Washington Times Interview With Van

Washington Times
Van Morrison to revisit 'Astral Weeks' in concert

Financially speaking, 1968 was a hard year for Van Morrison. "Brown Eyed Girl," the songwriter's first single as a solo artist, had become an international hit in 1967, yet a skewed record contract kept Mr. Morrison from receiving any royalty payments. Meanwhile, his label continued to push for more pop-oriented music, hoping to capitalize on the single's success.

When the founder of Bang Records died unexpectedly, Mr. Morrison managed to extricate himself from the contract that had all but bankrupted him. A partnership with Warner Bros followed, allowing greater control of his own music but little money upfront. Virtually penniless, Mr. Morrison began recording a new album in September.

"The lack of support and money did force me to do the record lean in '68," Mr. Morrison recalls via email, "but it turns out that was really to my benefit. I learned that to make a solid record, one does not have to have all the producers, bells and whistles. You just have to have the ability, the patience, the ear and the soul. If you can sing and if you write a solid song, all you need is a microphone."

Although Mr. Morrison would eventually insist on producing his own albums, producer Lewis Merenstein was brought aboard to helm the 1968 recording sessions. "I only remember him going for sandwiches," says Mr. Morrison, who nonetheless allowed Mr. Merenstein to assemble a cast of veteran jazz musicians for the project. Bassist Richard Davis, guitarist Jay Berliner and drummer Connie Kay were among those recruited, and their jazz training lent an improvised, impressionistic elegance to the album. Within one month, "Astral Weeks" was complete.

Although "Astral Weeks" never matched the sales of its predecessor, few albums have better stood the test of time. The music is simultaneously baffling and beautiful, mixing uncanny lyrics with an elastic mix of soul, jazz, Celtic folk and classical tropes. Four decades later, "Astral Weeks" continues to yield new discoveries with each listen.

Mr. Morrison claims the record could have been better, however.

"I have just started listening to some old albums of mine, and I wish I would have never let someone else ever touch my songs in post-production," he says now. Recalling his songs were "butchered and killed" in post-production, he vows, "I will never use a producer for post-production ever again; I like real and I like resonance, and that stuff kills it."

To celebrate the album's 40th anniversary — and to revive those elements that had been lost during production — Mr. Morrison has chosen to revisit the songs in concert. "Astral Weeks" had rarely been played live, since Mr. Morrison refused to perform the material without proper instrumentation. Accordingly, a new cast of jazz musicians was assembled in time for two highly publicized concerts in Los Angeles.

Despite the challenging nature of "Astral Weeks," Mr. Morrison only scheduled one rehearsal before opening night.

"I did not prepare," he says. "I did not want to touch until it was time for me to hit the stage, really. We had one rehearsal, and in my estimation it was not hot. The songs came alive in a whole new way [in concert], though. Forty years later, and I just let it rip as if it was brand new. People are saying that I made it new, which I appreciate tremendously. They noticed!"

The concerts were unanimously popular, prompting the release of a live album, "Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl," as well as the launch of a national tour. Dubbed "Astral Weeks Live," the tour has since sold out multiple venues across the country, bringing more attention to one of the industry's most reluctant celebrities.

"I love music, I hate fame," he admits. "Fame draws in parasites and fools. I love singing, though, and this has been the irony of me doing what I do. It's difficult to reconcile the two, so I just keep doing what I do — reluctantly."

For all his discomfort on the red carpet, however, Mr. Morrison maintains a confident, commanding presence onstage. "Each performance of 'Astral Weeks 2009' has tended to have its own power and its own magic, and luckily it evolves into something different than the time before, in a good and surprising way each time. With solid songs, this is what can happen."
- Andrew Leahey