Product Description

The most commercially accessible of Van Morrison's '70s albums, WAVELENGTH is not an artistic compromise, but rather anexpansion of Morrison's sound beyond the blues-based, horn-band approach. With the keyboard work of Camel's Peter Bardens and The Band's Garth Hudson, the arrangements take a steptoward rock's electronic future without breaking Morrison'swell-established ties to it's past. Basically a continuation of the ideas explored on the previous year's aptly titled A PERIOD OF TRANSITION, the album relies largely on groove-heavy '70s-style R&B tunes that overflow with soul, like "Hungry For Your Love" and "Take It Where You Find It". The title tune, which proved to be quite radio-friendly, points the way to new pop directions.

Track Listing

1. Kingdom Hall
2. Checkin' It Out
3. Natalia
4. Venice U.S.A.
5. Lifetimes
6. Wavelength
7. Santa Fe / Beautiful Obsession
8. Hungry For Your Love
9. Take It Where You Find It
10. Kingdom Hall
11. Wavelength

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42590 in Music
• Released on: 2008-01-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Running time: 62 minutes

Customer Reviews

"All Inhibitions - Throw Them Away!", Ivan Advises On "Kingdom Hall" - And For This SUPERB Remaster - I Agree!
This is the 3rd or even 4th re-issue on CD of "Wavelenght" (released originally on Warner Brothers Records in October 1978) and it's the best version to date.
(Can it really be 30 years since I played this record to death in a Dublin bedsit! Yikes!!)

Tracks 1 to 9 make up the original album with Tracks 10 and 11 being previously unreleased live versions of "Kingdom Hall" (the opener on Side 1 of the LP) and "Wavelenght" (the opener on Side 2 of the LP) recorded on the 26 November 1978 at the Roxy Theatre in L.A. Both tracks feature the same band as the album sessions with KATIE KISSOON adding backing vocals to a speeded up "Kingdom Hall". My heart always sinks when I see live tracks as bonus material on CDs - they're usually poorly recorded, not any better than the original and act as a cheap way of suckering fans to purchase more of the same. But these live choices are not just apt; they're actually quite good - especially when the band let's rip on "Wavelenght". The recordings aren't exactly audiophile quality, but they are as spirited as the audience's response.

The upgraded booklet contains all the lyrics, and the inner sleeve of the original album with all of its detailed session lists, but disappointingly there's no history of where the album fits in, no new liner notes, nor any photographs. Really could have done better here boys.

But the best bit is the SOUND. The original analogue master tapes have been 96K/24 Bit digitally remastered by Tim Young at Metropolis Mastering in London for this 28 January 2008 release - and the sound is warm, full and very, very LOUD! Every instrument seems to be leaping out of the speakers and the effect is to make you almost double take on every single track. Stuff appears on each track that you haven't heard before. Great! And this is not a misery-guts Van album either. From the jaunty opener "Kingdom Hall", the whole album is "up". Speaking of "Kingdom Hall", it features a wonderful Synth Solo from Garth Hudson of The Band and every one of the nine tracks features the keyboard work of PETER BARDENS from CAMEL. The punch out of the tender and lovely "Hungry For Your Love" is fantastic, the remaster bringing out the rhythm section of PETER VAN HOOKE on Drums and MICKEY FEAT on Bass - it's Steely Dan tight, but without ever swamping the loveliness of the song. And the issue is mid-price too - I picked up my copy for £6 in Central London.

All in all, a great sounding re-issue and one I urge fans and the uninitiated to get stuck into pronto.

PS:
30 Van Morrison albums are re-issued in remastered form throughout 2008 and into early 2009. Each title contains an upgraded booklet; previously unreleased bonus tracks and all will be at mid-price. The releases are in 4 batches as follows:

28 January 2008 (7 titles)
Tupelo Honey (1971), It's Too Late To Stop Now (2 CD Live Set) (1974),
Wavelenght (1979), Into The Music (1979), A Sense Of Wonder (1985),
Avalon Sunset (1989) and Back On Top (1999)
(see SEPARATE REVIEWS for all 7)

30 June 2008 UK/1 & 8 July 2008 USA (8 titles)
Veedon Fleece (1974), Common One (1980), Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (1983), Live At The Grand Opera House, Belfast (1984), No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986), Enlightenment (1990), A Night In San Francisco (2CD Live Set) (1994) and The Healing Game (1997)
(see also SEPARATE REVIEWS for "Veedon Fleece", "Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart", "Enlightenment", the live 2CD set "A Night In San Francisco, "Common One" and "No Guru, No Method, No Teacher")

September 2008 (7 titles)
Saint Dominic's Preview (1972), A Period Of Transition (1977), Beautiful Vision (1982), Poetic Champions Compose (1987), Hymns To The Silence (2CD Studio Set) (1991), How Long Has This Been Going On (Live At Ronnie Scott's) (1995) and Tell Me Something - The Songs Of Mose Allison (1996)

January 2009 (8 titles)
Hard Nose The Highway (1973), Irish Heartbeat (with The Chieftains) (1988),
Too Long In Exile (1993), Days Like This (1995), The Story Of Them (2CD Set) (1999), The Skiffle Sessions - Live In Belfast (with Lonnie Donegan & Chris Barber) (2000), Down The Road (2002) and What's Wrong With This Picture? (2003)

PPS:
Those hoping to see desperately needed sonic upgrades of his 1st and 2nd album masterpieces on Warner Bothers "Astral Weeks" (1968) and "Moondance" (1970) or even "His Band & The Street Choir" (late 1970) will be disappointed to hear that they're NOT in this re-issue campaign - on either side of the pond. "Astral Weeks" and "Moondance" in particular have both been languishing around on crappy-sounding non-remastered CDs for over 20 years now and they're glaringly obvious omissions in this supposedly 'extensive' re-issue campaign. These universally recognized masterpieces have long deserved 2CD DELUXE EDITION treatment (some tracks in remastered form are available across the 3 volumes of "Best Of"). However, I've recently been informed by a good source that all 3 are NOW AVAILABLE since June 2008 in JAPAN in RHINO REMASTERED form. See the excellent Japanese site CDJAPAN.CO.JP for details (worded in English).

Masterpiece enhanced
Wavelength is a work of melodic rock and soul that ranks amongst Van Morrison ten best to this listener. The 1978 album has been enhanced by the addition of live versions of the title track and Kingdom Hall, recorded that same year at The Roxy in LA. The track Kingdom Hall is a full bodied rock song with a great hook and rousing vocals, Checkin' It Out a lilting mid-tempo ballad with baroque instrumental passages, Natalia a meandering love song.

Venice USA has a bouncy reggae rhythm, lovely organ and an addictive sing-along chorus, the slow ballad Lifetimes with its unusual instrumental mix is an extraordinary sonic experience whilst the title track with its handclaps and R&B vocals represents the artist at his most soulful. I love the guitar textures on Santa Fé/Beautiful Obsession, the brooding vocals on Hungry For Your Love and the intricate piano rolls on the mournful Take It Where You Find It, the most spiritual song here.

Because it is not experimental or any form of radical stylistic departure, Wavelength may not be considered a classic in the league of Astral Weeks, Moondance or Tupelo Honey, but it still deserves its five stars through and through. The two added tracks provide a window on Van at his live, atmospheric best. Other recent re-releases include Sense of Wonder and the aforementioned Tupelo Honey, both worth acquiring. These enhanced albums all include the lyrics and the original artwork.

The best jazz music you can buy
This is the kind of music Dido and Katie Melua are trying to do. Tired, tepid, chilled out late night smoky jazz. The difference is that Van Morrison can make half arsed lazy songs sound interesting. And he raises his voice from time to time so you won't fall asleep.

It might not rock, but it doesn't bore. There are a few energetic tracks but for the most part it's warm synthesiser heavy ambient music where tone and feel is maybe more important than obvious thrills.

If you like the idea of jazz music, but can't actually stand the stuff, then this is the perfect album for you. It has that glistening, jazzy, noodling club vibe, but with short well structured songs with good lyrics. It is very consistent with no bad tracks.

I'm a pretty big Van Morrison fan and I consider this to be one of his best albums so I do fully recommend it.

If you like this, then you should like Morrison's "Inarticulate Speech of the Heart" album.