Beautiful Vision

Infobox Album | Name = Beautiful Vision
Type = Album
Artist = Van Morrison


Released = January 1982
Recorded = The Record Plant
Sausalito, Cal.
Summer 1981
Genre = Celtic, Jazz
Length = 45:31
Label =
Producer = Van Morrison
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:cnen97i7krkt link]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Van+Morrison link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/67/albums/album/141721/rid/5944192/ link]
Last album = "Common One"
(1980)
This album = "Beautiful Vision"
(1981/82)
Next album = "Inarticulate Speech of the Heart"
(1983)
Misc = Singles
Name =Beautiful Vision
Type =studio
Single 1 =Cleaning Windows" b/w "It's All in the Game
Single 1 date =
Single 2 =Scandinavia" b/w "Dweller on the Threshold
Single 2 date =
Single 3 =Dweller on the Threshold" b/w "Northern Muse (Solid Ground)
Single 3 date =
Single 4 =
Single 4 date =

"Beautiful Vision" is an album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter/musician Van Morrison, released in January 1982 through Elektra/Asylum Records. As with many of Morrison's recordings, spirituality is a major theme. The sound of the album is particularly ethereal.

ongs

The songs on the album are heavily influenced by Morrison's memories of Belfast and according to the liner notes, some of the lyrics derive from the book "Glamour: A World Problem" by esoteric writer Alice Bailey. [cite book|title=Music for Inner Space|last=Drury|first=Nevill|year=1985|publisher=Prism Press|pages=60|isbn=0958975906] [cite journal|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/141721/review/5944192/beautifulvision|title=Van Morrision "Beautiful Vision", 1988|publisher=Rolling Stone Magazine|author=JOHN MILWARD|date=Mar 4, 1982|volume=RS 364] It is also said to have been strongly influenced by his new girlfriend from Vanlose in Copenhagen Denmark. The opening song "Celtic Ray" is concerned with the singer's connection to the ancient Celtic culture and his ability to get messages through a "wavelength" from Mother Ireland. "Northern Muse (Solid Ground)" adds a young woman in County Down to a similar theme. "Dweller on the Threshold" is credited to the religious teachings of Bailey. "Beautiful Vision" can be interpreted as either a vision of heaven or of his girlfriend, who also influences "She Gives Me Religion" and "Vanlose Stairway" (which refers to the stairway in the apartment where she lived.) "Cleaning Windows" is about Morrison's first full time job and the last carefree days of his adolescence. The melody is very upbeat and embellished with a playful guitar. Brian Hinton comments that "Across the Bridge Where Angels Dwell" is literally about the bridge that separated Morrison's Mill Valley California home from the San Mateo house where his daughter, Shana lived with her mother. "Scandinavia" ends the album and is an instrumental with Morrison on piano backed up by Mark Isham's synthesizer and a drum that sounds like a heartbeat. [Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, p. 233-236]

Track listing

All songs by Van Morrison except as indicated.

ide one

#"Celtic Ray" - 4:11
#"Northern Muse (Solid Ground)" - 4:05
#"Dweller on the Threshold" (music: Morrison; lyrics: Morrison, Hugh Murphy) - 4:49
#"Beautiful Vision" - 4:08
#"She Gives Me Religion" - 4:33

ide two

#"Cleaning Windows" - 4:43
#"Vanlose Stairway" - 4:10
#"Aryan Mist" (music: Morrison; lyrics: Morrison, Murphy) - 4:00
#"Across the Bridge Where Angels Dwell" (music: Morrison; lyrics: Morrison, Murphy) - 4:31
#"Scandinavia" - 6:41

Bonus tracks (2008 CD reissue)

#"Cleaning Windows" (alternative take)
#"Real Real Gone" (alternative take)

Personnel

*Van Morrison - guitar, electric piano, vocals
*David Hayes - bass
*Mark Isham - synthesizer, trumpet
*Rob Wasserman - bass on "Cleaning Windows" and "Aryan Mist"
*John Allair - organ
*Herbie Armstrong - acoustic guitar on "Scandinavia"
*Pee Wee Ellis - tenor and baritone saxophones, flute
*Tom Donlinger - drums
*Sean Fulsom - uilleann pipes
*Chris Hayes - guitar
*Mark Knopfler - guitar on "Cleaning Windows" and "Aryan Mist"
*Pauline Lozana - backing vocals
*Gary Mallaber - drums on "Cleaning Windows" and "Aryan Mist"
*Chris Michie - guitar
*Michele Segan - percussion on "Cleaning Windows" and "Aryan Mist"
*Annie Stocking - backing vocals
*Bianca Thornton - backing vocals
*Peter Van Hooke - drums on "Scandinavia"

Charts

Album - Billboard

Album - UK Album Chart

Notes

References

*Hinton, Brian (1997). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074169X

External links

* [http://www.vanmorrison.co.uk/?m=Content&Content(record_id)=b2950180e54389f3cf9d93ad908ac00e# Lyrics and Audio Samples] 1980s, Beautiful Vision