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Van Morrison: Astral Weeks – Live at the Hollywood Bowl

Steven R Rosen, Blurt, 18 February 2009

FIRST OF ALL, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks is rock's A Love Supreme. There's no way you could ever listen to its title song – a jazzy and modal riff that slowly but confidently builds in tempo and power as Morrison scats around the impressionistic lyrics until he finds confidence in repeatedly declaring "to be born again" – and not think the creator had a master plan for Morrison to record this album – a song cycle – in 1968.

Total word count of piece: 774

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