Astral Weeks

It starts off with a simple upright bassline and percussion. A couple guitars join in the fun. Then something extraordinary happens. A voice pierces the group of smooth, solid instruments, as though telling a story that's never been told before. Every word is new, every note is new, and they're sung with a conviction that could only come from an Irishman.

Van Morrison has an incredible voice. He is never content to stay in one spot, jumping through the modulations that the background music allows him. His words are prosaic and poetic all at once. Listening to Astral Weeks is like reading your favorite novel with a soundtrack. It's probably one of the best five pop albums ever recorded, up with the likes of Sgt. Pepper's, Pet Sounds, What's Going On and Highway 61 Revisited. The reason all these albums are up there is that they all do something that has never been done before and has never been done since. Sgt. Pepper's is a rock carnival, Pet Sounds is a true pop masterpiece, down to every melody and harmony, What's Going On is a powerfully political yet smooth Motown period piece, and Astral Weeks is a perfect, unique blend of folk, blues, jazz, and rock and roll. It's beautiful enough to make you cry tears of joy out your right eye and tears of sorrow out your left.

There are no rules on Astral Weeks. There is no definite rhythm section. The string bass is on its own wavelength, as are the two guitars that appear on most tracks. Besides those central instruments, the album features flutes, saxophones, vibraphones, keyboards and a number of percussion instruments. But while the album is unpredictable, it remains anything but chaotic. It's a rare mix in music to find composed unpredictability.

I'd always see this album named on those "Best Albums of All-Time" lists and wonder why. I mean, Moondance had most of Morrison's hits ("Moondance," "Into the Mystic," "Caravan," "Crazy Love" and so on); his most well-known song ("Brown Eyed Girl") was on 1967's Blowin' Your Mind! What place did Astral Weeks have on these lists?

Bob Dylan was always credited for being great at telling stories through his songs, and rightfully so. Dylan is arguably the best lyricist of all-time. Dylan was never much of a singer, however, as most can agree. He was a decent musician, but certainly nothing spectacular. On Astral Weeks, Morrison doesn't just write great lyrics; he sings them like no one else ever could. While Dylan has often been one-upped by artists who cover his songs, nobody could touch Morrison's "Cyprus Avenue" or "Madame George." He doesn't just sing the songs, either. He lives them. There is an unparalleled passion in his voice on "The Way Young Lovers Do" and "Sweet Thing."

The main reason that Astral Weeks isn't very popular is that it's not really a pop album. It can't be confined just to pop or rock or folk or jazz or blues or even classical. It spans them all like no album had done before or has done since. There's a relatable theme in every single song, yet the songs are personal and illustrative. If Shakespeare was a songwriter in the late '60s, these are the songs he would write. Calling some of them love songs doesn't do justice to the magnitude that the lyrics touch. It's a damn shame this album doesn't get the notoriety it deserves, because any music fan with some semblance of taste would be well-served to listen to this one.