Astral Weeks - a new perspective

A good reference told me this was made after his first wife died of cancer and he pulled together a group of jazz musicians so it is unlike any other album for a very good reason.

I do listen to it once in a while.  After my Oscar Peterson I'll look it up and put it on again.

+1 

I have lots of Van's albums and like them all.

My all time favourite and most played on CD and vinyl is still this masterpiece.

+2. We've all got our favourites (mine's Enlightenment by a small margin) but Astral Weeks is one of the greatest albums ever made. Oh well, each to his own.

I think the reviewer is way too soft on it, it is a truly awful record: po-faced, sanctimonious, swamped in pitiful "jazz"-lite stylings, and the guy sings like a duck drowning in Lyle's Golden Syrup... it's reactionary and deeply conservative music of the very worst sort, and definitely the most ludicrously over-rated album of all time.

None of this would matter as much if it weren't so lacking in tunes and energy, and if people weren't so bloody precious about it. If I never hear the wretched thing again it'll be too soon.

Even thinking about it's made me feel dirty. I'm gonna listen to something good from 1968...

So, a cautious appreciation then.

Yep, a tentative thumbs up from me Tony.

Hurrahhh Kevin !!!

Thought it was just me. I am totally mystified by the God-like worship of this rather bland, boring, tune-less album. Dull, dull, dull ..............

But hey, who am I to comment, everyone to their own I suppose. MY CD collection is an absolute embarrassment to my teenage kids

"Duck drowning in Lyle's Golden Syrup" - yep, that's cool KW.

Jeez how many albums/artists that get "raved" could I slag off like that? I can't of course because I'm not a good word smith like Kevin.

Just a hint John Lennon, Miles Davis,Joni Mitchel, Captain Beefheart (that's tuneless) and Frank Zappa.

It should be sufficient to just say you don't happen to like it.

I'm so pleased to see this thread. The album was on one of those greatest album ever lists a while back and I was trying to work my way through all 20. I found this one, and probably 10 more to be hugely under whelming. At least I now know others dislike it too, I was concerned that my taste in music was completely out of tune with what the Times, or whichever publication it was, considered to be great.

Being out of step with the Times, pillar of the conservative establishment, owned by the Murdoch empire, is surely a good thing. These 'greatest ever' lists are self perpetuating. If you are told often enough that something is the greatest ever, you can start to believe it if you're not careful.

Hear, hear...

I'm not a great fan of the album but that opening post is not an independent minded review. Reviews are intelligent, argued, reasoned. That is written by somebody who does not like the artist as a person and enjoys the (easy) job of being insulting rather than perceptive.

I read reviews on Pitchforkmedia a lot. Some I have totally disagreed with, but at least they usually are researched, argued and not personal. I personally dislike Morrisey's public persona, but some of his music has transcended that and been a joy.

As for the album, asking how great it may have been perceived then, and how great it may be after the intervening years are two different, and interesting questions. For me it is more strange than brilliant.

Bruce

Van's certainly a talent and I like most of his output. Astral Weeks was recorded in 1968 when he was in his early twenties and the fact we're talking about it today is testament to the fact it isn't a dud. From the perspective of the man himself there's a lot not to like and his disrespect to his live audience, and fellow musicians is one of them. I've seen him quite a few times over the years but two concerts I went to were cut short by his tantrums.

Unfortunately I never did get, or ever like, Morrisey. He's up there with Boney M in my cringe list.  Johnny Marr though is a fine guitarist. 

I have really enjoyed his two recent solo releases.  I am not familiar with the Smith's catalogue but heard about JM from his time living in the US (some in Portland) and his work here.  Believe he is back in the UK now.

Jeff A

Wat,

I would love to get the Captains first album and Scotts last solo album and his latest with sun?

I have tried but they leave me Stunned and shocked,Shocked and stunned cold.

If i was going to have a funeral when i die?(I am not though) I can't think of anything better than making everyone sit through Bish Bosch for a laugh

I like a little bit of melody .

Might play a Stones album next.

I'm partial to Chairs Missing myself. Sounds great when driving across the American heartland in a blizzard.

Dave,

With the top down 

Stu, Scott's new album with Sunn 0))) is actually the most melodic thing he's done since Tilt. It's certainless less challenging than Bish Bosch, The Drift or Who Shall Go To The Ball.. Stick with it geez, it's very good.

Nice idea about the funeral. I think I will have "Maggot Death" or "After Cease To Exist" from Throbbing Gristle's 2nd Annual Report at mine.

Why not say why as well? Much more interesting.

I'm sorry Bruce but apart from your observation that the guy doesn't like the "artist' in question, that is complete rubbish. It is a perfectly independent-minded review - after all, it goes against the received wisdom. Also, a review doesn't "have' to "be' anything, other than decently-written and in possession of internal logic.

While it isn't George Orwell or Walter Pater it is at least comprehensible (although it's very sloppily-written) and is consistent.

Ahem... the 'opening post' was quoting the review - to , I suppose, see if the balance had been redressed since AW was ritually placed in the critics' top tens.

Personally, I used to give it a 10, I'd now go for 8.5.

I don't know, whenever I've read the Times or Sunday Times review sections I always feel they're a little more truthful and insightful than the rather predictable ones in the Indy or the Grauniad. There were some great Times reviews in the past.  I've not quite taken the Indy's Andy Gill seriously since he gave 5 stars to REM's Around the Sun, a truly rubbish album.

Coincidentally, I wrote a song about a very unreliable Vauxhall I once owned that spewed oil all over our driveway.

I called it "Astra Leaks".