Astral Weeks (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Astral Weeks”
Song by Van Morrison
Album Astral Weeks
Released November 1968
Recorded September 25, 1968
Genre Folk Rock
Length 7:00
Label Warner Bros. Records
Writer Van Morrison
Composer Van Morrison
Producer Lewis Merenstein
Astral Weeks track listing
  1. "Astral Weeks"
  2. "Beside You"
  3. "Sweet Thing"
  4. "Cyprus Avenue"
  5. "The Way Young Lovers Do"
  6. "Madame George"
  7. "Ballerina"
  8. "Slim Slow Slider"

"Astral Weeks" is the title song and opening track on the 1968 album Astral Weeks by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison.

Van Morrison described the song "Astral Weeks" as being: "like transforming energy, or going from one source to another with it being born again like a rebirth. I remember reading about you having to die to be born. It's one of those songs where you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and that's basically what the song says."[1]Morrison told Steve Turner that he was working on the song back in Belfast in 1966 when he visited painter Cezil McCartney who had drawings on astral projection "and that's why I called it "Astral Weeks".[2]

Brian Hinton's review of the song states: "All is uncertain, this spiritual rebirth a question still, not a statement, and Van equates his move to a new world — both America and that of love — with a sense of being lost, "ain't nothing but a stranger in this world".[3]

On the first recording session for the album, this song was the last of four recorded and flautist John Payne (who had been working with Morrison) said it was the first time he had ever heard it, and that although the song may sound rehearsed it was actually captured from the first and only take.[4]

The song, "Astral Weeks" was rated #483 on the list of All-Time 885 Greatest Songs voted on by listeners of WXPN.[5]

Contents

[edit] Covers

Glen Hansard of The Frames

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, p.95
  2. ^ Turner, Too Late to Stop Now, p. 89
  3. ^ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, p.95
  4. ^ Turner, Too Late to Stop Now, p.89
  5. ^ All-Time WXPN 885 Greatest Songs

[edit] References

  • Hinton, Brian (1997). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074169X
  • Turner, Steve (1993). Too Late to Stop Now, Viking Penguin, ISBN 0-670-85147-7

[edit] External links