Van Morrison – Moondance (Rhino Reserve 180gm LP Vinyl)
Recorded in New York in 1969 and released in February 1970, Moondance marked a decisive turn toward the sound Morrison would carry through the decade, drawing on the jazz and R&B he'd absorbed growing up in Belfast. The band he assembled for these sessions, tight and intuitive, gave his writing a groove that Astral Weeks deliberately avoided. Fifty-plus years on, the album holds its warmth without a trace of age.
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Moondanceis the brighter, more accessible counterpart to Astral Weeks: Van Morrison's first major commercial success that keeps the earlier album's spiritual depth while shifting from bleak intensity to themes of renewal and redemption. Light, soulful, and jazz-inflected, it celebrates nature and possibility-from the nostalgic "And It Stoned Me" to the nocturnal title track and the optimism of "Brand New Day." Highlights include the incantatory "Caravan" and the transcendent "Into the Mystic," often seen as the defining moment of Morrison's artistry. Lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans at Sterling Sound from the best available sources.
Tracklist
Side A
Side B
UPC: 081227804992
Label: Rhino
Release Date: 2.27.26
Format: LP Vinyl