Van Morrison – Astral Weeks

New York, autumn 1968

For Astral Weeks, producer Lewis Merenstein brought Van Morrison together with musicians whose experience came substantially from jazz. Recording took place at Century Sound in New York during September and October 1968, with Brooks Arthur engineering. Morrison's first Warner Bros. album connects a highly individual vocal language with an ensemble able to respond to the movement of its eight songs.

Double bassist Richard Davis played a central part in assembling the group. Guitarist Jay Berliner, drummer Connie Kay and Warren Smith Jr. on vibraphone and percussion were among the musicians involved. Davis later described choosing these colleagues himself. Their task allowed them to develop individual lines around Morrison's voice while maintaining continuity, drawing on experience well beyond the conventions of a fixed rock line-up.

Songs that allow time

The title track opens out into an extended setting. Voice, acoustic guitars and double bass move through recurring figures as Morrison develops words and motifs. “Beside You” continues this open approach to storytelling. Much of the album depends on repetition and change within a sustained passage. A phrase need not be finished by its first musical statement; it can return with a different emphasis.

“Sweet Thing” provides an immediately approachable melodic starting point. “Cyprus Avenue” connects the imagery with a specific Belfast place name. Remembered locations and encounters become material for songs whose meaning extends beyond a single narrative. Following the words is one way in; following the instruments is another. The bass, in particular, develops a line that does considerably more than mark the roots of the harmony.

An ensemble with room between the lines

Berliner's acoustic guitars and Davis's double bass shape the underlying fabric. Flute colours, vibraphone and drums contribute, while Larry Fallon supplied the string arrangements. This instrumentation allows transitions that are not explained solely by movement from verse to chorus. One instrument can take up the motion while another leaves space. The vocal can consequently trace a long arc without requiring every player to follow the same path.

“Madame George” and “Ballerina” give this method extended room to develop. The closing “Slim Slow Slider” then changes the scale. John Payne plays soprano saxophone on the track, whose performance was edited down for the album. The sequence ends in a more concentrated form. Across its eight selections, Astral Weeks remains an encounter between a storytelling voice and independently responsive instruments, with individual movements that reward being followed again.

This 45 rpm edition

Analogue Productions AAPP 200-45 belongs to the Acoustic Sounds 40 Series. Its two 180-gram LPs play at 45 rpm, with two tracks on each side. Matthew Lutthans cut the lacquers at The Mastering Lab. The publisher specifies a flat 24-bit/192 kHz transfer of the original master tapes, subsequently equalised through the studio's analogue tube system. This edition therefore includes a documented digital intermediate stage. Quality Record Pressings manufactures the records, housed in a double-pocket Stoughton tip-on gatefold jacket.

Van Morrison at 45 RPM: read the complete magazine article →

Also on SACD: Astral Weeks

More by Van Morrison: His Band And The Street Choir · Moondance

Artist page: All titles by Van Morrison

Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe

Series: Acoustic Sounds 40th Anniversary – all 25 albums, recommendations and musicians

Musicians

Documented selection of participating musicians. Personnel may vary by track; this list does not claim to be complete.

• Van MorrisonAcoustic guitar, Vocals
• Jay BerlinerAcoustic guitar
• Richard DavisDouble bass
• John PayneSoprano saxophone, Flute
• Warren Smith Jr.Percussion, Vibraphone
• Connie KayDrums
• Larry FallonHarpsichord, Conductor
• Barry KornfeldAcoustic guitar