Product Description

The dark night of the soul that culminated in ASTRAL WEEKS found its counterpart in Morrison's next two albums, the seminal MOONDANCE and its subsequent sister, HIS BAND & THE STREET CHOIR. Both released in 1970, these latter two albums defined the folk/soul/blues amalgam that would prove to be thefoundation of Morrison's music. The photos inside the sleeve reveal Van as country gentleman, looking at home and (darewe say it) happy. This image is furthered by his then-wife Janet Planet's liner notes, which paint a picture of Van as a man reborn.
The music more than bears this out. The tunes here are among the most soulful in Morrison's repertoire.The classic opener "Domino" finds him wailing over a punchyhorn section and insistent, percolating rhythms, setting the tone for the rest of the album. Van rocks his way through the R&B-inflected "Blue Money", gets down on the funk workout "I've Been Working", and waxes lyrical on "If I Ever Needed Someone", which seems to be both a gospel song and love ballad simultaneously. HIS BAND & THE STREET CHOIR is perhaps Morrison's most open, exuberant recording.

Track Listing

1. Domino
2. Crazy Face
3. Give Me A Kiss
4. I've Been Working
5. Call Me Up In Dreamland
6. I'll Be Your Lover Too
7. Blue Money
8. Virgo Clowns
9. Gypsy Queen
10. Sweet Jannie
11. If I Ever Needed Someone
12. Street Choir

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6591 in Music
• Released on: 1993-01-25
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

This has to rate as his happiest album
This is a lovely album, not as big, musically, as some of his others, but a happy, jaunty album in the same vein as Tupelo Honey. Following the success of Moondance, Van seems to put some roots down in the next couple of years, emotionally, and musically. This trio of albums all followed one another and you can tell from this thread of music that he was both content musically, and, more importantly for him, happy emotionally. He's not often since been known for this condition, only on occasion, as when his private life has looked good again, it's all gone wrong again soon after. So enjoy happy sounding albums like this one, as they are quite an achievement for him. Actually, that's probably not fair, as this man has made some of pop music's most joyous songs at any and every period in his career. He does also get a little deep on this album, not in the major way he does on later works, but he has the odd dip into his soul here. And in doing so he produces the best track of the album, the exquisite and unashamedly gospel inspired If I Ever Needed Someone. Good easy listening VM album but skates dangerously close to mediocrity in places, a crime he has sometimes been guilty of because his excellent work ethic deems he has to make records when perhaps he's not at the peak of his creative cycle.

You will fall in love with 'Crazyface'!
Just buy it to listen to 'Crazyface' over and over again, then try to sing it! It might not be his best work, but 'Crazyface' makes it all worthwhile!

Van cruises down the middle lane
After the groundbreaking 'Moondance' and 'Astral weeks',Van Morrison found himself recording what has to be said is rather a lazy,self indulgent album,full of cliched licks and lyrics.
Sure enough,the tracks are always accomplished in their delivery and recording but it's all too predictable to be anything other than an easy listening pot pourri of off the shelf R&B.
For real Van quality fast forward a decade.