By
      Kirby
      Ferguson
     
     
      Astral
      Weeks
      was
      best
      summed
      up
      by
      Lester
     
     
      Bangs;
      ’’It
      sounded
      like
      the
      man
      who
      made
      Astral
     
     
      Weeks
      was
      in
      terrible
      pain...;
      but
      like
      the
      later
      al-
     
     
      bums
      by
      the
      Velvet
      Underground,
      there
      was
      a
      redemp-
     
     
      tive
      element
      in
      the
      blackness,
      ultimate
      compassion
      for
     
     
      the
      suffering
      of
      others
      and
      a
      swath
      of
      pure
      beauty
     
     
      that
      cut
      right
      through
      the
      heart
      of
      the
      work.’
      Man,
     
     
      that’s
      perfect.
      Astral
      Weeks
      gives
      pain
      and
      loneliness
     
     
      the
      dignity
      and
      beauty
      it
      seldom
      seems
      to
      getinreal
     
     
      life.
      Sting
      once
      said
      he
      does
      his
      best
      work
      when
      in
     
     
      terrible
      pain
      (somebody
      better
      put
      him
      on
      the
      rack
     
     
      then)
      and
      the
      same
      definitely
      applies
      to
      Van
     
     
      Morrison,
      just
     
     
      listen
      to
      Tupelo
     
     
      Honey,
      recorded
     
     
      during
      his
      mar-
     
     
      riage,
      and
      then
      St.
     
     
      Dominic's
      Pre-
     
     
      view,
      which
      was
     
     
      after
      his
      divorce.
     
     
      In
      reference
      to
     
     
      Van's
      earlier
     
     
      work,
      his
      ex-wife,
     
     
      Janet
      Planet
      (How
     
     
      could
      he
      marry
     
     
      someone
      with
      that
     
     
      name?)
      states
      in
     
     
      the
      liner
      notes
      of
     
     
      His
      Band
      and
      the
     
     
      Street
      Choir;
      ’’He
     
     
      was
      sickeningly
     
     
      alone,
      afraid
      and
     
     
      ranting
      to
      be
     
     
      neither.
      ’’
      Yeah,
     
     
      so?
      Who
      wants
      to
     
     
      hear
      some
      guy
     
     
      blow-off
      abouthow
     
     
      fucking
      happy
      he
     
     
      is?
      Artis
      not
      for
     
     
      happy
      people
     
     
      (wooo,
      nice
      quote).
     
     
      When
      I
      first
      heard
      Astral
      Weeks
      I
      thought
      it
      was
     
     
      sloppy,
      self-indulgent,
      long-winded
      and
      unrealized.
     
     
      Now
      it’s
      perfection,
      and
      a
      fixture
      in
      my
      car
      Stereo.
     
     
      So
      what
      does
      this
      marvellous
      creation
      sound
      like?
     
     
      Well,
      there
      isn’t
      one
      electric
      guitar
      on
      the
      entire
     
     
      album.
      No
      synthesizers.
      No
      other
      singers.
      Generally,
     
     
      there
      aren't
      even
      any
      drums.
      There's
      some
      horns,
     
     
      some
      flute,
      some
      improvised
      bass
      playing
      and
      lots
      of
     
     
      strings,
      acoustic
      guitars
      and
      unbelievable
      singing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Think
      of
      ‘‘Feels
      So
      Different’’
      from
      Sinead's
      last
      one,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      especially
      when
      she
      sings
      ‘‘The
      whole
      time/I’d
      never
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      (qrealest
      Album
      of
      Al]
      “ime
     
    
   
   
    
     
      VAN
      MORRISON
      ASTRAL
      WEEKS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ig
      ae:
      ae
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      14,
      1991
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      seen...'’,
      and
      you
      ve
      got
      the
      general
      idea.
      Four
      of
      th
      2
     
     
      eight
      songs
      clock
      in
      at
      around
      seven
      minutes.
      Sounds
     
     
      pretty
      weird,
      eh?
      It
      probably
      will
      seem
      that
      way
      to
      ©
     
     
      most.
      Like
      I’ve
      said
      before,
      Moondance
      is
      the
      one
      to
      ©
     
     
      start
      with,
      then
      try
      this
      one.
      4
     
     
      Van’s
      voice
      is
      what
      elevates
      the
      album
      to
      transcend-
     
     
      ence;
      his
      singing
      gives
      the
      lyrics
      meaning
      beyond
     
     
      words,
      he’s
      never
      overwrought,
      never
      repeats
      himself
     
     
      and
      the
      music
      perfectly
      compliments
      it.
      It’s
      the
      most"
     
     
      soulful
      vocal
      performance
      ever
      waxed.
      |
     
     
      The
      lyrics
      are
      often
      impenetrable,
      but
      the
      imagery
      ig
      |
     
     
      always
      beautiful,
      and
      the
      way
      he
      sings
      it
      he
      leaves
      no
     
     
      doubt
      thathe
     
     
      means
      every
     
     
      syllable.
     
     
      Actually,
      the
     
     
      most
      beautifur
     
     
      lyric
      on
      the
     
     
      album
      is
      also’
     
     
      the
      most
     
     
      simple
     
     
      (‘Sweet
     
     
      Thing’’).
     
     
      Amongst
      the
     
     
      more
      obscure
     
     
      references
      @
     
     
      glimpses
      of
     
     
      aging
      ballen
     
     
      nas,
      drag
     
     
      queensand
     
     
      beautiful
     
     
      Jourteen-ye@
     
     
      olds
      (yes,
     
     
      fourteen).
     
     
      This
      all
      may
     
     
      sound
      pretty.
     
     
      tasteless
      but
     
     
      believe
      me,
     
     
      it’s
      quite
      the
     
     
      opposite.
      Th
     
     
      soundtrack}
     
     
      the
      love-sick,
      lonely
      slob.
      Not
      thatI'd
      know,
      it's
      jus
     
     
      thatI
      have
      a
      very
      highly
      developed
      sense
      ofempate
      .
     
     
      Yeah,
      that’s
      the
      ticket.
      |
     
     
      Iam
      this
      album,
      this
      album
      is
      me.
      Astral
      Weeks
      is
      i
     
     
      close
      to
      a
      religious
      experience
      as
      I've
      ever
      gotten,
     
     
      and
      I
      strongly
      recommend
      it.
      If
      you
      ‘ve
      gotten
      this
      fi
     
     
      through
      my
      ranting
      you
      must
      have
      some
      idea
      of
      whe
     
     
      I'm
      talking
      about,
      so
      go
      outand
      buy
      this.
      [haven't
     
     
      seen
      the
      album
      around
      here,
      but
      you
      can
      getit
     
     
      through
      Columbia
      House
      so
      subscribe,
      it’s
      wortht
     
     
      just
      for
      this
      album.
      ACTUALLY,
      (here
      comes
      the
      _
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
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