Van Morrison - Magic Time
|
List Price: Our Price: $12.99 You Save: $0.99 (7%) Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 days Buy Used: from $0.98 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Magic Time
Free Music Review: Creating his own "Standards"
Hit: 5 Stars
As contemporaries like Rod Stewart are going through career revival by revisiting the standards of yesteryear, Morrison, the iconoclast, continues to go his own way by creating his own "standards." When you listen to tunes like "Stranded" and "Magic Time" with their actual melodies and the strong vocals of Morrison; you really think these songs are classics from the thirties or forties. When you realize how effortlessly Morrison has captured the best of that period while remaining true to his own muse, you will be amazed. Listen to the blues beat on "Keeping Mediocrity at Bay" and you can put Bing Crosby there swinging it, until you realize the lyrics are so definitely Morrison's work you have some difficulty thinking of anyone else who could pull it off with as much authority. In the middle of the mix, Morrison throws in a few songs that he didn't write almost as if to show how well a CD of covers would have worked; but this is much more satisfying. Listen to the "The Lion this Time" and you think of Morrison's continuous battle against complacency. When you hear "They Sold Me Out" you almost feel pity for the targets; Morrison's venom is brutal. Finishing with "Carry On," a nod toward the English comedies and the ridiculous nature of the entertainment industry and you know Morrison will keep up his struggle; his quest for excellence.
Free Music Review: Couldn't keep mediocrity at bay
Hit: 1 Stars
I'm one of those die hard Van fans and own 25+ of his cd's. I saw the good reviews on this one and bought it and was very disappointed. See the review by Michael A. Padilla to get the gist of my complaints. I just wanted to add another negative review to hopefully save other fans from making the mistake I did. Van is still one of the greatest and I expect more great music from him but except for Celtic New Year this cd wasn't it. My all time favorite Van cd is "A Night in San Francisco" which is a phenomenal live album.
I'm changing my review after listening to the album for a while (actually there's only a few songs I listen to on it). I think this cd is one of those enigmas that Van comes out with: Celtic New Year is one his most listenable songs ever and Stranded, Gypsy in My Soul and Just Like Greta are enjoyable but some of the others are just horrible. Amazon let's you edit your review but it doesn't let you change the # of stars otherwise I'd make this a 3.
Free Music Review: Van's best in a long time
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a dramatic improvement over Van's last album, "What's Wrong With This Picture?" Van's voice is in outstanding shape, especially considering his age. He really lets it rip in the covers, especially Lonely and Blue. The arrangements on every song are rich and well recorded. But to me the biggest step up from the last album is that the number of songs in which Van whines about how tough his life is has dropped significantly and the ones that remain he has at least made an effort to express this feeling in symbols and metaphors instead of just telling you how grumpy he is, as he did in WWWTP (The Lion This Time is clearly a metaphorical rendition of this theme, with Van as the lion in the cage; Just Like Garbo at least uses the Garbo image; and They Sold Me Out uses the coat of many colors story from the Old Testament). The rest of the songs do what Van does best: focusing on a simple, fleeting perception of the world around him - the way a village looks, the joy of sitting on a hill with someone you love, feeling lonely in your own backyard - and communicating the emotions that flow from that with fervor, on top of a robust jazz- and blues- based accompaniment.Free Music Review: Really good
Hit: 5 Stars
Not Van's best ( his band and street choire) 1970? or so. But worthy os 5 stars as are his last 3 or 4. Van just keeps on keepin on. Great stuff. As always.Free Music Review: better than ever
Hit: 5 Stars
Could Morrison's music get any better? "Magic Time" indicates that the best is yet to be. Sit back relax and let Morrison's take you away. Destined to become a classic.