Review Summary: "On a golden Autumn day, you came my way in Orangefield..."
When I started getting into Van Morrison I was amazed by his voice strength and pitch; by the time I had only listened to Moondance, which for me was the perfect record, consisting of ten exquisite tracks. I wanted to know more about him and one day searching in my father's music library I eventually came across this album and started listening to it.
It was not as impressive as the 1970 hit, but I still had a feeling that Van Morrison was really precise and accurate in composing music and lyrics, that he was a "poetic champion", to quote his 1987 record.
This time not all the songs caught me as Moondance ones did, but I found many good stuff in it.
I would recommend for instance "Have I Told You Lately?", one of the most romantic songs I've ever heard, or "Orangefield", with its dreamy atmosphere of days gone by.
If you are a really strong Christian believer, but even if you - like me - can sometimes just appreciate the music without believing in what it says, you'll like for sure "When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God?", "Whenever God Shines His Light" and "These Are The Days", whose mystic lyrics and catchy sounds will certainly please you.
In the end, I'd say that this album can't be ignored, probably it's not the best to get familiar with the Northern Irish singer, but it's a must if you want to go beyond his greatest successes and appreciate him a little bit more.
Recommended tracks:
Have I Told You Lately?
Orangefield
Whenever God Shines His Light
Daring Night
4/5
