Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (SACD Analogue Productions)

As Rolling Stone puts it, \""Van Morrison's second album is quite unlike his first. For a start, there's nothing on it like \u2018Brown Eyed Girl,' and that's what the world was expecting.\""\n\nThe founder of Bang Records, the label he was signed to, had unexpectedly died. His widow blamed Morrison as the two had been arguing over the direction of his new music. Bert Berns wanted Morrison to head to a more pop orientated sound, but Morrison wanted to explore new terrain. Following the death, Morrison was blocked from recording. Warner Brothers, who subsequently signed Morrison helped him out of that deal. And Morrison set to work on recording a folk rock masterpiece, a stream of consciousness record with music a mix between folk, blues, jazz and even classical music.\n\nAstral Weeks is more than an album \u2014 it's an experience. Van Morrison's 1968 masterpiece defies genre, while rewarding listeners with new emotional and musical discoveries. It's a fusion of folk, jazz improvisatior