A tag

page 12

 

"THE OTHER PRESS

Wednesday, January 18, 1984

 

 

A fine artist with fine albums

This article is the first in a
series on the great albums
of forgotten bands. Each
issue The Other Press will

 

by Joel Hagen

 

include a feature on one
album until | run out.
Hopefully, these reviews
will help you fill the void in
your record collection, and
save you from Kenny Rog-
ers and Olivia Newton-John.
There is*great music avail-
able out there, but because
of it’s age, and the lack of
airplay it receives, we rarely
hear it. Now’s your chance.

MOONDANCE
VAN MORRISON

Van Morrison has’ been
making music for over twen-

_ty years, ever since hitting

the big time fronting the
Belfast based Them. His
most well known songs from
that period,- Gloria, and
Here Comes the Night, are
perhaps more familiar than
his solo work because they
have been recorded by so
many other artists. How-
ever, Morrison’s third al-
bum, Moondance, eclipsed
anything he ever did with
Them, and it remains one of
my favourite albums.

It opens with Stoned Me,
a timeless American tale of
goin’ fishin’ and swimmin’,
and drinking hooch from ‘‘A
great big gallon jug.”’

The remaining cuts are
equally good, and the sweet
style of Morrison’s music
makes his songs very hum-
mable. Most of the tracks
utilize the harmony of two
saxaphones, filling out the
sound, and creating a rich
blend. Morrison also shares
his vocals with some fine
female backups.

Several of the record’s
songs are responsible for
fostering the mysterious
gypsy image that still re-

mains with Van Morrison.

Into the Mystic transports
the listener into a past era of
tall ships and windswept
shores with these words:
“Hark now hear the sailor’s
cry/Smell the sea and feel
the sky/Let your soul and
spirit fly/Into the mystic.’’
The title track, perhaps
familiar to some as part of
the soundtrack from the film
American Werewolf in Lon-
don,sums up the overall
quality of the album. The
jazz-flavoured song displays
great musicianship, and the
lyrics are finely crafted poe-
try:’’It’s a marvellouis night
for a moondance/With the

stars up above in your eyes/
A fantabulous night to make
romance/Beneath the cover
of October skies.’’

The final strength of
Moondance is its cohesive-
ness. Each song flows into
the next in a logical progres-
sion. Following Stoned Me,
which has a boyish feel, the
remaining songs seem to
parallel Morrison’s own de-
velopment to adulthood. On
the final track, he signs off
from his home, sending

“Glad tidings from New

York.’’ to his listeners.

It's a fine end to a fine
album.

 

 

When you've got
Molson Malt
you've got it all!