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| Van Morrison - Avalon Sunset Band: Van Morrison The Return of True Genius "Avalon Sunset" in my opinion marks a return to Van Morrison of yesteryear. Songs such as "Whenever God Shines His Light" and "I'd Love To Write Another Song" sound as if they were fresh from his "Into The Music" era. "Contacting My Angel" hearkens back to "Astral Weeks" or "Veedon Fleece", and "Have I Told You Lately" stands on its own as a fine single. This follow-up to "Irish Heartbeat" Truly matches in quality and these two albums mark a much improved Van Morrison. Beautifully subtle Van Morrison's "Avalon Sunset" was originally released back in 1989, but it is as wonderful today as when it first came out. One measure of how well Van is able to speak to people is that I still hear the song "Have I Told You Lately" from this album quite regularly on the radio. "Avalon Sunset" is perhaps best known for being a spiritual album (I prefer the word "spiritual" to the word "religious"), but as a matter of fact only a couple of the songs on the album have an overtly spiritual Bent to them, including the initial "Whenever God Shines His Light on Me." This song is a real attention-grabber--great melody, beat and words--and deserves its spot at the beginning of the album. I sometimes stop and play this track two or three times before moving on to the rest. The most famous song here is, of course, "Have I Told You Lately [That I Love You]." What I especially like about it is that I can listen to it on a couple of different levels, either as a song of praise to God or else as a simple Love song addressed to another person. It's that subtlety, that lack of "beating me over the head" with the lyrics, that I find especially appealing, but the more I hear the song, the more I find comfort in the spiritual interpretation of it. Of course, there are any number of songs on here that deserve to be as well known as "Have I Told You Lately," and that repay repeated listenings. Some of my other favorites on this album are "I'd Love to Write Another Song," "I'm Tired Joey Boy" and "Orangefield." One very special track is "Coney Island." Van's voice, reminiscent of John Prine's in some ways, is very expressive, and especially so in this piece. "Coney Island" is not a song at all but rather a short spoken description of a trip Van took to Coney Island with someone special, the stops they made on the way, the photos they took, the food they bought, and so forth. If I had to pick a favorite phrase here, it would be "I look at the side of your face," which is indelibly etched into my memory. I have enjoyed this album many times and expect to continue enjoying it well into the future. Indeed, "Avalon Sunset" is at the top of my short list of indispensable albums. Van is definitely not "Tired Joey Boy!" His second of three straight masterpieces (Poetic Champions Compose" before and "Enlightenment" after), "Avalon Sunset" brought Van back into many people's lives with the success of "Have I Told You Lately." The Rod Stewart cover debacle aside, this song has stood the test of time very nicely. Of course, the thing for me that puts this song over the top is the piano solo by Neil Drinkwater. The warmth of this solo could melt icebergs, and he's a big reason why Van's three albums from this period are so masterful. Neil also shines on the other two releases, giving them a level of feeling that would make Bill Evans proud. Like many Van fans, I also Love the wonderfully eccentric tracks "Coney Island" and "I'm Tired Joey Boy." Add these songs to other gems like "Whenever God Shines His Light" (love that piano), "Contacting My Angel" and Orangefield" and you have a masterpiece in the making. Buy Van Morrison Avalon Sunset at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.comJamster - the latest ringtones for your phone! |
