David Hepworth posted this in his Twitter feed earlier to mark the 51st anniversary of the release of Astral Weeks (Yes, I know. I was surprised too.)
God knows why but the decision was taken to allow the release to written by an overexcited schoolboy virgin who is incapapable of writing a sentence without including a mention of what he imagines sex to be, and tempts the lucky potential buyer with the promise that it will ‘attack your senses like the sudden sniff of a whore’s knickers.’
There’s more …but … but … no! Go now! I must rest and I would be alone.
(Release, in more senses than one, in the comments.)
There’s vivid imagination, there’s hyperbole and then there’s that…
I’d love to know what Van thinks of it now. Presumably he had no influence in those days to prevent such an advert going out.
That’s the kind of thing I was getting at with my post about The Afterword if advertised in 1976. This style of ad has totally died.
Wow….. different times.
Here’s a confession. I’ve never actually heard Astral Weeks…. I know, it’s a blind spot. Is it any good? That advert doesn’t really convince.
I have heard Astral Weeks – and it took about a fair few listens to convince. It’s one of those “you need to put the work in to gain reward” albums.
I listened again recently, but think it might also be an album you need to regularly listen to or the cycle starts again and you need another 20-odd listens to get back to it.
Great album, but bloody hard work
Similar. A friend leant me a copy and I didn’t really know what to make of it. It made a lovely noise though, so I kept on playing it and with repeated exposure (‘listen ping’ is too active a word for those early plays) it became one of those records I just had to play when the mood came on me, and nothing else would do.
*listening*
if you want instant gratification then Parallel Lines is the go to album
Difficult to argue that point – you are absolutely correct
Closely followed by Highway To Hell
Big Country – The Crossing does it for me too
Before it’s too late, Arthur, for goodness’ sake give it a try; it’s a wonderful thing.
I had to be in the right mood for Astral Weeks. The right mood turned out to be chronically hungover. Since I no longer drink, it might be a while before I listen to it again.
Interesting.
Was 1969 so bad, we have to mark 51st anniversaries instead?
It certainly wasn´t 1971.
Van has never made another album like Astral Weeks, but to my ears he´s made maybe for or five just as good, if not better. It doesn´t strike me as THE album.
Though, the ad is odd to say the least.
Astral Weeks is the only Van Morrison album I actually listen to.
Not even Astral Weeks Live?
No.
You is right weird. There are four, maybe five better Van records than Astral Weeks but Astral Weeks is bloody magnificent and you is weird
Thank you.
Astral Weeks has only just had its 50th Anniversary last November-it was released in November 1968.
The latest reissue was back in 2015.
It’s magnificent. Absolutely lives up to its reputation. One of maybe half a dozen albums which place Van Morrison firmly in the pantheon of true greats. But I have never, ever, thought of it as sexy. That said, after all, what’s wrong with being sexy?
“The celebrated English group THEM” . ……. oh dear
In my top 5 by anybody. Love a good dozen of his other albums, but this one is a unique, soulful, jazzy, precocious masterpiece.
I never had any problem appreciating Astral Weeks. Right from the very first listen I liked it and I haven’t gone off it in the years since.
Of course in those days I was generally at least a bit stoned, most of the time. Frequently very stoned indeed at somebody else’s place, when introduced to new music.
First time I heard Astral Weeks was when the Irish drug dealers in the next flat played it all weekend long. I knocked on the their door to ask who it was. The conversation went something like
Hi, man – what’s the record you’re playing?
We’re playing a record?
I make it 48 hours non-stop
Wanna score?
Just wondering what the music is
What record?
The one that’s playing now
Are you Paddy?
No, I live next door
Wanna score?
(Voice from inside) Is that Paddy?
Are you Paddy?
The next day the drug squad arrived and kicked the door down. I watched as a dozen or so stoned hippies were lead away. I looked into the ruins of the living room and there on the floor lay Astral Weeks. I felt it only right to keep it safe.
You’ve led quite a life, haven’t you? Seen things…done things….
Now that would have made a much better press release than the one they used.
Stunning album. Stunning music, stunning lyrics
Sublime singing, sublime playing
Wonderfully clean production and separation
Great played when stoned back then, great stoned now
Also great not stoned.
Just gotta sit and listen.
Lyrically I’ve never had the foggiest notion what all that pseudo-spiritual bollocks was/is all about but I like the *sound* of the words. For me it’s this one, side one of ‘Moondance’ and ‘Virgo Clowns’ off that other one.
Oh, and the live double.