Astral Weeks Critical Essay | Critical Essay by Happy Traum

Critical Essay by Happy Traum

Van Morrison is one of the most important singer song-writers working today. His songs and vocal style are intense, dramatic, and written with rare depth and perception. [Astral Weeks] could never be classified as "easy listening." In fact, to get into it takes much more hard work than most records, but it will be well worth the effort. The songs are long and introspective, and it takes time to sort the words out from his thick Belfast accent—but when you do you will hear stunningly poetic lines and songs about things people don't usually write about. His voice, intense and emotion-charged, is powerful and chilling—as in "Madame George," the story of an aging "queen," playing dominoes in drag, running from the cops, the "one and only Madame George."… Van Morrison is original, unusual and an important voice—listen to him.

Happy Traum, "Record Reviews: 'Astral Weeks'," in Sing Out! (©...
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