I Like Astral Weeks. What else will I like?

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I would investigate the rest of VMs back catalogue, but apparently they don't sound anything like it, and anyway, I think moondance is a bit dodgy. Given how cool Astral Weeks is, there MUST be guys who've tried (and succeeded) to do something along the same lines.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 10:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Veedon Fleece is sort of on the same lines.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Hitler.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Bah, popist

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't like this record too much either, I think "Into the Music" might be pretty close to what yr after, though. And prob a load of John Martyn records ("Solid Air" mostly from what I've read, never heard it)

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeh, I like Solid Air. Is all of John Martyns stuff as cool as that?

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Again, Stormbringer

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 10:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I think he started off a lot more conventionally "folky", but someone who actually owns records by the guy might be a better guide to his stuff. I heard an amazing track by him called "Early Hours" (I think, anyway), but according to the guy who taped it for me it's the best thing on a mediocre record.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

John Martyn gets a little more experimental with later albums. James Yorkston and the Athletes - Moving Up Country

― Chris V. (Chris V), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 11:04 (twenty-two years ago)

How about some WATERBOYS?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 11:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeh, I've got a battered Waterboys album I like as well - I dunno what it's called. It's got a cover of Sweet Thing that turns into Blackbird on it.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I would recommend "Solid Air", "Inside out" & "Bless the Weather" by John Martyn; also "Five Leaves Left" by Nick Drake & "Happy Sad" & "Starsailor" by Tim Buckley.

None of them is that much like AW, but they do continue that folky, jazzy, double bass, vibraphone thing

― bham, Wednesday, 6 August 2003 11:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey maybe some Robert Wyatt? "Rock Bottom" could be worth a crack.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Inside Out is a great John Martyn album.It's where experimental fans, folk fans and psych fans can meet and join hands together in a grand display of lurv and harmony.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 6 August 2003 11:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd recommend (evn prescribe!) Davey Grahams Folk, Blues & Beyond to anyone.

― Jez (Jez), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

your next purchase must
be st. dominic's preview,
morrison's best disc

― Haikunym, Wednesday, 6 August 2003 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd echo the suggestions about John Martyn and Tim Buckley. As well as 'Happy Sad' by Buckley check out the two live albums 'Dream Letter' and 'Live at the Troubadour'.

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

You will also like some shitting on yr face.

oh, harsh. sorry.

― gage o (gage o), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Why all the harsh comments? Why is asking for a few recomendations a bad thing? And from Tom as well . . . whats goin' on here? I thought we were all for musical tolerance?

Or is it some ILM joke that I have failed to grasp yet?

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Although their later stuff is too slick for me, Cat Stevens' "Mona Bone Jakon" and Al Stewart's "Love Chronicles" are in the same folkie vein. Early Roy Harper might also do the trick for you (eg: "Stormcock").

If you can find a copy of an album called "Christian Lucifer" by Perry Leopold (it's rather obscure but I'm pretty sure it was reissued), that's definitely worth hearing -- much more on the psych side though.

I second the Martyn, Drake, Buckley, and Wyatt rec's above.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 13:36 (twenty-two years ago)

experiment in metaphysics, perry leopold's first album is pretty cool too. also re-issued. but his stuff is more in the vein of that whole diy/loner folkie/acid casualty thing. i found an original copy at the thrift store for a dollar in philly!

― scott seward, Wednesday, 6 August 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

People are insanely defensive about Astral Weeks for some reason...they hate on it all the time, though it's one of the greatest records ever made. Go figure.

Van-wise, yes, "Saint Dominic's Preview" is probably closest, but no other VM record has that same jazzy vibe. I'd suggest Terry Reid's "River" as another record--recently reissued--that has some of the same characteristics. It was recently reissued, I believe, and should be easy to find.

― M Specktor (M Specktor), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

we are all for musical tolerance except for astral weeks (yes this is kind of an ilm jokememe but it's FUNNY BECAUSE IT'S TRUE)

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I LOVE ASTRAL WEEKS AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

for more Van Morrison like AW, i'd suggest trying "Into the Music"

matt, don't know what you've been smoking by St. Dominic's is in no way Morrison's greatest record.

and yeah, i usually stay out of/away from the Astral Weeks discussions out of fear of the rabid haterz

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry it was the ILX do-you-like-hitler meme combined with the astral weeks observational comedy meme cited above - I hope you find lots of great music you really like though.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

its an ile joke so that's why you might not get it.

blame momus and dommie.

and tom for being such a child again.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

New jokes beat injokes, don't they?

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

buy the bang masters cd as well. and isn't dylan hating more fun than van hating? i have, however, gotten a kick out of some of the old ilm anti-van diatribes though. ilm should never lose that. it's the blackened heart of this board.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 6 August 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

i wouldn't think "starsailor" would be the place to get into buckley though (even if it is a favorite of my third eye). more like "astral weeks" would be "blue afternoon". i would also add terry reid's recently reissued "river". everyone i play it for loves it. a little touch of bossa groove to it too.

― andybeta, Wednesday, 6 August 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Old-ILM in being slightly elitist and then feeling guilty about it shockah.

― J (Jay), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I recommend the live version of "Bad" on U2's Wide Awake in America.

Also the Soul Stirrers' live version of "Be With Me Jesus."

Also "Listen to the Lion" on St Dominick's Preview.

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 16:25 (twenty-two years ago)

my good old friend H
I do not smoke anything
St. Dominic's romps

― Haikunym, Wednesday, 6 August 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

you need 't.b. sheets'! late 60s stuff morrison recorded before 'astral weeks', including different versions of "beside you" and "madame george". also includes the gorgeous "he ain't give you none," which is at the top of the list of songs i am most likely to play when maudlin drunk and then stuff my head under a pillow.

― lauren (laurenp), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

haha Tom did you ever manage to give away your copy of this?

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 20:35 (twenty-two years ago)

waterboy's fisherman blues - you will LOVE that one.

I LIKE ASTRAL WEEKS AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT.

― doom-e, Wednesday, 6 August 2003 20:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe a bit of Talk Talk post-Colour of Spring.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 6 August 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

You may like some Pearls Before Swine stuff, the second Neutral Milk Hotel Album, and maybe Love.

― Ian Johnson (elmo oxygen), Thursday, 7 August 2003 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

If you don't own it already, please acquire a copy of Van Dyke Parks's Song Cycle immediately.

It's not as similar in sound to Astral Weeks as some of the albums already recommended here, but it's the only album from that era that stands on the same level with it as a unique, uncompromisingly individual work of genius.

I'm a big fan of Nick Drake and Tim Buckley, but none of their works have ever had the same effect on me as Astral Weeks and Song Cycle -- the only 2 albums that I could listen to forever and never grow tired of.

― Marcus Barr (Marcus Barr), Thursday, 7 August 2003 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

Which VM albums have him in a less cluttered environment? I love AW, but I think I'd love it more stripped down to mostly his voice and guitar.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Thursday, 25 December 2003 05:01 (twenty-one years ago)

three years pass...

Alex in NYC OTM re: Talk Talk. I'm amazed nobody else noticed the similarities.

― Lostandfound, Saturday, 11 August 2007 04:55 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, but I have to say I'd never heard Astral Weeks 'til today, weirdly enough. I read Bangs's essay a million years ago, but whatever -- good writing, yet I wasn't motivated. I'm so glad I waited, because if I'd heard it back then, I would probably be jaded/sated on it whereas now I can luxuriate. Why has ILM been so ambivalent about this album over the years? (And yes, I've searched, and I know that's been asked before; it just hasn't really been answered properly before...)

― Lostandfound, Saturday, 11 August 2007 05:12 (eighteen years ago)

Why has ILM been so ambivalent about this album over the years?

I have heard nothing but love for this LP on ILM.

― sleeve, Saturday, 11 August 2007 08:00 (eighteen years ago)

pinefox declared his love for AW, mark s dissed it, a recipe for generalized ambivalence.

― wanko ergo sum, Saturday, 11 August 2007 09:37 (eighteen years ago)

Veedon Fleece is a good suggestion. My second favorite VM album, after this one, of course.

― kenan, Saturday, 11 August 2007 14:18 (eighteen years ago)

I have heard nothing but love for this LP on ILM.

Yeah, but it's not universal. This thread has its moments of ambivalence (although "I'd rather drill a hole straight through my teeth to my gums than listen to Van Morrison" is not ambivalent at all, really, is it?).

― Lostandfound, Saturday, 11 August 2007 18:05 (eighteen years ago)

no, it's just buttheaded

― kenan, Saturday, 11 August 2007 19:21 (eighteen years ago)

one of my favorite albums ever

― deej, Saturday, 11 August 2007 19:28 (eighteen years ago)

Nobody mentioned Scott Walker yet? I mean, it's not like he sounds like Van The Man (does anyone?), but particularly his more recent albums has the same "floating" feel to them.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 13 August 2007 00:19 (eighteen years ago)

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