Van Morrison's inaugural duo of albums, Astral Weeks and Moondance, are almost universally lauded as two of the most substantial works in the history of popular music. Two albums, uniquely enough, could not be more dissimilar, both in terms of song composition and peformance. Whereas Astral Weeks is sprawling, hushed, and haphazard in arrangement, Moondance is compact, lavish, and thoroughly conceived. Moondance, despite having two additional tracks than its predecessor, comes up short in playtime by eight minutes. This is not to say that the songs lack any depth or complexity; rather, they are perfectly orchestrated, fit-for-radio compositions that would all rank above any of the mainstream rubbish infecting today's airwaves. This is quality pop music, the likes of which has rarely been seen in recent decades."And It Stoned Me" kicks off the proceedings in an abrupt rush of vocals and plodding guitar. This is the closest we get to Astral Weeks songwriting, as the words are presented in a stream-of-consciousness method of storytelling. Van is recounting an occasion when he and a friend got caught in a rainstorm on the way home from a county fair; the event "stoned him," though not in a drug-induced sense that we would infer by today's standards. To be "stoned," by Van's interpretation, is to be mystified by some event or enlightenment. The song, lyrically, is strangely rapturous, and the music plays fittingly off the words. The steady rhythm of the drum and piano conveys a feeling of mysticism, which is precisely what Van is describing.
The title track is deservingly regarded as one of Van's most recognizable tunes. The jazzy ebb of cymbals and piano that usher in the song are among the most recognizable sounds in modern music, and the playful melody of the flute and horns provide a danceable backdrop to a set of sensual lyrics. Although it has never translated very well to a concert setting, "Moondance" is in the upper echelon of Van's vast playlist. "Crazy Love" is, like the song before it, a classic sound of romance. The falsetto vocal performance is delicate and vulnerable, and the soft, charming acoustic guitar helps guide the song into a new, syrupy stratosphere. It is absolutely Van's pinnacle achievement in the category of "love song," outshining the likes of "Tupelo Honey" and "Have I Told You Lately."
"Caravan,"a smooth but energetic rhythm and blues number, is arguably the epicenter of the album. As it reaches a raging climax of, "I long just to hold you tight/so I can feel you/switch on your electric light/so we can get down to what is really wrong," Van invokes some of his most overtly sexual lyrics in nearly forty years of songwriting. While other classics, such as "Moondance," don't always suit a concert atmosphere, "Caravan" has proven itself to be quite the showstopper on many occasions throughout the storied history of Van's live performances. The "turn it up! turn it up!" chants never fail to persuade even the most laid-back of audiences into a frantic frenzy.
The string of masterful ditties marches on with "Into the Mystic," with some of Van's most passionate and, ironically, mystical singing. The strummed acoustic guitar that introduces the song has an epic aura to it, and the audience knows from the start that they are in for a remarkable listening experience. The baseline carries the sound of a babbling brook, and the words of "I want to rock your gypsy soul/just like way back in the days of old," propel the song into radiant magic.
None of the songs following "Into the Mystic" measure up to the greatness of the preceeding handful of tracks, but they are all nonetheless terrific, accessible blues numbers that would be standouts on any other Van album. "These Dreams of You" is an infectious blues excursion that reaches a flowing, swinging ecstacy in its choruses of "now hush-a-bye." "Brand New Day" finds Van in an understated but overwhelmingly soulful vocal "zone," and the song tiptoes along with a trance-like quality. "Everyone," which leads the film Royal Tennenbaums to its rousing concluson, is a glamorous ballad that sounds classical in structure. Finally, "Glad Tidings" ushers Moondance into a celebratory culmination of music, and the album makes an energetic, final gasp before fading valiantly into silence, and into the annals of rock 'n' roll classics.
Moondance boasts more standout tracks than most musicians' Best of albums, and there is not one weak performance among the bunch. Despite the varying styles and sounds contained within the album, there is an underlying similarity in the musicianship that gives it a much-needed flow. With songs like the title track, "Crazy Love," "Caravan," and "Into the Mystic," how can Moondance not rank near the top of Van's illustrious index?
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