Morrison’s lyrics describe a variety of different, but usually pastoral, scenes and different, but usually lovelorn, characters.

The lyrics work in tandem with the instrumentation to highlight the human qualities and messages of the music. The sonic distance between the flute and the bass on this song, developed both through the stark difference in registers and in tempo, potently attests to the sense of distance this song’s narrator feels from his former lover and the contrasting emotions that come along with this longing. “Slim Slow Slider,” at the other end of the spectrum, employs spacious, minimalistic arrangements to a hauntingly beautiful effect. “The Way Young Lovers Do” has a much more intentionally orchestrated sound, with horns and strings working in sync to complement Morrison’s vocal swells and retreats. What instead stands out is the vibraphone, flute and lead guitar riffs, which accentuate Morrison’s vocal flourishes.ĭespite the creative pressures that such a recording process puts on individual musicians, Morrison and his studio band were able to push themselves creatively and ensure that a variety of sounds still exists throughout the album. The melody of this song is rooted in the guitar and bass parts, but the low volume of these parts suggests that they may be included more for the musicians’ benefit than for the listeners’. The production, similarly, could be said to suffer from lacking instrument separation, but unusually, this actually contributes to the intimate feeling of the music and thus helps to accentuate its human qualities.Ĭonsider the second song in the track list. The instrumentation is clearly thoughtful and complex, but it also feels very spontaneous and lively. The effect that these recording procedures had upon the final output is immense. Morrison and his studio band recorded this album over the course of only three sessions, with Morrison refusing to hand out lead sheets to the musicians and instead encouraging them to play what they felt fit the melodies he brought them. However, in his 1968 album Astral Weeks, Van Morrison uses nearly every trick at his disposal to artfully overcome this obstacle. Music recorded in the studio and then consumed in various digital formats have trouble retaining this sense of humanity. Moreover, the perceptible effort which any decent artist puts into a show reminds us of the highly intricate process which led to what we’re currently hearing. The music becomes more analogous to human existence, vulnerable to mistakes but equally capable of taking on an evolved form. People might argue as to where this special quality originates, be it from superior sound quality or highly stimulating visual effects, but what really makes live music so experientially unique is its human quality. There’s something uniquely enjoyable about seeing live music.

Van morrison astral weeks song meaning