at a glance...

Hometown: Belfast, Northern Ireland
First Recordings: 1967

Sidemen:
Jay Berliner - guitar
Richard Davis - bass
Connie Kay - drums
John Payne - flute, soprano sax
Warren Smith Jr. - percussion, vibes

Backed sensitively by jazz veterans such as Richard Davis, Connie Kay, and Jay Berliner, Van Morrison offers a brooding, melancholy, introspective, and mature debut record. In fact, he must have stunned listeners who'd come to expect the R&B-influenced work of Them or the simple pop of "Brown Eyed Girl." Morrison shoots for a mood and an atmosphere, and he carries it through the album. Most songs feature simple, repetitive two- or three-chord structures that give the album a trance-inducing, hypnotic feel, and until you enjoy a few listens, it almost sounds like one long song.

Morrison's soulful and passionate vocals roam through his own mystical lyrics filled with vivid imagery, personal reflections, and spiritual concepts. The seemingly formless "Beside You" finds Morrison crying out while the band adds subtle accents, mysterious and haunting. Berliner's flamenco-tinged acoustic dances around Morrison's words. The intensity builds on "Sweet Thing" as elegant strings hover in the background and Morrison engages in a beautiful fantasy of love and lush scenery. ("I will walk and talk in gardens wet with rain / and I never will grow so old again..") The harpsichord jingles, flute whispers, bass wanders, and strings loom on "Cyprus Avenue." On "Ballerina," he paints a deep and honest portrait of love. The simple song foundations act as springboards for the musicians, who gracefully fill in the colors. Even Morrison's vocals seem improvised, featuring unique phrasing and dramatic repetition. A delicate sonic painting.

If you like Van Morrison, check out:
Van Morrison Tupelo Honey
Van Morrison Bang Masters
Joni Mitchell Mingus
Shack HMS Fable