Album Description
Recorded in 1968 when the Belfast-bred, blues-rock music legend Van Morrison was just 22 years old, Astral Weeks immediately received critical acclaim and continues to be cited as one of the greatest albums of the rock era. Subsequently the album has been ranked on numerous Best Albums of All Time lists, including #19 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and the 40th Greatest Album Ever on VH-1’s list in 2003. Both Astral Weeks and Moondance (Morrison’s … More >>
Astral Weeks Live At the Hollywood Bowl
Tags: 22 years, Astral, astral weeks, belfast, best albums of all time, blues rock, Bowl, critical acclaim, greatest albums of all time, Hollywood, hollywood bowl, Live, music legend, rock music, rolling stone, s 500, van morrison, vh 1, Weeks
#1 by JNagarya on February 7, 2010 - 8:51 pm
I’ll be buying the CD.
In the blurb, apparently from the “LA Times,” is this assertiion:
” . . . he played his watershed 1968 album Astral Weeks live in its entirety for the first time.”
That means for this live recording. And it’s false. I saw Van the Man perform the “Astral Weeks” album in May, 1969, at The Arc, in Boston.
And I don’t doubt he played it live in other venues during the same period, it being his current release, as any musician is wont to do.
Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by John Donne on February 7, 2010 - 10:52 pm
I own more Van Morrison albums than any other artist; and I own almost every Miles Davis album. If you are trying to choose between the Hollywood Bowl recording and the original, don’t think twice, choose the original. I still remember the day I first heard it. Sorry Van: do not send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. Rave on.
Rating: 3 / 5
#3 by A. Amorin on February 8, 2010 - 12:27 am
I bought it, listened it a couple of times and give it to charity. He spent a lot of time in some dissonant and very boring “jammimg sessions” that seems to be performed by a drunk instead of Van Morrison. He has done countless good works but for me this one is really lousy.
Rating: 1 / 5
#4 by Bernie Butt on February 8, 2010 - 12:38 am
Van Morrison is one of my favorite artists. This album is not worthy of him. The first time I listened, it all seemed dull, lifeless and didn’t engage me. I thought I might have been distracted, so I gave it a good listen this Sunday morning. It is drek. I probably won’t ever listen to it again, but always enjoy his other work, so I still love the man’s music.
Other put-off was the packaging. Disk came in sleeve like a shrunken LP album cover, so it will not fit in standard storage that I use. I would be concerned that lack of protective liner and intimate contact of disk to rough cardboard edges would scratch and degrade audio, but I probably won’t play this again.
Rating: 2 / 5
#5 by Michael Saueressig on February 8, 2010 - 1:04 am
This will be a short review. And it hurts me to have to say this but I can not believe that people that know the music of Van the Man since the original Astral Weeks (like me) can say, with dry eyes, that this is even close to the original.
I will not go into reviewing all songs and what is (IMHO) wrong or right about it, but the fact that they photoshopped the albumpicture, where Van is doing something he never did on an albumcover before (LAUGH!!!) says it all.
Van the Man had already left the building … the true Van will be missed!!
Rating: 2 / 5