Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968)

TheSound

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I just had another listen to Astral Weeks and I couldn't help but wonder if some of those tracks were longer than what was on the album? Tracks like "Sweet Thing" for instance give me the impression they would have run longer than what was on the actual album. I can only presume this isn't really the case as something would have surfaced or mentioned if that was the case.

Hi CP/M. I don't understand what you mean. I have both the old original LP and the CD, and I just quickly checked and all the tracks are the same length on both, though I obviously haven't put a stopwatch on them! Cheers anyway.
 

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Hi CP/M. I don't understand what you mean. I have both the old original LP and the CD, and I just quickly checked and all the tracks are the same length on both, though I obviously haven't put a stopwatch on them! Cheers anyway.

Hmm, perhaps complicated to explain. The best way I can put it is sometimes you might hear a single version of a song and then you hear an album version, but the ending of the song maybe different in someway, which would make the song have an Alternative ending. I'm not criticising the tracks or the album as they are in anyway and I have no doubt the LP or the CD are different (though I haven't heard the LP).

I was just wondering if it were possible if some of the tracks from those Astral Weeks sessions could have been longer. Of course this would be extremely difficult to know cause all there maybe left of that album, is what we're all being listening to. I just couldn't help but wonder though! :D
 

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Hmm, perhaps complicated to explain. The best way I can put it is sometimes you might hear a single version of a song and then you hear an album version, but the ending of the song maybe different in someway, which would make the song have an Alternative ending. I'm not criticising the tracks or the album as they are in anyway and I have no doubt the LP or the CD are different (though I haven't heard the LP).

I was just wondering if it were possible if some of the tracks from those Astral Weeks sessions could have been longer. Of course this would be extremely difficult to know cause all there maybe left of that album, is what we're all being listening to. I just couldn't help but wonder though! :D

Can't really answer that one CP/M. Though quite famously Van and his band only took 3 days to record Astral Weeks, which wasn't a bad 3 days work when you consider it's still called a classic almost 45 years later and in many people's list of best albums ever! It comes in at around 48 minutes, and so does the live album of the songs that he recorded recently 'Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl'

220px-AstralWeeksLiveHWB.jpg
 

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Can't really answer that one CP/M. Though quite famously Van and his band only took 3 days to record Astral Weeks, which wasn't a bad 3 days work when you consider it's still called a classic almost 45 years later and in many people's list of best albums ever! It comes in at around 48 minutes, and so does the live album of the songs that he recorded recently 'Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl'

220px-AstralWeeksLiveHWB.jpg

Yes that seems to be what makes Astral Weeks sound so amazing. I'd love to hear the Live Concert performance of Astral Weeks, I hope it comes out on CD/DVD! :D
 

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I am the proud owner of Astral Weeks on vinyl. I found the album in a second hand shop in excellent condition :) It is one of my favourite albums ever! It's perfect in every way. My favourite song is the beautiful Sweet Thing.

 

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