Astral Weeks
Van Morrison's second studio album, released in 1968.
Astral Weeks, Van Morrison’s second studio album, was cut at Century Sound Studios in New York over September and October 1968, then issued that November on Warner Bros. Records. The music fuses folk, blues, jazz, and classical elements, a sharp turn from the pop sound of earlier hits like “Brown Eyed Girl.” Its lyrics and sleeve artwork develop a recurring symbolism that links earthly love with heaven, a theme Morrison would revisit on later records. Critics have called the writing impressionistic, hypnotic, and modernist, and the album itself is often described as a song cycle or concept album.
The record initially got no push from Morrison’s label and failed to catch on with either buyers or reviewers. Over time, its reputation rose sharply, with widespread praise for Morrison’s vocals, arrangements, and songcraft. It is now regarded as one of rock’s greatest and most important albums—a status Morrison himself has brushed off. It appears on many all-time best-of lists and has left a lasting mark on listeners and fellow musicians. Forty years after its release, in November 2008, Morrison performed all eight tracks live for the first time at two Hollywood Bowl concerts; that show was later issued as *Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl*.
**Background**
In early 1968, Morrison was stuck in a contract dispute with Bang Records, keeping him out of the studio. This followed the sudden death of Bang’s founder, Bert Berns, who had a congenital heart defect and died of a heart attack in a New York hotel room on 30 December 1967. Before his death, Berns and Morrison had clashed creatively—Berns wanted pop, Morrison wanted to push into new territory. Berns’s widow, Ilene Berns, blamed Morrison and the conflict for her husband’s death. (She later softened that stance, but Morrison’s then-girlfriend Janet Rigsbee has described Ilene’s vindictiveness toward him.)
After Berns died, Ilene inherited his contracts. Morrison’s annual option on his recording deal came due less than a week after the funeral. Legally tied to Bang, he couldn’t record and found few New York clubs willing to book him, fearing reprisals from Berns’s organized-crime connections—ties that still affected artists like Neil Diamond trying to leave Bang. Ilene then learned that Berns had failed to file the right paperwork to keep Morrison, a British citizen, in the U.S., and she contacted immigr
- artist
- Van Morrison
- album
- Astral Weeks
- release_year
- 1968
- label
- Warner Bros. Records
- nationality
- Northern Irish
- genre
- Folk, blues, jazz, classical
- recording_location
- Century Sound Studios, New York
Lore & Background
At the beginning of 1968, Van Morrison became involved in a contract dispute with Bang Records after the death of founder Bert Berns. Berns's widow, Ilene Berns, held Morrison responsible for her husband's death and attempted to have him deported. Morrison avoided deportation by marrying his girlfriend Janet Rigsbee and moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he performed in local clubs with an acoustic duo. Warner Bros. Records approached Morrison, and producer Lewis Merenstein helped resolve his contractual troubles, allowing Morrison to record Astral Weeks. The recording sessions took place at Century Sound Studios on 25 September, 1 and 15 October 1968, with jazz musicians including bassist Richard Davis, guitarist Jay Berliner, percussionist Warren Smith Jr., and drummer Connie Kay. Strings and horns were added later; Morrison was initially reluctant but eventually approved the arrangements, and some accounts indicate he was involved in the decision.
Reader's Guide
Astral Weeks did not originally receive promotion from Morrison's record label and was not an immediate success with consumers or critics. Its standing eventually improved greatly, with praise given to Morrison's singing, arrangements, and songwriting, and the album has been viewed as one of rock music's greatest and most important records—a reputation the singer himself has dismissed. It was placed on numerous widely circulated lists of the best albums of all time and has had an enduring effect on both listeners and musicians. Forty years after the album's release, Morrison performed all eight of its songs live for the first time at two Hollywood Bowl concerts in November 2008; this performance was later released as Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl.
Did You Know?
- Astral Weeks was recorded at Century Sound Studios in New York during September and October 1968.
- The album's lyrics have been described as impressionistic, hypnotic, and modernist.
- Morrison performed all eight songs live for the first time at the Hollywood Bowl in November 2008.
- Producer Lewis Merenstein had a background in jazz and recruited veteran bassist Richard Davis for the sessions.
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