Van Morrison – Astral Weeks

AAA Kevin Gray, silent vinyl, brilliant music! 10/10 will be big $ when it's eventually out of print

This is a very good sounding German reissue of this classic Van Morrison album from 1968. The sound is fresh and clear. There is some sibilance, but sound is generaly good and with a nice chanal separation.

Who the fucking hell bought this for $1100?‎ ‎ ‎

I share Mr. Land's skepticism of this Lp's reputation, but likely for different reasons, as I can hang in there with the songs and Morrison's delivery of them. But, musically, I have to say I prefer *any* Morrison with a rocknroll rhythm section to this under-rehearsed noodling in which it was too early in the process for anybody but the bassist (who seems to be the only person with a firm idea of his rhythmic footing) to have a definite groove. I have never been charmed by the primitive-yet-maudlin "string section" sawing away arhythmically, often somewhat out-of-tune, throughout most tracks, and have wanted a version of this with
a) no strings and b) a band with a month's more work on these songs to develop a stronger rhythmic core that everybody in the room understood in their bones.

Great pressing, solid all around, at least ten words, please

I simply do not understand all the lavish praise this album has received from the late '60s onwards. Endless harsh constipated barking over the most simplistic, dull chord progressions imaginable. All his albums are more or less like this (as it's all he can do) but this one really gets my goat as it is always dubbed a "timeless classic" or whatever. I do like 'Van The Man' as a human being but can I have my 47 minutes back please?

Um álbum gostoso de ouvir com muito violão e melodias agradáveis. Falta um pouco de diversidade nas canções, mas mesmos assim é um disco que vale a pena ouvir.

ERROR IN THE NOTES: This version is plated at RTI in USA, but it is pressed by OPTIMAL in Germany. Not pressed at RTI as described in the Notes.

If you look at the image of the back cover, you will read "MANUFACTURED IN THE EU" at the very bottom in the last line of the small print.

By the way, the pressing is flat, centered and quiet. It sounds amazing! I heard both versions and all these pressings that used the KPG cut @ Acoustech and plated at RTI sound superb. Doesn't matter if they were pressed at Optimal or RTI.

The reason there are over 20 people who say they have this is because there are actually (at least) two different dates for which test pressings were made. One in August 2008. One in September. So, it is likely that both people who have the August and September test pressings just using this listing to add it to their collection.

An excellent pressing. Neat sound all around and you can really pick up the details in Van Morrison’s amazing voice.