VAN MORRISON – MOONDANCE

VAN MORRISON – MOONDANCE with special guest Peter Mills. This interview took place before and after we listened to the vinyl album. The yang to Astral Weeks' yin, the brilliant Moondance is every bit as much a classic as its predecessor; Van Morrison's first commercially successful solo effort, it retains the previous album's deeply spiritual thrust but transcends its bleak, cathartic intensity to instead explore themes of renewal and redemption. Light, soulful, and jazzy, Moondance opens with the sweetly nostalgic "And It Stoned Me," the song's pastoral imagery establishing the dominant lyrical motif recurring throughout the album – virtually every track exults in natural wonder, whether it's the nocturnal magic celebrated by the title cut or the unlimited promise offered in "Brand New Day." At the heart of the record is "Caravan," an incantatory ode to the power of radio; equally stirring is the majestic "Into the Mystic," a song of such elemental beauty and grace as to stand as arguably the quintessential Morrison moment. (Allmusic) With special guest PETER MILLS. Peter Mills Is the Senior Lecturer in Media & Popular Culture at Leeds Beckett University. his acclaimed book, Hymns To The Silence, looks into the work of Van Morrison in a detailed & fascinating investigative study. In the interviewer’s chair was IAN CLAYTON. This event took place on 26th January 2023 in the Pigeon Loft at The Robin Hood, Pontefract, West Yorkshire. To find out more about the CAT Club please visit: www.thecatclub.co.uk This podcast has been edited for content and for copyright reasons. Happy Trails.