Described as a classic by the artist, Van Morrison’s Moondance (released 1/27/70) is a sublime pleasure to rediscover, whether in its original 1970 form or the 2013 expanded edition. The relative simplicity of the material and arrangements thereof may very well generate multiple epiphanies from either source.
Not the least of such revelations is how generally different is this pop-oriented record compared to the atmospheric dream sequence in the song that is its 1968 predecessor, Astral Weeks. Nevertheless, the prominence of John Platania’s acoustic guitar and Jef Labes’ piano on cuts here, such as “And It Stoned Me” and “Caravan,” suggest a direct link to Morrison’s previous recording.
Meanwhile, the punchy horn charts on the latter directly reflect the emotive r&b/soul undercurrent in most of this material, much of it composed after the artist moved to the bucolic environs of Woodstock, N.Y. Yet this accessible style–the natural extension of which contentment is 1971’s Tupelo Honey–would come to fruition only after Morrison dispensed with the jazz-oriented sidemen brought to the earliest Moondance sessions by the producer of the previous album, Lewis Merenstein.
Still, “Into the Mystic” hearkens to the otherworldly air of the masterwork above. It may be no less enrapturing based on the hypnotic bass line of John Klingberg’s, the subtle touches of percussion by Gary Mallaber and, most of all, the depth of passion within Van Morrison’s singing. It’s the latter, in fact, that renders “Crazy Love” almost intoxicating in its delineation of the virtues within the singer’s object of affection.
There’s also a playful quality in Van’s voice on “Come Running” that indicates the panoply of feelings within Moondance (that range of emotions no doubt the source of its longstanding attraction). Meanwhile, Van’s harmonica, which appears ever-so-briefly in “These Dreams of You,” represents a bluesy element reaffirmed by saxophonist Jack Schroer’s economical solo.
Though met with critical acclaim, this third solo album of Morrison’s after the dissolution of the Irish band Them (“Gloria,” “Mystic Eyes”) was not exactly a blockbuster in commercial terms, at least in the short term. But perceptions of the album over time have rightfully rendered it one of the defining works in The Belfast Cowboy’s career (as with its two companion pieces of this same era).
In its remastered version, the polished perfection of the original ten tracks heightens the delicate density of the LP in its beloved form. Alternate versions and rehearsal sessions from which the beloved album was condensed depict the distillation process involved in forging the final version. For instance, the comparatively loose, insistently rhythmic “I’ve Been Working” would more fittingly appear on Morrison’s next album, His Band and The Street Choir (released later this same year!).
By the same token, extended versions of compositions like “Caravan” constitute harbingers of the more improvisational means by which ‘Van The Man’ would perform these songs in the immediate future (see the live album of 1974 It’s Too Late To Stop Now). Numerous takes of some numbers, including the title song, simultaneously illustrate the wealth of ideas at Van’s disposal, plus his meticulous approach to the project in the role of producer.
The purportedly temperamental Irishman has decried the reissue of Moondance as enacted without his consent, and such relative bitterness rears its ugly head even in some of the LP’s most beautiful songs, albeit only in passing. “Brand New Day” evinces a refusal to engage in nostalgia so adamant it borders on stubbornness.
Yet, the depth of such expression(s) wouldn’t ring so true if it didn’t also give way to the fundamental optimism and relish of the transcendent creativity that Moondance represents.
