release date: Jul. 1973
format: cd (1997 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,16]
producer: Van Morrison
label: Polydor Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Snow in San Anselmo" - 2. "Warm Love" (4 / 5) - 3. "Hard Nose the Highway" - 4. "Wild Children" - 8. "Purple Heather"
7th studio album by Van Morrison originally released on Warner Bros and produced by Van Morrison. All except 2 tracks are composed entirely by Morrison, but what mostly distinguishes this from its superior predecessor St. Dominic's Preview, as well as the two great albums Moondance and Astral Weeks is not Morrison's ability to write fine lyrics, 'cause this is there all right, but more so the resulting musical output. There are a few very fine songs here but the overall sensation is really a lack of memorable tracks. "Warm Love" is fine and memorable and both the title track and "Snow in San Anselmo" are fine works, but they aren't sufficient to lift the album to the heights of his better releases. As a result the album turns out with a certain remoteness turning the album into a lesser lesser release by Morrison standards 'cause it's still far from any signs of mediocrity. Hard Nose the Highway is unfairly considered by many critics an unsuccessful album, but it's likely as a contender as his first album off peak in the 1970s. However, with several fine compositions and superior lyrics, this is still a much better release than his debut.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]
