Moondance is Van Morrison's third studio album, originally released in 1970 on Warner Bros. Records and the record that turned his critical promise into commercial success. This edition is a 180 gram vinyl reissue presented in the original gatefold sleeve.
The Album
Recorded at A&R Studios in New York across August and September 1969 and produced by Morrison himself, Moondance moved away from the free-flowing folk-jazz of Astral Weeks towards tighter, more structured songwriting. Built around a warm horn section, it blends rhythm and blues, soul, jazz and pop with an Irish folk sensibility.
Tracks
The ten songs take in the title track Moondance alongside And It Stoned Me, Crazy Love, Caravan, Into the Mystic, Come Running, These Dreams of You, Brand New Day, Everyone and Glad Tidings. Several have become standards of Morrison's live sets and enduring radio favourites.
Legacy
Moondance reached number 29 on the US Billboard 200 and number 32 on the UK Albums Chart, and has since been certified multi-platinum. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and ranked number 65 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
This Pressing
A 180 gram vinyl LP on Warner Bros. Records, catalogue 8122-79907-0, pressed in the EU with the original gatefold artwork.