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Beautiful Vision | 
 enlarge | Artist: Van Morrison
Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Category: Music
Buy New: $9.98
New (35) Used (16) Collectible (2) from $5.38
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 52108
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 3652
UPC: 759923652222
EAN: 0759923652222
ASIN: B000002KNG
Release Date: October 25, 1990
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Celtic Ray | | • | Northern Muse | | • | Dweller On The Threshold | | • | Beautiful Vision | | • | She Gives Me Religion | | • | Cleaning Windows | | • | Vanlose Stairway | | • | Aryan Mist | | • | Across The Bridge Where The Angels Dwell | | • | Scandinavia |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
This 1982 sleeper captures Van Morrison banking the fires of his more urgent, R&B-flavored '70s classics to sculpt a quieter, contemplative synthesis laced with Celtic flourishes, minimalist synthesizers, and the skeletal horn charts of saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and trumpeter-synthesist Mark Isham. Neither as expansive as the pastoral jazz meditations of the underrated Common One nor as limpid as the glossier, sometimes gloomier confessional pop that dominates his later-'80s albums, Beautiful Vision hews to ballads and loping, midtempo songs that allow Morrison gentle foils for his unmistakable vocal melismas. On its best tracks, "Dweller on the Threshold," "Cleaning Windows," "Vanlose Stairway," and "She Gives Me Religion," he alchemizes soul, gospel, and his own Irish roots in a balance he would often pursue from this point forward. --Sam Sutherland
Album Details
Digitally Remastered Edition of One of the Man's Most Beautfiul Albums, Highlighted by 'she Gives Me Religion', 'vanlose Stairway', the Soulful 'beautiful Vision' and the Concert Favorite 'cleaning Windows'. The Addition of Mark Isham in the Band Helped Make the Overall Sound Ethereal and Cosmic.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
 Celtic Soul Brother #1 July 26, 2007
This belongs in the category of Van's great Celtic Soul albums like Astral Weeks, Common One and Veedon Fleece. Van expresses his Northern Irish roots in titles like "Northern Muse" and "Cleaning Windows". The latter song is as down-home and funny as Van has ever allowed himself to get since the out-takes from the Bang sessions. The closing improv where he raps in a broad Belfast accent about finding a "tanner and a three D bit" on the windowsill and having to "go down the dole" are classic stuff. In the same song, Van fills in his early musical and mystical history. "I heard Leadbelly and Blind Lemon on the street where I was born" "I went home and read my Christmas Humphries book on Zen". "Celtic Ray" is a beautiful evocation of life in Ireland, "When the coal brick man comes around, on a cold November day, You'll be on the Celtic ray, are you ready?" Yeah Van, I'm ready. Rock on celtic soul brother #1.
Sounds from somewhere above the clouds May 22, 2007
think this may be my favourite Morrison album...but I am still not sure. "Poetic Champions", "Moondance" and "Into the Music" are also favourites, how can I narrrow it down to one? Well, either way this one is special - "Beautiful Vision" really does descend into the meditation and etheral zones and delivers some of the most uplifting popular music ever composed. In this way I see connections with other VM albums (Into the Music's "Healing has begun" and "its all in the Game/You know what they are talking about" and Common one's " summertime in England"). But this one is more consistent in its main themes of love, happiness, nature and spiritual nourishment. The listener may suspend the harsh realities of the modern world and just maybe "chill out" with the aspirational views and sounds. "Celtic Ray" celebrates the links between the Celts of the home countries. "Dweller on the Threshold" may be linked to hope and bravery of choice. "She gives me religion" opens us up to many possibilities but it takes joy in the simple but extemely powerful act of love. Then there a number of jewels that convey the joy of vision through music - "Beautiful Vision", "Aryan Mist" "Vanlose Stairways" and "Scandinavia". These songs are "bridged" by one of Van's most joyful, triumphant and hope-inspiring songs "Across the Bridge where Angels dwell". It's a place I definately want to be. The album ends with the oddity "Cleaning windows", a song that is misplaced on this album. Music for a cold winter's night with the lights down low. Beautiful Vision, Beautiful music.
 van again. January 12, 2007
This one is also gentle jazz, a little celtic rhythm too. And may I also recommend "Into the Music", which I just found recently. All good, middle era Van Morrisoon: mellow, mystic, celtic, lovely.
Contemplative and spiritual March 12, 2006
Morrison's vision finds a mellow, subdued expression here. Instead of his jubilant R&B numbers or his more passionate vocalising, the mysticism here is drawn out in slow pieces like Celtic Ray and Northern Muse, the last with particularly beautiful female backing vocals. The more uptempo Dweller On The Threshold with its esoteric imagery has a lovely lilting rhythm and joyful sax, whilst the powerful title track shows his strong voice at its best. Aryan Mist is another great flowing piece and Across The Bridge Where Angels Dwell is dreamy and meditative, also embellished with gorgeous female vocals. Scandinavia is a moody instrumental with prominent piano or keyboards, like a theme from an art movie. This is not the most familiar Van Morrison album and the songs do not display his usual musical variety, but I enjoy it and there are some great moments here. If you're in the mood for a more quiet, contemplative spiritual listening experience, you'll find much here to enjoy. But if you prefer a more rousing form of gnosis, try a song like Be Thou My Vision from Hymns To The Silence. Both Van, both beautiful.
Great Mellow Atmosphere February 20, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Van is in a mellow grove on "Beautiful Vision". One of his more celtic-inspired albums, this one will take you on a wonderful and beautiful journey. Van's vocals, as always, are a wonder to behold.
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