Anybody get the new Van Morrison cd ("Magic Time")

zybar · « **on:** 18 May 2005, 04:01 am »

It received 4 out of 5 stars on www.allmusic.com and here are a few of the comments in the review:

"Magic Time is one of those rare, intermittent Van Morrison records that consciously offers a bird's eye view of everywhere he's been musically and weaves it all together into a heady brew."

"It connects the musical past to Morrison's present and points to a future in the timelessness of great musical tradition. And it displays in spades that its creator never stops looking for new ways to go deeper into the heart of song."

Looks like an easy pick for fans of Van Morrison as well as anybody who appreciates good music.

Will grab it tomorrow.

George

Jumpin · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 May 2005, 05:39 pm »

I see you are listening to The Healing Game. One of my wife and I favorites. Completely amazing and highly overlooked.

Please follow up with your opinion about Magic Time.
If it is even close to THG, it will be a no brainer to buy.

Regards,
Mark

ted_b · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 May 2005, 07:51 pm »

Weird that he spent all of ONE album at Blue Note, now he's at Geffen. Blue Note isn't usually a one night stand kinda place.

Ted

R_burke · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 May 2005, 08:42 pm »

Quote from: ted_b

Weird that he spent all of ONE album at Blue Note, now he's at Geffen. Blue Note isn't usually a one night stand kinda place.

Ted

According to his website it's being released on "his own music label" Exile Music. Tower lists it as Geffen and the review says his last five releases have been on five different labels. Maybe he's a bit touchy to work with

None the less I love his stuff and am always glad to see a new release of his.

suits_me · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 May 2005, 01:02 am »

I love his singing voice and his early work, but his stuff I've heard from the last two decades or so has always been disappointing, imo. A lot of it is over-produced in the worst way.

Hope this one's great.

lcrim · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 May 2005, 05:32 pm »

I've been a Van Morrison fan since I worked backstage @ the Woodstock, NY Summer theatre back in the late 60's. Morrison lived there at the time and gave one of our Monday nite concerts - legitimate theatre is usually dark on Monday nites. He had the big jazzy ensemble from Astral Weeks and they played the concert without stopping or waiting even for applause, outstanding though.
I too have been somewhat disappointed with his intervening work and Astral Weeks CD sound quality is kind of dodgy but recently I rented the Martin Scorcese PBS series on the Blues from Netflix. Most of it was abysmal but disc 6, entitled Red White and Blue, I think, traces how American Blues went to England and opened with a session recorded on videotape fairly recently by director Mike Figgis which featured Van doing a Blues standard, I forget the tune, but I'll never forget the performance. So good it hurt to watch and listen to. He is of course older and heavier and wore a doofis hat but it was so damn good, words fail. The guys backing weren't no slouches either.
Later Tom Jones sings " Loveletters Straight from Your Heart" and yeah I know Vegas Lounge Act Tom Jones but good is good and again I had that feeling.
Don't know anything about the latest CD but check out the DVD from Netflix - highly recommended.

panderso · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 May 2005, 07:03 pm »

Picked up 'Magic Time' last night after reading this thread. While I was at it, noticed a digital remaster of 'Poetic Champions Compose', an old fav of mine, and snapped that up too. First impressions, without a really proper listen; some fine original offerings, with the tasty instrumentals he weaves in so beautifully. A few more installments of his ongoing 'O how the record companies have victimized me' whine. I could just as happily skip those, although he manages to make them musical.

To early for me to say how it ranks with his best work, but as always, at least two or three songs are worth the price of admission all by themselves.
I don't mean to damn with faint praise; Van's best stuff always takes time to grow on me. I had 'No Master, No Guru, No Method' for years before I woke up to the beautiful offerings on that one.

By the way, he is playing some pretty tasty alto sax himself on 'Stranded' , the opening cut of Magic Time, an early favorite.

zybar · « **Reply #7 on:** 9 Jun 2005, 01:34 am »

Having this in the rotation for a few weeks now, I can say that it has grown on me quite a bit and is an effort to be proud of.

It is closer to older Van Morrison than some of his more recent works (although you certainly won't confuse it with Moondance, Astral Weeks, or Tupelo Honey) with a nice mix of jazz, blues, and good old rock.

I find that this cd grabs me a little more emotionally and makes me want to listen to it from start to finish (haven't felt this way about Van's music since The Healing Game).

As allmusic.com says...highly recommended.

George