Track Listing

1. Spanish Steps
2. Mystery
3. Queen Of The Slipstream
4. I Forgot That Love Existed
5. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
6. Celtic Excavation
7. Someone Like You
8. Alan Watts Blues
9. Give Me My Rapture
10. Did Ye Get Healed
11. Allow Me

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80094 in Music
• Released on: 1998-04-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered

Amazon.co.uk Review
If his albums are anything to go by, Van Morrison seems to bounce between religions like a demented pinball. Amazingly, for a decade that saw the Belfast enigma get through Christianity and Scientology before returning, on Avalon Sunset, to Christianity again, Poetic Champions Compose serves as a reminder that Van managed to even cram in an agnostic phase along the way. With this in mind, a desperately bleak version of folk standard "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" somewhat lacerates the heartstrings. However, it shouldn't be assumed that this is by any means a depressing affair. Three saxophone instrumentals, including the Miles Davis influenced "Spanish Steps" lend a crisp Sunday morning feel to much of the proceedings, whilst "Queen Of The Slipstream" and live favourite "Did Ye Get Healed" suggest however bad the crisis of faith was--and the quite awesome preceding album No Guru No Method No Teacher suggests it was pretty bad--here is a man ultimately happy to find redemption in a love song. And who would blame him? --Peter Paphides

CD Description
With as self-explanatory a title as this, it seems there's little need to elaborate. For what it's worth, this is Morrison at the height of his '80s spiritual phase, and he delvesdeeply and poignantly into the twin rivers of theology and mysticism. Ever the spiritual nomad, Morrison's worldview combines his Catholic upbringing with the Buddhism that was a key element of the Beat writers who were among his early inspirations. Thus, we have Morrison waxing reverential like some blues-driven preacher on the redemptive "Did Ye Get Healed?" and digging deeper into the mystic on "Alan Watts Blues", whose title refers to the Buddhism-based British author/philosopher. Typical of his recordings from this period, Morrison shies away from his R&B roots in favour of a kind of Celtic/New Age/Pop amalgam. And it's only a musical master as adept as Morrison that's capable of making such a confluence intriguing.

Customer Reviews

My favourite Van album
I listen to this about once a year - just so I don't take it for granted. This album means quite a lot to me - whether that's because it's truly great or gives me a nostalgic shiver I can't tell. All I know is it makes me look at the world differently - it's such a good album, Van's voice is amazing - worldly and grizzled - and yet somehow he can sing lyrics about his spiritual take on life without being a pain in the arse.
Van's a funny one - I know about two people who like him as much as I do - but if you get it it's pretty fabulous.

Blissful chill-out
In my book the best chill-out CD ever. Fantastic set of songs which I cant imagine anyone not liking. "Someone Like You" recently featured in Bridget Jones Diary very prominently and good to see some well-merited exposure for one of many beautiful tracks on this superb album.

JAZZY, ATMOSPHERIC WORK
The instrumental Spanish Steps is the languid jazzy introduction to this album of understated songs. The album takes it name from a line in Queen Of The Slipstream, a gentle ballad with a haunting melody. I Forgot That Love Existed is another jazzy number with gorgeous instrumental flourishes, whilst Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child has more of a soul or R&B feel in its yearning vocals and has something of the same effect as Blind Faith’s Can’t Find My Way Home. Celtic Excavation is an ethereal and evocative instrumental with tinkling piano and a lovely lilting flow and Someone Like You is a slow and moving love song. My favourites include the bouncy Alan Watts Blues with its twanging guitar and the rhythmic uptempo Give Me My Rapture, a catchy inspirational song with great organ flourishes. The piece Did Ye Get Healed? has swirling female backing vocals and the album concludes with another jazzy instrumental titled Allow Me. The album is quite cohesive in creating a mood of contented contemplation with Morrison’s characteristic spiritual undertone. It is probably not considered to be amongst his greatest work, but still a classic in my opinion.