"The song tackles the plight of the disabled, an unusual subject matter for a pop single. As ever with Morrissey the tone and sentiments are riddled with ambiguity. His use of words such as 'monster' and 'twisted' creates a strange mix of revulsion, sympathy and black comedy, all used to enlighten, and disturb, the audience. By forcing the ambivalent persona of tormentor and saviour, Morrissey forces the listener to confront their own prejudices head on." [source]I honestly didn't get that until I read that segment on Wikipedia. I assumed that this song was some sort of bizarre sequel to This Night Has Opened My Eyes. I always thought that a normal baby was synonymous with monster. To some people, I suppose that's the truth. The video is perplexing and has absolutely no bearing on the theme of the song. I do not like this video.
The suedehead subculture was an early-1970s offshoot of skinhead subculture in the United Kingdom. Although sharing similarities to 1960s skinheads, suedeheads grew their hair longer and dressed more formally.[1][2] Although often working class like skinheads, some had white collar jobs. A female suedehead was a sort. [source]It goes on to describe clothing and musical tastes and concludes with this statement: "Morrissey made a single called "Suedehead" in 1988, although the lyrics appear to have nothing to do with suedehead subculture." So much for that.
More than just an album title, “inarticulate speech of the heart” is an evocative, breathtaking description of the humble act of prayer. It captures in a simple phrase that desperate expression of pain and need, as well as the floundering over words inadequate to communicate one’s joy over a new love or a gorgeous country sunrise. [source]That's an interesting, and accurate, description. This is a pretty amazing record, though it's a low key and mellow affair.
The album was generally not well-received upon release and some of the reviews were scathing and merciless. Graham Locke reviewed it in NME calling it "colossally smug and cosmically dull; an interminable, vacuous and drearily egotistical stab at spirituality". Dave McCullough wrote in Sounds: "For the fan, as I am myself, it's not even possible to romanticize and say that Morrison has lost his way temporarily, so stern and so acute is his departure." Rolling Stone critic Tom Carson named "Satisfied" as the record's only "masterpiece", in which "the simplicity that Morrison is striving for arrive as something natural and effortless, as a gift of grace". Clinton Heylin contends that Morrison was bruised by the reaction and "would not attempt anything quite so ambitious again." In 1982, Lester Bangs argued for a reassessment, saying, "Van was making holy music even though he thought he was, and us rock critics had made our usual mistake of paying too much attention to the lyrics."It's not my favourite Van record by any means, but I still enjoy it very much, especially in certain moods. It's far better than most critics would suggest. I even bought a copy on CD years ago.
American critics voted it the 27th best album of 1980 in The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop poll. In an accompanying essay, poll supervisor Robert Christgau wrote, "As somebody who considers Moondance an apotheosis and has never gotten Astral Weeks, I think this is his worst since Hard Nose the Highway – sententious, torpid, abandoned by God. I know lots of Astral Weeks fans who agree. But Morrison has a direct line to certain souls, and they still hear him talkin'." In retrospect, he deemed "Satisfied" and "Summer in England" to be the record's highlights. AllMusic later wrote, "No wonder the rock critics of the time didn't get it; this is music outside the pop mainstream, and even Morrison's own earlier musical territory. But it retains its trancelike power to this day." In 2009, Erik Hage said "the dominant critical reaction represented it as prohibitive, sententious, and inaccessible, when in fact it is filled with much melody and beauty." [source]
Erik Hage commented that after the favourable commercial reception of Wavelength, Morrison was inspired to "return to something deeper, to once again take up the quest for music, that was spontaneous, meditative, and transcendent—music that satisfied the other side of his artistic nature." Morrison was quoted on his opinion of the album, "Into the Music was about the first album where I felt, I'm starting here...the Wavelength thing, I didn't really feel that was me." (1988) "That's when I got back into it. That's why I called it Into the Music." (1984) [source]I think the critics were right about this one. Into the Music is a really fine record. But, on the negative side, I have to say that while I absolutely love the sound and feel of Full Force Gale, the lyrics make me crazy:
Morrison explained the title with: "I haven't a clue about what the title means. It's actually a person's name. I have a whole set of characters in my head that I'm trying to fit into things. Veedon Fleece is one of them and I just suddenly started singing it in one of these songs, It's like a stream of consciousness thing." Morrison once told a fan when questioned about the meaning, "It doesn't mean anything, I made it up myself." [source]So, with that, we can move along. I love this record. It's understated, spare, calm, mystical, and misunderstood upon its release.
Frequently named as one of the best live albums ever, It's Too Late to Stop Now was recorded during what has often been said to be the singer's greatest phase as a live performer. - WikipediaLike most Van Morrison records, I also have a copy of CD. This is a really great live set. I have watched a number of live Van Morrison clips on Youtube, and I am sometimes disappointed by how he has reworked material. I would prefer it the way it was recorded, but some artists change it when played live, which I don't always like. But this record is great.
Morrison said afterwards that he "wasn't very happy" with it. "It consisted of songs that were left over from before and that they'd finally gotten around to using. It wasn't really fresh. It was a whole bunch of songs that had been hanging around for a while. I was really trying to make a country and western album." He commented further that he seldom listened to it and had a bad taste in his mouth for both His Band and the Street Choir and Tupelo Honey. [source]I have to say that I find the above passage mystifying because I really love this record, as well as His Band and the Street Choir. To me, this record is packed with greatness. I have the original Canadian pressing. I once saw a copy at a now defunct (and terrible) Toronto record store for $40! Why? This is not a rare record.
Astral Weeks' critical standing eventually improved greatly, however, and it has since been viewed as one of rock music's greatest and most important records (a reputation Morrison himself has dismissed). It is sometimes referred to as a song cycle or concept album. Critics laud the album's arrangements and songwriting. Morrison's lyrics are often described as impressionistic, hypnotic, and modernist. It was placed on numerous widely circulated lists of the best albums of all time and had an enduring effect on both listeners and musicians. Forty years after the album's release, Morrison performed all eight of its songs live for the first time during two Hollywood Bowl concerts in November 2008; this performance was later released as a live album. [source]I have a copy of that live album on CD. There was a vinyl issue, but the price is stupid now. Unless it's repressed, I am out of luck.
The song's nostalgic lyrics about a former love were considered too suggestive at the time to be played on many radio stations. A radio-edit of the song was released which removed the lyrics "making love in the green grass", replacing them with "laughin' and a-runnin', hey hey" from a previous verse. This edited version appears on some copies of the compilation album The Best of Van Morrison. However the remastered CD seems to have the bowdlerised lyrics in the packaging but the original "racy" lyrics on the disc. Lyrically, it "shows early hints of the idealized pastoral landscapes that would flow through his songs through the decades, a tendency that links him to the Romantic poets, whom Morrison has cited as an influence" according to music journalist Erik Hage. [source]I have a US pressing from 1973. It sounds fantastic. The album cover sucks. This was not my first Van record. I can't remember which was first. I also have an extensive Van Morrison CD collection. I have met some people who do not like Van Morrison. I just cannot get my head around that. It simply makes no sense.
While this was not the first time that Thurston Moore and Loren Connors have performed together, a vinyl pressing of their improvised collaborations is unprecedented. A mere three thousand copies of this extraordinary LP will be available worldwide ONLY on Record Store Day (April 20, 2013). The music will not be available in any other format, on any other day, so we think it will be well worth braving the insanely long RSD lines to get your hands on a copy. [source]The funny thing is that I picked up a copy of this record many many days after RSD and it was on sale. So much for the record company hyperbole. Also, you can buy a copy of Discogs for very little cash.
