release date: Jul. 1972
format: cd (1997 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Van Morrison, Ted Templeman
label: Polydor Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK
Tracklist: 1. "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" - 2. "Gypsy" - 3. "I Will Be There" - 4. "Listen to the Lion" - 5. "Saint Dominic's Preview" - 6. "Redwood Tree" - 7. "Almost Independence Day"
6th studio album by Van Morrison is like the predecessor co-produced by Ted Templeman and originally released on Warner Bros., and is a nice return to his strong stylistic singer / songwriter combo of r&b, folk rock, soul and parts of celtic folk and chamber pop. It doesn't really come close to any of his previous albums, but it sounds more like a great cocktail of them all. There are strong uptempo r&b songs, more celtic-founded folk, and then there are strong soul-fuelled compositions and those with a clear jazz element - and the strength of it all is the coherence, which is clearly there despite all the different styles it incorporates, which ultimately also distinguishes this from its two most recent predecessors - both lacking coherence. Some tracks here follow the matrix of Tupelo Honey and The Street Choir, whereas others pick up the tone and style of Astral Weeks. There are simple chorus-based pop / rock songs and more meditative progressive 'experiments'. But it's all held together by Morrison's songwriting skills, his strong vocal, an element of bass and string-based compositions with the addition of brass instruments. And almost as usual with Van the Man: All tracks are composed by Van Morrison. It could be confused by a compilation or even best of album 'cause there are literally no weak tracks here.
This is no less than Van Morrison's third best album so far and a timeless classic.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]
