, carries you along with his voice as it rises and falls in long, soaring lines." After the commercial failure of Astral Weeks , Moondance was seen by music journalists as a record that redeemed Morrison. Billboard magazine predicted it would reach rock and folk audiences while rectifying music buyers' oversight of the singer's previous record "with

2261-817: A rock standard covered by Patti Smith , the Doors , the Shadows of Knight , Jimi Hendrix and many others. Building on the success of their singles in the United States, and riding on the back of the British Invasion , Them undertook a two-month tour of America in May and June 1966 that included a residency from 30 May to 18 June at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. The Doors were the supporting act on

2394-653: A rural setting with a county fair and mountain stream. Morrison said he based it on a quasi-mystical experience he had as a 12-year-old fishing in the Comber village of Ballystockart, where he once asked for water from an old man who said he had retrieved it from a stream. "We drank some and everything seemed to stop for me", the singer recalled, adding that it induced a momentary feeling of quietude in him. According to Hinton, these childhood images foreshadowed both spiritual redemption and—in Morrison's reference to " jellyroll " in

2527-464: A school concert. Then, when he heard Jimmy Giuffre playing saxophone on "The Train and The River", he talked his father into buying him a tenor saxophone , and took saxophone and music reading lessons from jazz musician George Cassidy , who Morrison saw as a "big inspiration", and they became friends, he also grew up with him on Hyndford Street. Now playing the saxophone, Morrison joined with various local bands, including one called Deanie Sands and

2660-563: A schoolboy, was the piano player and keyboardist. Morrison played saxophone and harmonica and shared vocals with Billy Harrison. They followed Eric Wrixon's suggestion for a new name, and the Gamblers morphed into Them , their name taken from the horror movie Them! The band's R&B performances at the Maritime attracted attention. Them performed without a routine and Morrison ad libbed , creating his songs live as he performed. While

2793-412: A sizeable pimple the singer had on his forehead the day of the shoot. Planet wrote the album's liner notes , drawing on the style of fairy tales in narrating Morrison's story; the notes began, "Once upon a time, there lived a very young man who was, as they say, gifted". According to Planet, Warner Bros. encouraged her to help promote him, believing "that my image, precisely because it was so enigmatic,

SECTION 20

#1732787061181

2926-549: A teenager in the late 1950s, playing a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands , covering the popular hits of that time. Known as "Van the Man" to his fans, Morrison rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Belfast R&;B band Them , with whom he wrote and recorded " Gloria ", which became a garage band staple. His solo career started under

3059-424: A total of sixteen weeks on the chart. It is considered to be Morrison's signature song . An evaluation in 2015 of downloads since 2004 and airplay since 2010 had "Brown Eyed Girl" as the most popular song of the entire 1960s decade. In 2000, it was listed at No. 21 on the Rolling Stone /MTV list of 100 Greatest Pop Songs and as No. 49 on VH1 's list of the 100 Greatest Rock Songs. In 2010, "Brown Eyed Girl"

3192-489: A tour with Linda Gail Lewis promoting their collaboration You Win Again , Lewis left the tour, later filing claims against Morrison for unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination. Both claims were later withdrawn, and Morrison's solicitor said, "(Mr Morrison's) pleased that these claims have finally been withdrawn. He accepted a full apology and comprehensive retraction which represents a complete vindication of his stance from

3325-604: A year. His accolades , include two Grammy Awards , the 1994 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, the 2017 Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting and he has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame . In 2016, he was knighted for services to the music industry and to tourism in Northern Ireland. Morrison began performing as

3458-419: Is Van Morrison's 6th Symphony ; like Beethoven 's equivalent, it's fixated on the power of nature, but rather than merely sitting in awe, it finds spirituality and redemption in the most basic of things. —Nick Butler, Sputnikmusic Morrison's lyrics on Moondance deal with themes of spiritual renewal and redemption. It departed from Astral Weeks ' discursive, stream-of-consciousness narratives as

3591-530: Is a brilliant, catchy, poetic, and completely successful LP." Greil Marcus and Lester Bangs jointly reviewed the album in Rolling Stone , hailing it as a work of "musical invention and lyrical confidence; the strong moods of 'Into the Mystic' and the fine, epic brilliance of 'Caravan' will carry it past many good records we'll forget in the next few years." Fellow Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau found

3724-414: Is a rock musician singing jazz, not a jazz singer, though the music itself has a jazz swing", Hinton remarked. " Crazy Love " was recorded with Morrison's voice so close to the microphone that it captured the click of Morrison's tongue hitting the roof of his mouth as he sang. He sings in falsetto , producing what Hinton felt was a sense of intense intimacy, backed by a female chorus. " Caravan " and " Into

3857-522: Is featured on the soundtrack of the movie, Michael . With his next album, the new decade found Morrison following his muse into uncharted territory and sometimes merciless reviews. In February 1980, Morrison and a group of musicians travelled to Super Bear, a studio in the French Alps , to record (on the site of a former abbey ) what is considered to be the most controversial album in his discography; later "Morrison admitted his original concept

3990-484: Is thought to allude to his dealings with the New York music business during this period. He moved to Boston , Massachusetts, and faced personal and financial problems; he had "slipped into a malaise" and had trouble finding concert bookings. He regained his professional footing through the few gigs he could find, and started recording with Warner Bros. Records . Warner Bros bought out Morrison's Bang contract with

4123-529: The African-American music that inspired him, "mortal and immortal simultaneously: this is a man who gets stoned on a drink of water and urges us to turn up our radios all the way into the mystic." His "giddy" preoccupation with "natural wonder" on the album was a product of the new approach to composition and the mellow feel of his new band, Harrington said. In his opinion, the record's exuberant spirit and theme of self-affirmation were partly inspired by

Moondance - Misplaced Pages Continue

4256-532: The Carrying A Torch album and performed a duet with Bob Dylan on BBC Arena special. The 1994 live double album A Night in San Francisco received favourable reviews as well as commercial success by reaching number eight on the UK charts. 1995's Days Like This also had large sales—though the critical reviews were not always favourable. This period also saw a number of side projects, including

4389-537: The Woodstock music festival in August attracted an influx of people to the area. Morrison began recording sessions for Moondance at Century Sound in New York, accompanied by most of the musicians from Astral Weeks and its engineer Brooks Arthur. Lewis Merenstein — Moondance ' s executive producer—had brought in Astral Weeks session musicians Richard Davis , Jay Berliner , and Warren Smith, Jr. for

4522-602: The harmony underneath on soprano saxophone . Although Morrison says the song is just a song of hope, Hinton says its lyrics suggest a more troubled meaning, as 1969 was the year in which The Troubles broke out in Belfast. The final track, "Glad Tidings", has a bouncy beat but the lyrics, like "Into the Mystic", remain largely impenetrable, according to Hinton. In his opinion, "the opening line and closing line, 'and they'll lay you down low and easy', could be either about murder or an act of love." In Hage's opinion, "'Glad Tidings'

4655-408: The "revenge" songs, and did not see official release until the 2017 compilation The Authorized Bang Collection . Morrison's first album for Warner Bros Records was Astral Weeks (which he had already performed in several clubs around Boston), a mystical song cycle , often considered to be his best work and one of the best albums of all time. Morrison has said, "When Astral Weeks came out, I

4788-486: The 11th best Irish album of all time. A deluxe edition of Moondance was released by Warner Bros. on 22 October 2013. It featured a newly remastered version of the original record, three CDs of previously unreleased music from the recording sessions, and a Blu-ray disc with high-resolution audio of the original album. The packaging included a linen-wrapped folio and a booklet with liner notes written by Scheiner and music journalist Alan Light . Select alternate takes from

4921-582: The 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK top 40, as well as internationally, including in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. He has scored top ten albums in the UK in four consecutive decades, following the success of 2021's Latest Record Project, Volume 1 . Eighteen of his albums have reached the top 40 in the United States, twelve of them between 1997 and 2017. Since turning 70 in 2015, he has released – on average – more than an album

5054-578: The 1970s with a series of acclaimed albums and live performances. Much of Morrison's music is structured around the conventions of soul music and early rhythm and blues . An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz and stream of consciousness narrative, of which Astral Weeks is a prime example. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic soul", and his music has been described as attaining "a kind of violent transcendence". George Ivan Morrison

5187-463: The 1995 Mojo list of 100 Best Albums, it was listed as number two and was number nineteen on the Rolling Stone magazine's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003. In December 2009, it was voted the top Irish album of all time by a poll of leading Irish musicians conducted by Hot Press magazine. Morrison's third solo album, Moondance , which was released in 1970, became his first million selling album and reached number twenty-nine on

5320-400: The 25th Annual Grammy Awards . Much of the music Morrison released throughout the 1980s continued to focus on the themes of spirituality and faith. His 1983 album, Inarticulate Speech of the Heart , was "a move towards creating music for meditation" with synthesisers, uilleann pipes and flute sounds, and four of the tracks were instrumentals. The titling of the album and the presence of

5453-516: The Billboard charts. The style of Moondance stood in contrast to that of Astral Weeks . Whereas Astral Weeks had a sorrowful and vulnerable tone, Moondance restored a more optimistic and cheerful message to his music, which abandoned the previous record's abstract folk compositions in favour of more formally composed songs and a lively rhythm and blues style he expanded on throughout his career. The title track, although not released in

Moondance - Misplaced Pages Continue

5586-528: The Caledonia Soul Orchestra , a large ensemble of musicians with whom he would find his greatest concert success. According to Harrington, Moondance was very successful with hippie couples who were "settling into complacent domesticity" at the time. In Hage's opinion, its success lent Morrison a rising cultural iconicity and presence in the burgeoning singer-songwriter movement of the early 1970s, first indicated by his front cover feature on

5719-762: The Harry Mack Showband, the Great Eight, with his older workplace friend, Geordie (G. D.) Sproule, whom he later named as one of his biggest influences. At age 17, Morrison toured Europe for the first time with the Monarchs, now calling themselves the International Monarchs. This Irish showband , with Morrison playing saxophone, guitar and harmonica, in addition to back-up duty on bass and drums, toured seamy clubs and US Army bases in Scotland, England and Germany, often playing five sets

5852-594: The Healing Has Begun", and "It's All in the Game/You Know What They're Writing About" are a veritable tour-de-force with Morrison summoning every vocal trick at his disposal from Angelou's climactic shouts to the sexually-charged, half-mumbled monologue in "And the Healing Has Begun" to the barely audible whisper that is the album's final sound. --Scott Thomas Review The following year, Morrison released Wavelength ; it became at that time

5985-464: The Javelins, with whom he played guitar and shared singing. The line-up of the band was lead vocalist Deanie Sands, guitarist George Jones , and drummer and vocalist Roy Kane. Later the four main musicians of the Javelins, with the addition of Wesley Black as pianist, became known as the Monarchs. Morrison attended Orangefield Boys Secondary School , leaving in July 1960 with no qualifications. As

6118-411: The July 1970 issue of Rolling Stone . In artistic and commercial terms, Moondance would "practically define [Morrison] in the public consciousness for decades to follow", according to Hage. It made the singer a popular radio presence in the 1970s, as several of its songs became FM airplay staples, including "Caravan", "Into the Mystic", the title track, and "Come Running", which was a top 40 hit in

6251-640: The Manhattan Showband along with guitarist Herbie Armstrong. When Armstrong auditioned to play with Brian Rossi and the Golden Eagles, later known as the Wheels , Morrison went along and was hired as a blues singer. The roots of Them, the band that first broke Morrison on the international scene, came in April 1964 when he responded to an advert for musicians to play at a new R&B club at

6384-545: The Maritime Hotel in College Square North ;– an old Belfast hostel frequented by sailors. The new club needed a band for its opening night. Morrison had left the Golden Eagles (the group with which he had been performing at the time), so he created a new band out of the Gamblers, an East Belfast group formed by Ronnie Millings, Billy Harrison and Alan Henderson in 1962. Eric Wrixon, still

6517-479: The Mystic " were cited by Harrington as examples of Morrison's interest in "the mystifying powers of the music itself" throughout Moondance . The former song thematises music radio and gypsy life—which fascinated the singer—as symbols of harmony. Harrington called it an ode to "the transcendent powers of rock 'n' roll and the spontaneous pleasures of listening to a great radio station", while biographer Erik Hage regarded it as "a joyful celebration of communal spirit,

6650-408: The UK album chart. Although considered to be a deeply spiritual album, it also contained "Daring Night", which "deals with full, blazing sex, whatever its churchy organ and gentle lilt suggest"(Hinton). Morrison's familiar themes of "God, woman, his childhood in Belfast and those enchanted moments when time stands still" were prominent in the songs. He can be heard calling out the change of tempo at

6783-616: The US as a single until 1977, received heavy play in FM radio formats. " Into the Mystic " has also gained a wide following over the years. " Come Running ", which reached the American Top 40 , rescued Morrison from what seemed then as Hot 100 obscurity. Moondance was both well received and favourably reviewed. Lester Bangs and Greil Marcus had a combined full-page review in Rolling Stone , saying Morrison now had "the striking imagination of

SECTION 50

#1732787061181

6916-425: The US since 1978's Wavelength . Van Morrison continued to record and tour in the 2000s, often performing two or three times a week. He formed his own independent label, Exile Productions Ltd, which enables him to maintain full production control of each album he records, which he then delivers as a finished product to the recording label that he chooses, for marketing and distribution. In 2001, nine months into

7049-450: The US. Some songs from the album became hits for other recording artists, such as Johnny Rivers ' 1970 cover of "Into the Mystic" and the 1971 "Crazy Love" recording by Helen Reddy . Moondance was also a precursor to the decade's adult-oriented rock radio format—typified by the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young , James Taylor , and Paul McCartney —and the first hit album for mixing engineer Elliot Scheiner , who went on to have

7182-467: The abstract folk jazz compositions of Astral Weeks in favour of more formally composed songs, which he wrote and produced entirely himself. Its lively rhythm and blues / rock music was the style he would become most known for in his career. The music incorporated soul , jazz , pop , and Irish folk sounds into songs about finding spiritual renewal and redemption in worldly matters such as nature, music, romantic love, and self-affirmation. Moondance

7315-425: The abstract folk compositions of Astral Weeks in favour of rhythm and blues sounds, formally composed songs, and more distinct arrangements that included a horn section and chorus of singers as an accompaniment . The album found Morrison using more traditional melodic figures , which VH1 editor Joe S. Harrington said lent the songs a "rustic and earthy" quality. In Robert Christgau 's opinion, Moondance showed

7448-556: The age of twelve, Morrison formed his first band, a skiffle group, "The Sputniks", named after the satellite, Sputnik 1 , that had been launched in October of that year by the Soviet Union . In 1958, the band played at some of the local cinemas, and Morrison took the lead, contributing most of the singing and arranging. Other short-lived groups followed – at 14, he formed Midnight Special, another modified skiffle band and played at

7581-469: The album Blowin' Your Mind! without Morrison's consultation. He said he only became aware of the album's release when a friend mentioned that he had bought a copy. Morrison was unhappy with the album and said he "had a different concept of it". " Brown Eyed Girl ", one of the songs from Blowin' Your Mind! , was released as a single in mid-June 1967, reaching number ten in the US charts. "Brown Eyed Girl" became Morrison's most-played song. The song spent

7714-460: The album's recording. Without any musical charts , he received help with developing the music from Labes, Schroer, and flautist/saxophonist Collin Tilton. "That was the type of band I dig", the singer recalled. "Two horns and a rhythm section – they're the type of bands that I like best." According to biographer Ritchie Yorke , all of the "tasteful frills" were generated spontaneously and developed at

7847-503: The album, " Vanlose Stairway ", "She Gives Me Religion", and the instrumental, " Scandinavia " show the presence of a new personal muse in his life: a Danish public relations agent, who would share Morrison's spiritual interests and serve as a steadying influence on him throughout most of the 1980s. "Scandinavia", with Morrison on piano, was nominated in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance category for

7980-463: The band did covers, they also played some of Morrison's early songs, such as "Could You Would You", which he had written in Camden Town while touring with the Manhattan Showband. The debut of Morrison's "Gloria" took place on stage here. Sometimes, depending on his mood, the song could last up to twenty minutes. Morrison has said, "Them lived and died on the stage at the Maritime Hotel", believing

8113-491: The band did not manage to capture the spontaneity and energy of their live performances on their records. The statement also reflected the instability of the Them line-up, with numerous members passing through the ranks after the definitive Maritime period. Morrison and Henderson remained the only constants, and a less successful version of Them soldiered on after Morrison's departure. Dick Rowe of Decca Records became aware of

SECTION 60

#1732787061181

8246-537: The band's performances and signed Them to a standard two-year contract. In that period, they released two albums and ten singles, with two more singles released after Morrison departed the band. They had three chart hits, " Baby, Please Don't Go " (1964), " Here Comes the Night " (1965), and " Mystic Eyes " (1965), but it was the B-side of "Baby, Please Don't Go", the garage band classic " Gloria ", that went on to become

8379-1124: The basement. 322 West 48th Street is currently the home of American Federation of Musicians Local 802, the New York City musicians' union and the Jazz Foundation of America . In February 1970, A & R Recording launched A & R Records, a company that produced albums of artists that included Paul Simon , Burt Bacharach , Billy Joel , Dionne Warwick , Karen Kamon , Engelbert Humperdinck , George Barnes , Gloria Estefan , Bucky Pizzarelli , Barry Manilow , Laura Branigan , England Dan & John Ford Coley , Tito Puente , Petula Clark , k.d. lang and many more. In 1970, A & R Recording formalized two partnerships to build two satellite studios, one with Brooks Arthur (né Arnold Brodsky; born 1936) in Blauvelt, New York , and one with Norman (Norm) Fuller Vincent (1930–2014) in Jacksonville, Florida . The partnership with Arthur

8512-478: The chorus—sexual pleasure. AllMusic's Tom Maginnis argued that the singer was instead likening the experience to the first time hearing jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton . The largely acoustic title track " Moondance " featured piano, guitar, saxophone, electric bass, and a flute over-dub backing Morrison, who sang of an adult romance set in Autumn and imitated a saxophone with his voice near the song's conclusion. "This

8645-531: The dark, slapping him in the face, ignoring his cries, and walking out on him. Morrison said he was inspired to write " Brand New Day " after hearing the Band on the radio playing either " The Weight " or " I Shall Be Released ": "I looked up at the sky and the sun started to shine and all of a sudden the song just came through my head. I started to write it down, right from 'When all the dark clouds roll away'." Yorke quoted Morrison as saying in 1973 that "Brand New Day"

8778-445: The deluxe edition were later compiled, along with previously unreleased mixes of "And It Stoned Me" and "Crazy Love", for The Alternative Moondance , an album conceived as an alternate version of the original record and released exclusively in vinyl format for Record Store Day in April 2018. The 2013 deluxe reissue was met with widespread critical acclaim; Record Collector called it an aural "marvel", while The Independent said

8911-552: The disco era, there was Media Recording, Hit Factory, Sony, and A&R Recording had two buildings. And last but certainly not least, Record Plant Recording studios @ 321 W. 44th Street, with four studios, duplication room, two mobile recording trucks, and the master cutting room, and the Record Plant Shop. In 1972, management of A & R included Robert Gerics (general manager & studio manager), Nick Diminno (studio manager), and Irving Joel (chief engineer). The studio

9044-415: The end of this song, repeating the numbers "1–4" to cue the chord changes (the first and fourth chord in the key of the music). He often completed albums in two days, frequently releasing first takes. The early to middle 1990s were commercially successful for Morrison with three albums reaching the top five of the UK charts, sold-out concerts, and a more visible public profile; but this period also marked

9177-575: The equipment. In October 1967, A & R purchased Columbia's Studio A on the seventh floor at 799 7th Avenue at 52nd Street and leased the space, which consisted of about 10,000 square feet (929.0304 m ) Columbia had owned the studio since 1939. The building was demolished in 1983 to make way for Equitable Center West at 787 7th Avenue, currently the BNP Paribas Building. Toronto-born Donald C. Hahn ( né Donald Clarence Hahn; 1939–2020), who had been with A & R since 1961,

9310-431: The fastest-selling album of his career and soon went gold. The title track became a modest hit, peaking at number forty-two. Making use of 1970s synthesisers, it mimics the sounds of the shortwave radio stations he listened to in his youth. The opening track, "Kingdom Hall"—the name given by Jehovah's Witnesses to their places of worship —evoked Morrison's childhood experiences of religion with his mother, and foretold

9443-487: The final night, the two Morrisons and the two bands jammed together on "Gloria". Toward the end of the tour the band members became involved in a dispute with their manager, Decca Records' Phil Solomon , over the revenues paid to them; that, coupled with the expiry of their work visas, meant the band returned from America dejected. After two more concerts in Ireland, Them split up. Morrison concentrated on writing some of

9576-518: The first session, but Morrison—according to Platania—"sort of manipulated the situation" and "got rid of them all. For some reason he didn't want those musicians." In place of these jazz-influenced musicians were a horn section and chorus enlisted by Morrison, who Merenstein recalled had grown more confident, outspoken, and independent of the producer. Around this time, the singer made it known to Warner Bros. that he would lead production duties for all his future recordings, which forced producers recruited by

9709-450: The guitarist. In The Rolling Stone Album Guide (1992), Paul Evans observed upbeat soul music , elements of jazz , and ballads on what he considered a "horn-driven, bass-heavy" record. Rob Sheffield said it debuted the musical style Morrison would become known for—a "mellow, piano-based" fusion of jazz, pop, and Irish folk styles. More structured and direct than its predecessor, [ Moondance ] somehow feels just as loose and free. This

9842-511: The gypsy imagery of "Caravan", while working on several other interpretive levels. Its images of setting sail and water in particular represented "a means of magical transformation" for the writer, comparable to Alfred Lord Tennyson 's poems of leave-taking such as " Crossing the Bar ", which had "the same sense of crossing over, both to another land and into death". The lyrics also deal with "the mystical union of good sex", and an act of love Hinton said

9975-591: The hit single " Domino ", which charted at number nine in the Billboard Hot 100 . In 1971, he released another well-received album, Tupelo Honey . This album produced the hit single " Wild Night " that was later covered by John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello . The title song has a notably country-soul feel about it and the album ended with another country tune, " Moonshine Whiskey ". Morrison said he originally intended to make an all-country album. The recordings were as live as possible—after rehearsing

10108-424: The inspiration that got me going. If it wasn't for that kind of music, I couldn't do what I'm doing now." His father's record collection exposed him to various musical genres, such as the blues of Muddy Waters ; the gospel of Mahalia Jackson ; the jazz of Charlie Parker ; the folk music of Woody Guthrie ; and country music from Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers , while the first record he ever bought

10241-449: The instrumentals were noted to be indicative of Morrison's long-held belief that "it's not the words one uses but the force of conviction behind those words that matters." During this period of time, Morrison had studied Scientology and gave "Special Thanks" to L. Ron Hubbard on the album's credits. A Sense of Wonder , Morrison's 1985 album, pulled together the spiritual themes contained in his last four albums, which were defined in

10374-476: The label into assisting roles. It also led to frequent enlisting and dismissal of musicians to meet Morrison's creative vision. Morrison went on to record Moondance at the Studio A penthouse of A & R Studios in New York from August to September 1969. He entered A & R Studios with only the basic song structures written down and the songs' arrangements in his memory, developing the compositions throughout

10507-472: The last week, and Morrison's influence on the Doors singer Jim Morrison was noted by John Densmore in his book Riders on the Storm . Brian Hinton relates how "Jim Morrison learned quickly from his near namesake's stagecraft, his apparent recklessness, his air of subdued menace, the way he would improvise poetry to a rock beat, even his habit of crouching down by the bass drum during instrumental breaks." On

10640-454: The live jazz performances of 1996's How Long Has This Been Going On , from the same year Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison , and 2000's The Skiffle Sessions – Live in Belfast 1998 , all of which found Morrison paying tribute to his early musical influences. In 1997, Morrison released The Healing Game . The album received mixed reviews, with the lyrics being described as "tired" and "dull", though critic Greil Marcus praised

10773-585: The more daring, adventurous, and meditative aspects of Astral Weeks . The combination of two styles of music demonstrated a versatility not previously found in his earlier albums. Two songs, " Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile) " and " Redwood Tree ", reached the Hot 100 singles chart. The songs " Listen to the Lion " and " Almost Independence Day " are each over ten minutes long and employ

10906-464: The music of radio, and romantic love". "Into the Mystic" reconciles Moondance ' s R&B style with the more orchestrated folk music of Astral Weeks , along with what Evans described as "the complementary sides of Morrison's psyche". Harrington believed it explores "the intricate balance between life's natural wonder and the cosmic harmony of the universe". Hinton said the song evoked a sense of "visionary stillness" shared with "And It Stoned Me" and

11039-489: The musical complexity of the album by saying: "It carries the listener into a musical home so perfect and complete he or she might have forgotten that music could call up such a place, and then populate it with people, acts, wishes, fears." The following year, Morrison finally released some of his previously unissued studio recordings in a two-disc set, The Philosopher's Stone . His next release, 1999's Back on Top , achieved modest success, being his highest-charting album in

11172-438: The musical score for the movie Lamb starring Liam Neeson . Morrison's 1986 release, No Guru, No Method, No Teacher , was said to contain a "genuine holiness ... and musical freshness that needs to be set in context to understand." Critical response was favourable with a Sounds reviewer calling the album "his most intriguingly involved since Astral Weeks " and "Morrison at his most mystical, magical best." It contains

11305-568: The original release, Moondance has been frequently ranked as one of the greatest albums ever. In 1978, it was voted the 22nd best album of all time in Paul Gambaccini 's poll of 50 prominent American and English rock critics. Christgau, one of the critics polled, named it the 7th best album of the 1970s in The Village Voice the following year. In a retrospective review, Nick Butler from Sputnikmusic considered Moondance to be

11438-403: The other half. They sold it in 1978 and the corporation—914 Sound Recording Studios, Inc.—dissolved in 1982. The partnership with Norman Vincent, et al. was named "Vincent SRS" and was located in Jacksonville, Florida , and opened November 1970. Vincent was the operator. A & R Recording closed in 1989. Artists produced by Ramone include In a 10-block area of midtown Manhattan during

11571-500: The outset. Miss Lewis has given a full and categorical apology and retraction to Mr Morrison." Lewis' legal representative Christine Thompson said both parties had agreed to the terms of the settlement. The album Down the Road , released in May 2002, received a good critical reception and proved to be his highest-charting album in the US since 1972's Saint Dominic's Preview . It had a nostalgic tone, with its fifteen tracks representing

11704-496: The part of the 'mystic poet' he thinks he's supposed to be." Morrison insisted the album was never "meant to be a commercial album." Biographer Clinton Heylin concludes: "He would not attempt anything so ambitious again. Henceforth every radical idea would be tempered by some notion of commerciality." Later, critics reassessed the album more favourably with the success of "Summertime in England". Lester Bangs wrote in 1982, "Van

11837-499: The peak of Morrison's career and "maybe of non-American soul in general", while Spin deemed it "the great white soul album" in an essay accompanying the magazine's 1989 list of the all-time 25 greatest albums, on which Moondance was ranked 21st. In 1999, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame , and in 2003, it was placed at number 65 on Rolling Stone ' s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . The album

11970-433: The pop-hit-oriented guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single " Brown Eyed Girl " in 1967. After Berns's death, Warner Bros. Records bought Morrison's contract and allowed him three sessions to record Astral Weeks (1968). While initially a poor seller, the album has come to be regarded as a classic. Moondance (1970) established Morrison as a major artist, and he built on his reputation throughout

12103-611: The public's eye as the frontman of Them. Rolling Stone listed it as number seventeen on The Top 50 Records of 2005 . Also in July 2005, Morrison was named by Amazon as one of their top twenty-five all-time best-selling artists and inducted into the Amazon.com Hall of Fame. Later in the year, Morrison also donated a previously unreleased studio track to a charity album, Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now , which raised money for relief efforts intended for Gulf Coast victims devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita . Morrison composed

12236-418: The purpose of doing demos. According to Ramone, the room, 11.5 metres (38 ft) by 12 metres (39 ft), had an incredibly unique sound. He attributed much of it to the height of 3.6 metres (12 ft) and before long clients were requesting to do their final tapes there and in no uncertain terms letting it be known that this was no mere demo studio. In a short period of time, Ramone felt the need to upgrade

12369-408: The religious themes that were more evident on his next album, Into the Music . Considered by AllMusic as "the definitive post-classic-era Morrison", Into the Music was released in the last year of the 1970s. Songs on this album for the first time alluded to the healing power of music, which became an abiding interest of Morrison's. " Bright Side of the Road " was a joyful, uplifting song that

12502-495: The remastering "strips away centuries of digital compression and makes the music sound as if you've never heard it properly". In Rolling Stone , Will Hermes felt the numerous outtakes possessed an intimate quality that compensated for lacking the "sublime, brassy" arrangements featured on the final version of Morrison's "jazzy-pop masterpiece". Morrison, however, disowned the release as "unauthorised" and done without his consultation while claiming his management company had given away

12635-470: The rights to the music in the early 1970s. All songs were written by Van Morrison , except where noted. Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. Musicians Production Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison OBE (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in

12768-495: The rock band Them , Morrison met record producer Bert Berns in New York City and recorded his first solo single, " Brown Eyed Girl ", in March 1967 for Berns' Bang Records . When the producer unexpectedly died later that year, Morrison was offered a record deal by Warner Bros. Records executive Joe Smith, who had seen the singer perform at Boston's Catacombs nightclub in August 1968. Smith bought out Morrison's Bang contract, and he

12901-438: The seemingly Grail -like Veedon Fleece object. Morrison took three years to release a follow-up album. After a decade without taking time off, he said in an interview, he needed to get away from music completely and ceased listening to it for several months. Also suffering from writer's block , he seriously considered leaving the music business for good. Speculation that an extended jam session would be released either under

13034-442: The singer balanced his spiritual ideas with more worldly subject matter, which biographer Johnny Rogan felt offered the record a quality of "earthiness". As a counterpart to Astral Weeks , AllMusic critic Jason Ankeny believed it "retains the previous album's deeply spiritual thrust but transcends its bleak, cathartic intensity" by rejoicing in "natural wonder". According to Christgau, the essence of Morrison's spirit was, much like

13167-404: The singer having "settled into a life of domestic bliss". Musicologist Brian Hinton argued that Morrison was celebrating a "natural alternative" in his music after quitting soft drugs around this time because they had impeded his productivity. The opening song, " And It Stoned Me ", was written about feelings of ecstasy received from witnessing and experiencing nature, in a narrative describing

13300-409: The singer integrating his style of Irish poetry into popular song structure while expanding on Astral Weeks ' "folk-jazz swing" with lively brass instruments, innovative hooks , and a strong backbeat . The songs were generally arranged around Morrison's horn section; music journalist John Milward called it "that rare rock album" on which the solos were performed by the saxophonist rather than

13433-582: The singer wanted to produce a record that would be more accessible and appealing to listeners. "I make albums primarily to sell them and if I get too far out a lot of people can't relate to it", he later said. "I had to forget about the artistic thing because it didn't make sense on a practical level. One has to live." The musicians who went on to record Moondance with Morrison were recruited from Woodstock and would continue working with him for several years, including guitarist John Platania , saxophonist Jack Schroer, and keyboardist Jef Labes . The singer left after

13566-561: The singer's vocals overwhelming: "Things fell into place so perfectly I wished there was more room to breathe. Morrison has a great voice and on Moondance he found a home for it." Ralph J. Gleason from the San Francisco Chronicle also wrote of Morrison's singing as a focal point of praise: "He wails as the jazz musicians speak of wailing, as the gypsies, as the Gaels and the old folks in every culture speak of it. He gets

13699-657: The song " In the Garden " that, according to Morrison, had a "definite meditation process which is a 'form' of transcendental meditation as its basis. It's not TM". He entitled the album as a rebuttal to media attempts to place him in various creeds. In an interview in the Observer he told Anthony Denselow: There have been many lies put out about me and this finally states my position. I have never joined any organisation, nor plan to. I am not affiliated to any guru, don't subscribe to any method and for those people who don't know what

13832-546: The song, "Blue and Green", featuring Foggy Lyttle on guitar. This song was released in 2007 on the album, The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3 and also as a single in the UK. Van Morrison was a headline act at the international Celtic music festival, The Hebridean Celtic Festival in Stornoway , Outer Hebrides in the summer of 2005. A %26 R Studios Before founding A & R Recording in 1958, Arnold and Ramone had been working at JAC Recording, Inc. ; Arnold had been

13965-560: The songs that would appear on Astral Weeks , while the remnants of the band reformed in 1967 and relocated to America. Bert Berns , Them's producer and composer of their 1965 hit "Here Comes the Night", persuaded Morrison to return to New York to record solo for his new label, Bang Records . Morrison flew over and signed a contract he had not fully studied. During a two-day recording session at A & R Studios starting 28 March 1967, he recorded eight songs, originally intended to be used as four singles. Instead, these songs were released as

14098-437: The songs the musicians would enter the studio and play a whole set in one take. His co-producer, Ted Templeman , described this recording process as the "scariest thing I've ever seen. When he's got something together, he wants to put it down right away with no overdubbing." Released in 1972, Saint Dominic's Preview revealed Morrison's break from the more accessible style of his previous three albums and moving back towards

14231-413: The studio to Jim & Andy's to call for musicians if someone did not show-up. In the first studio, Ramone gained a reputation as a good sound engineer and music producer, in particular for his use of innovative technology. According to David Simons, author, the original studio at 112 West 48th St., which was started on a shoestring budget, remains Ramone's greatest legacy. The studio was designed for

14364-441: The studio. Most of Morrison's vocals were recorded live, and he later said that he would have preferred to record the entire album live. Shelly Yakus —one of the audio engineers who recorded the singer—remembered him being "very quiet and really introverted" in the studio, "yet when he sang it was a 'Holy Shit!' moment." Moondance was the first album for which Morrison was credited as the producer; he later said "no one knew what I

14497-488: The sweet sounds of Morrison's mystical love-anthems. Although the album never topped the record charts, it sold continuously for the next 40 years of its release, particularly after its digitally remastered reissue in 1990. In 1996, Moondance was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America , having shipped three million copies in the US. In the years following

14630-496: The title Mechanical Bliss , or Naked in the Jungle , or Stiff Upper Lip , came to nothing, and Morrison's next album was A Period of Transition in 1977, a collaboration with Dr. John , who had appeared at The Last Waltz concert with Morrison in 1976. The album received a mild critical reception and marked the beginning of a very prolific period of song-making. Into the Music : The album's last four songs, "Angelou", "And

14763-469: The type of poetic imagery not heard since Astral Weeks . It was his highest-charting album in the US until his Top Ten debut on Billboard 200 in 2008. He released his next album, Hard Nose the Highway , in 1973, receiving mixed, but mostly negative, reviews. The album contained the popular song " Warm Love " but otherwise has been largely dismissed critically. In a 1973 Rolling Stone review, it

14896-478: The various musical genres Morrison had previously covered—including R&B, blues, country and folk; one of the tracks was written as a tribute to his late father George, who had played a pivotal role in nurturing his early musical tastes. Morrison's 2005 album, Magic Time , debuted at number twenty-five on the US Billboard 200 charts upon its May release, some forty years after Morrison first entered

15029-517: The words: "This is music of such enigmatic beauty that thirty-five years after its release, Astral Weeks still defies easy, admiring description." Alan Light later described Astral Weeks as "like nothing he had done previously—and really, nothing anyone had done previously. Morrison sings of lost love, death, and nostalgia for childhood in the Celtic soul that would become his signature." It has been placed on many lists of best albums of all time. In

15162-413: Was a premonition of the future, as for the next four decades, Morrison would continue to use a song here and there to vent about the evils of the music industry and the world of celebrity." The album's cover photo was shot at Morrison's home by Elliot Landy , who had previously done the cover for Dylan's 1969 album Nashville Skyline . Landy captured Morrison's face closely and framed the shot to conceal

15295-486: Was able to record his first album for Warner Bros., Astral Weeks , that year. Although it was later acclaimed by critics, its collection of lengthy, acoustic, revelatory folk jazz songs was not well received by consumers at the time and the album proved to be a commercial failure. After recording Astral Weeks , Morrison moved with his wife, Janet Planet, to a home on a mountain top in the Catskills near Woodstock ,

15428-526: Was also included in the 2000 edition of Colin Larkin 's All Time Top 1000 Albums (where it placed at number 79), the music reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005), and Time magazine's 2006 list of the "All-TIME 100 Albums". The following year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named Moondance one of their "Definitive 200" albums, ranking it 72nd. In 2009, Hot Press polled numerous Irish recording artists and bands, who voted it

15561-409: Was an immediate critical and commercial success. It helped establish Morrison as a major artist in popular music, while several of its songs became staples on FM radio in the early 1970s. Among the most acclaimed records in history, Moondance frequently ranks in professional listings of the greatest albums. In 2013, the album's remastered deluxe edition was released to similar acclaim. After leaving

15694-482: Was at the time one of the largest record collections in Northern Ireland (acquired during his time in Detroit, Michigan, in the early 1950s) and the young Morrison grew up listening to artists such as Jelly Roll Morton , Ray Charles , Lead Belly , Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and Solomon Burke ; of whom he later said, "If it weren't for guys like Ray and Solomon, I wouldn't be where I am today. Those guys were

15827-634: Was born on 31 August 1945, at 125 Hyndford Street, Bloomfield, Belfast , Northern Ireland, as the only child of George Morrison, a shipyard electrician, and Violet Morrison (née Stitt), who had been a singer and tap dancer in her youth. The previous occupant of the house was the writer Lee Child 's father. Morrison's family were working class Protestants descended from the Ulster Scots population that settled in Belfast. From 1950 to 1956, Morrison, who began to be known as "Van" during this time, attended Elmgrove Primary School . His father had what

15960-467: Was by blues musician Sonny Terry . When Lonnie Donegan had a hit with " Rock Island Line ", written by Huddie Ledbetter ( Lead Belly ), Morrison felt he was familiar with and able to connect with skiffle music as he had been hearing Lead Belly before that. Morrison's father bought him his first acoustic guitar when he was 11, and he learned to play rudimentary chords from the song book The Carter Family Style , edited by Alan Lomax . In 1957, at

16093-444: Was described as: "psychologically complex, musically somewhat uneven and lyrically excellent." During a three-week vacation visit to Ireland in October 1973, Morrison wrote seven of the songs that made up his next album, Veedon Fleece . Though it attracted scant initial attention, its critical stature grew markedly over the years—with Veedon Fleece now often considered to be one of Morrison's most impressive and poetic works. In

16226-535: Was even more esoteric than the final product." The album, Common One , consisted of six songs; the longest, " Summertime in England ", lasted fifteen and a half minutes and ended with the words "Can you feel the silence?" . NME magazine's Paul Du Noyer called the album "colossally smug and cosmically dull; an interminable, vacuous and drearily egotistical stab at spirituality: Into the muzak." Greil Marcus , whose previous writings had been favourably inclined towards Morrison, critically remarked: "It's Van acting

16359-486: Was in Midtown Manhattan , New York City , on the fourth floor of Mogull's Film & TV building at 112 West 48th Street. The studio was named "Studio A1." Manny's —a music instrument retailer—was one-half of the first three floors; Mogull's Film & TV was the other half. Jim and Andy's Bar, an important hangout for studio musicians was next door at 116 West 48th Street. Ramone installed an intercom from

16492-494: Was intimated by Morrison's closing vocal "too late to stop now"—a phrase the singer would use to conclude his concerts in subsequent years. " Come Running " was described by Morrison as "a very light type of song. It's not too heavy; it's just a happy-go-lucky song." By contrast, Hinton found the song's sentiments tender and lustful in the vein of the 1967 Bob Dylan song " I'll Be Your Baby Tonight ". He argued that "Come Running" juxtaposed images of unstoppable nature—wind and rain,

16625-619: Was listed as number seventy-two on the NARM Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of the "Definitive 200". Over the next few years, he released a succession of albums, starting with a second one in 1970. His Band and the Street Choir had a freer, more relaxed sound than Moondance , but not the perfection , in the opinion of critic Jon Landau , who felt like "a few more numbers with a gravity of 'Street Choir' would have made this album as perfect as anyone could have stood." It contained

16758-406: Was looking for except me, so I just did it." While not an overbearing presence among the record's personnel, the singer later conceded to creating an atmosphere of artistic autonomy during the sessions: "When I go into the studio, I'm a magician. I make things happen. Whatever is working in that particular space at that particular time, I use, I take advantage of." For Moondance , Morrison abandoned

16891-471: Was making holy music even though he thought he was, and us rock critics had made our usual mistake of paying too much attention to the lyrics." Morrison's next album, Beautiful Vision , released in 1982, had him returning once again to the music of his Northern Irish roots. Well received by the critics and public, it produced a minor UK hit single, " Cleaning Windows ", that referenced one of Morrison's first jobs after leaving school. Several other songs on

17024-515: Was named " 914 SRS " and was located at 34 NY Route 303 in Blauvelt. "SRS stood for "Sound Recording Studios." The legal structure of the partnership was in the form of a New York corporation operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of A & R Recording Inc. The entity name was "914 Sound Recording Studios, Inc." The studio, a converted gas station, opened October 1970. Arthur owned one-half; Ramone, Don Frey, and Arthur Downs Ward (1922–2002) owned

17157-431: Was ranked No. 110 on the Rolling Stone magazine list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . In January 2007, "Brown Eyed Girl" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame . Following the death of Berns in 1967, Morrison became involved in a contract dispute with Berns' widow, Ilene Berns , that prevented him from performing on stage or recording in the New York area. The song "Big Time Operators", released in 1993,

17290-417: Was starving, literally ." Released in 1968, the album originally received an indifferent response from the public, but it eventually achieved critical acclaim. The album is described by AllMusic 's William Ruhlmann as hypnotic, meditative, and as possessing a unique musical power. It has been compared to French Impressionism and mystical Celtic poetry. A 2004 Rolling Stone magazine review begins with

17423-568: Was the perfect visual to describe what was going on musically". In retrospect, she found that "being a muse is a thankless job, and the pay is lousy." Moondance was released by Warner Bros. on 27 January 1970 in the United Kingdom and on 28 February in the United States, receiving immediate acclaim from critics. Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1970, Robert Christgau gave the album an "A" and claimed that Morrison had finally fulfilled his artistic potential: "Forget Astral Weeks —this

17556-443: Was the song that worked best to his ear and the one with which he felt most in touch. Along with "Brand New Day", " Everyone " and " Glad Tidings " form a closing trio of songs permeated by what John Tobler called "a celebratory air, bordering on spiritual joy". Labes opened "Everyone" by playing a clavinet figure in 8 time . A flute comes in, playing the melody after Morrison has sung four lines, with Schroer playing

17689-548: Was – effective October 1, 1969 – promoted from Senior Engineer to Vice President of A & R Recording, in charge of supervising the 799 7th Avenue facilities. A & R added a third studio in the Leeds Music Corporation building at 322 West 48th Street. A & R became part owner of the building, a 6-story building, and designed recording studios on the first and second floors, named R1 and R2, respectively. The "R" stood for "Ramone." A & R also occupied

#180819