Log #25 - Van's Window on Astral Weeks

1. Lynyrd Skynryd - Gold and Platinum
2. John Martyn - Solid Air
3. Tom Waits - Blue Valentine
4. John Martyn - Grace and Danger
5. Van Morrison - The 1967 New York Sessions
6. John Martyn - Glorious Fool

The Van Morrison New York Sessions are outtakes from around the Astral Weeks time. Releases of studio outtakes like this are often filler for some artists. But not in the case of Van Morrison whose perfectionism has meant many great songs not making the cut to his albums over the years (see the tremendous Philosopher's Stone for example). On these tracks we hear the genesis of the Astral Weeks album with early takes of some of the songs that would resurface a year later on the album proper. The sound is rawer, his voice is powerful and soulful, and the songs are bluesy with an improvisational quality. Listening to this album reminds me of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes and the aforementioned Philosopher's Stone.

Cover album Blue Valentine is classic Tom Waits,  providing a bridge between his early soulful ballads and his later industrial rhythms. I love the night hawk neon green tinged seedy imagery which augments the groovy blues tinged music and lyrics within.

Blue Valentine, back shot.

The evocative track titles tell some stories in themselves.