I know I've mentioned it several times before but I just can't resist mentioning it again: Van Morrison's Astral Weeks.

I've just heard that he will be performing the album in full next month at the Hollywood Bowl! The dates are Nov 7 and 8. Wow, I am wishing I was an Angeleno right about now.

I'm interested to see what he does with the songs-- knowing Van's at times rather spotty live performances, and the expansive variation that he brings to his songs when he performs them, who knows? I bet he has not played a good portion of the songs off of Astral Weeks in a zillion years. Frankly, I am surprised he agreed to do this, but it's thrilling! He must be pleased that this album is finally getting its due and being praised by the masses, since it was fairly ignored back in 1968.

As a whole, Astral Weeks' improvisational nature makes it more akin to jazz than rock, really, and one thing I am sure of is that Van will bring his spontaneity and lack of restraint to his performances. If you want to read a bit more about the record, click here.

Apparently he is capturing it all on tape (or whatever more ephemeral substance they're using these days) for a DVD, so if you can't make it, rest assured you will be able to catch it at a later date in the comfort of your own home.

Here's a recent performance of "Madame George" -- sounds great to me!

For someone who works in a record store, it's been a surprisingly long time since I've sat and just listened to a record on my headphones.


Astral Weeks by Van Morrison is the kind of record that demands close attention like this.  The playing and imagery on the album capture the feeling of that pinnacle moment we've all experienced at times in life -- of love, of hope, of desire.  There's a tinge of loss to the record as well. 

The album sounds miraculous to me, and when the circumstances surrounding its recording are revealed, it becomes only more so. It was recorded over a mere 3 days in 1968, when Morrison was, incredibly, only 23 years old.   He used jazz musicians he had never met before to record, and a great deal of each song was improvised.  It's one of the only records I find almost impossible to sing along to-- the phrasing is incredible!  As for the musicianship on the album, the bassline in "The Way Young Lovers Do" alone is like nothing else on any rock record I've ever heard.  It's insane.  Each musician's work elevates the sound to a place of complexity and also cohesion.  Together they create a sense of otherworldliness, and that is what makes the album so special.

I can easily bring myself back to a very particular time in my life when I hear this record, and it's funny but even now, the more I listen to it, the more I hear, and the more I can sink my teeth into.  I guess what I am trying to say is that the album brings more pleasure with each listen, even over a period of many years!   When I hear the first few bars of the starting track, "Astral Weeks," I can't help but grin and sink down into the couch or wherever I happen to be sitting.  It's like revisiting an old friend.  The tracks gracefully amble along and I recapture things old and discover things new as I listen.  This record has the ability to gut you on first as well as each subsequent listening experience.

Alice turned me on to this amazing collection of peeping tom themed covers...


Although he's not really hiding, the idea of looking out your window on a rainy night and seeing Glen Campbell looking at you like this is very scary...



a couple of attempts at paradise that kinda of give me the creeps...





I know your every movement say Joe Walsh...



and finally...



Now look, I'm no Raffi hater.  I know from experience that kids love his music and he's a really great guy- it's just that guy Ken back there peering at you from behind the bushes has to go...