Wavelength (album)

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For other uses, see Wavelength (disambiguation).
Wavelength
Wavelength cover
Studio album by Van Morrison
Released September, 1978
Recorded Spring 1978
Genre Pop rock, R&B
Length 49:32
Label Mercury
Producer Van Morrison
Professional reviews

All Music Guide 4/5 stars link

Rolling Stone (Not Rated) link

Robert Christgau (B+) link
Van Morrison chronology
A Period of Transition
(1977)		 Wavelength
(1978)		 Into the Music
(1979)
Singles from Wavelength
  1. "Wavelength" b/w "Checkin' it Out"
  2. "Natalia" b/w "Lifetimes"
  3. "Kingdom Hall" b/w "Checkin' it Out"

Wavelength is an album by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1978. The album had a different atmosphere from his previous albums, as it had a more pop oriented sound due to his heavy use of electric guitars and synthesizers. Bobby Tench and Peter Bardens were given special credit as "Special Assistance in Production."[1]

The January 29, 2008 re-issued and re-mastered version of the album contains live takes on the songs, "Wavelength" and "Kingdom Hall" that were performed at the Roxy Theatre on November 26, 1978.[2]

Contents

[edit] Album's cover

The cover on the album was by photographer Norman Seeff (associated with Joni Mitchell's album sleeves) and shows Morrison for once almost smiling and looking James Dean like dressed in tight white trousers smoking a cigarette down to the butt.

[edit] Recording history

Wavelength was recorded at the Manor in Oxfordshire England over several months time and then completed at Shangri-la studios in America. Morrison had brought together musicians that represented almost all phases of his musical history: Herbie Armstrong from his showband days in Belfast, Peter Bardens from Them, Garth Hudson from The Band and Peter Van Hooke from the mid-70s.[3]

[edit] Songs

The songs on this album also recall various stages of Morrison's life, starting with the album opener, "Kingdom Hall" which reflected back to his childhood in Belfast when he attended services with his mother, a practicing Jehovah's Witness at one time. "Wavelength" was about fond memories of his adolescence, listening to the Voice of America. "Checking It Out" is about a relationship going wrong and being rescued by "guides and spirits along the way". "Natalia", "Lifetimes" and "Venice USA" are love songs. "Santa Fe" which he wrote with Jackie DeShannon, is Morrison's first ever collaboration to appear on an album. It segues into "Beautiful Obsession". "Hungry For Your Love" appeared in the hit 1982 movie An Officer and a Gentleman and has become one of the more enduringly popular songs on the album along with the title song. Morrison plays electric piano on this song accompanied by Herbie Armstrong's acoustic guitar.[4]Morrison also included "Hungry For Your Love" on his 2007 compilation album Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits.

[edit] Aftermath

It quickly became the fastest selling album that Morrison had recorded at that time and went gold within three months. Melody Maker reviewed the album as evidence of Morrison's "drift into the American dream." Morrison denied that the songs were anything but about personal experience, and were not about the country. [5] (Relocating to Europe within a few years, his work during the 1980s would not be so "radio friendly" and so easily accessible to the casual listener.) With the success of the album, Morrison assembled a Wavelength band to promote it that was similar in many ways to the abandoned The Caledonia Soul Orchestra from It's Too Late to Stop Now fame.

[edit] Track listing

All songs by Morrison unless noted

Side One

  1. "Kingdom Hall" – 5:59
  2. "Checkin' It Out" – 3:29
  3. "Natalia" – 4:04
  4. "Venice U.S.A." – 6:32
  5. "Lifetimes" – 4:15

Side Two

  1. "Wavelength" – 5:44
  2. "Santa Fe / Beautiful Obsession" (De Shannon/Morrison)– 7:04
  3. "Hungry for Your Love" – 3:45
  4. "Take It Where You Find It" – 8:40

[edit] Bonus tracks (2008 CD reissue)

  1. "Wavelength" (Live at the Roxy Theatre, LA, Nov 26, 1978) - 6:07
  2. "Kingdom Hall" (Live at the Roxy Theatre, LA, Nov 26, 1978) - 6:05

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Production

  • Producer: Van Morrison
  • Engineer: Mick Glossop

Album - Billboard

Year Chart Position
1979 Pop Albums 28

Album - UK Album Chart

Year Chart Position
1979 UK Album Chart 27

[edit] Samples

Audio samples of Van Morrison's Wavelength'

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Rogan, No Surrender, p. 315
  2. ^ Van Morrison Official Website
  3. ^ Rogan, No Surrender, p.315
  4. ^ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, p. 210-212
  5. ^ Rogan, No Surrender, p. 316

[edit] References

  • Hinton, Brian (1997). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074169X
  • Rogan, Johnny (2006). Van Morrison:No Surrender, London:Vintage Books ISBN 9780099431831

[edit] External links

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