cyberinsekt

Van Morrison's Astral Weeks is one of those albums that always gets named when music journalists are bored enough to compile another top records of all time list. There's good reason for this. It's not only a very fine album indeed, it's also one of the most startling. It was 1968, and Van had been getting quite the reputation for poppy, gritty R&B songs. Understandably, his label wanted more of the same. Instead, he teamed up with producer Lewis Merenstein to create a folk rock classic with jazz rhythms and orchestral strings. Rhythm guitar? No thank you, today we're going to use rhythm flute instead.

The remarkable sound aside, Astral Weeks contains some of Morrison's finest songwriting, and some of his most impassioned performances. But today's pick is a song that seldom seems to get singled out for any praise. Sweet Thing isn't deep and it isn't soulfully emotional. It's driven by a rhythm section that's at once delicate and urgent. It's just a love song full of pastoral allusions and the joy of life. This really is one of the most blissful pieces of music I know.

Van Morrison - Sweet Thing