I never knew that Van was 22 when he made this. Wow! Last year (2007-2008) I was also 22 and I moved from Portland, OR to Austin, TX with only what I could carry in my little 1989 Toyota Celica. It was a week and a half long journey to drive the 2,500 or so odd miles with many nights slept on the side of the coast in Santa Barbara or the deserts between LA and El Paso. I didn't know a soul when I got down to Austin and for the greater part of the first five months there I had a sleeping bag, my guitar, and some music to listen to. It was rough finding a job and finding money to pay all that needed payment while residing in a hollow apartment in a rough part of North Austin and most nights were sleepless. With what money I had saved up from before the trip I went out and bought some albums. One of which was Astral Weeks. I had heard the commonly played Van songs from my parents record player growing up (i.e. "Moondance") but I had never heard Van like this. I remember the very first moment I listened to the title track. It must have been three in the morning and I had had a few or six beers and was lonely, worried, unemployed, etc. Then this meditative, long, unconventional music made me forget where I was and what was happening. I was in a musical trance that rarely comes along and is usually experienced at live shows or listening to Bob Dylan for me. I was utterly mystified and sat and listened to the entire album two times in a row before the sun came up. I was motionless and very peaceful and proceeded to sleep for about twelve hours after that. Though my circumstances have changed immensely from those lonely days and have since moved back to Portland I will never forget that moment and that album is truly one of the most inspiring albums I think I will ever hear. It will be a great part of what defines my adventure to Texas and how I felt at the age of 22. An awesome record.

 

I am eternally grateful for this album, each time I listen to it it is as if it's for the first time, it's haunting and sophisticated and fills your heart with gladness and pain all at the same time. No one should be without this album if they are serious about music. I will buy the concert when it comes out..all hail Van Morrison! x
 

In the summer of 1999 I was 21 and just out of college. Trying to find my way, I would sometimes come to my friend Scott for advice. Scott owned a music store, made guitars, and seemed content with his lot. Most memorably, he told me to be sure I chose something I could be happy with, because "This is not a dress rehearsal." On one of these visits, I found a vinyl copy of Astral Weeks in Scott's shop. I'd read about this album's importance to the likes of Nick Drake and John Martyn, and I was curious. I liked some of Van's hits, but didn't know his catalog in any depth. I didn't know what to expect. There wasn't a price marked on the LP, so I asked Scott what he'd charge for it. He looked at the disc, looked at me, and said something like "For this album? For you? It's yours." I went right home and listened to the record. To be honest, I didn't love it right away; I don't even think I got it. But what I encountered was a rich, mysterious tapestry of sound, emotion and memory. It seemed to change shape with every listen - much like emotions and memories themselves. There wasn't anything I could put a finger on, but it fascinated. To this day it still changes shape every time I listen. It's also created its own world for me, out of repeated listens, which is always nourishing to visit. So I keep coming back.

 

It was St. Patrick's day in 1992 and I ran into a cute, younger, Irish guy I once dated. He was my what if guy (what if we met when he was older, what if we met when he didn't have a girl friend, etc.) & running into him was great. I hadn't seen him in almost 2 years. We spoke for awhile & I asked if he still lived next to the pub we were at. He said yes and asked if I had ever been at his place. No I replied & stupid, naive me said yes when he asked if I wanted to see it. I told the guy at the door of the pub, "We'll be back in a few minutes." Like I said I was naive at the time. I'm thinking it's so nice we can be friends, that is until he kissed me. Sparks flew & we spent the night with Astral Weeks in the background. I had never heard of Van Morrison although I did know Brown Eyed Girl. Whatever happened later with me & PCM, I'll always be thankful he introduced me to Van Morrison and Astral Weeks.

 

my father wooed my mother by playing her astral weeks, so of course i've been listening to it my whole life, especially on sunday mornings sipping tea and reading the new yorker while the sun streams in to the living room windows. that is when i am happiest.

 

..It is more than thirty years that I listened to "Astral Weeks" for the first time.....I bought the import LP because that was no stock in Japan at that time.....I bought it with "Moon Dance", and I listened to those two albums repeatedly every day.....I confess honestly I liked "Moon Dance" more than "Astral Weeks" at that time,.....Probably, I was too young to understand the depth of "Astral Weeks".....Now, I understood that it is the greatest album.....
........Please release the new live DVD in Japan!........
..
 

I heard Astral Weeks first out of the collection of my cousin, friend, and then amorata Ann Saalbach-Bryant when it first came out.  I was used to the "Them" version of Van Morrison, and I have to say that I was a bit let down by Astral Weeks at the time for that reason, being into a harder music style.  I appreciate "Into the Mystic" more now.

 

It's quite a coincidence, because the real first time I listened to "Astral Weeks" I was 22 years old too when I first bought the vinyl record here in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil! Now I'm 27, and I'm still indebted to this marvellous music that Van Morrison revealed in this masterpiece. "Astral Weeks" meant to me the beginning of real life's experience of Love, when we start to value simple - at the same time, complex - and essential things we preserve in memory in order to transform ourselves. It was an impressive thing the multitude of emotions in that rich and impressionistic music, and also so singular and original, and this quality has decidely influenced me a lot as a musician. That's why I'm truly grateful to Van Morrison!

 

My first Astral Weeks experience was in the late 1980's, my beau loved Van Morrison and I too became a big fan. Today I have been listening to "Angeliou", not on Astral Weeks but I love all Van Morrison's albums.  Van.... You have a wonderful way of expressing yourself through your music and lyrics.  I love it so much!! :)  <3  Have a good weekend. ~ Nicol
 

Every song - every lyric and everything Van has ever written, i love. i play these songs over and over again - the gift he has for storytelling is fantastic and he just keeps getting better. this man is someone who i would love to meet one day.. just to shake his hand and say thanks for every sweet note
 

May 3rd 2009 1:05 A.M. ....I was transcended last evening at the Greek Theater in Berkeley CA. Thank you Van for reprising Astral Weeks. " I learned the magic of Felicity. It enchants us all ... That spell! It caught my heart and soul and scattered every trial" - Rimbaud....I discovered Van Morrison at age 14 in the summer of 1970. I have been touched, enthralled, and enlightened by his gift for almost 40 years. This was my favorite Van concert since I saw him at the Hollywood Palladium in 1979 shortly after the release of "Into the Music" and I have attended 4 of his concerts since then.....I own every recording of Van's released in the U.S. except for a couple of compilations and I am amazed at how relevant he remains. In my opinion only Dylan remains as relevant an artist that possesses such a long legacy. Joni? Maybe.....From " No Guru, No Method, No Teacher" Van complains in the song " A Town Called Paradise" .."Copycats ripped off my words, copycats ripped off my songs, copycats ripped off my melody"..Well as Van noted it doesn't matter and I would agree for a different reason.....Van they can't rip off your soulful soulful souful!.. 
 

HI VAN, I JUST BOUGHT YOUR NEW TAPE. SOLID:):)..WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THEM COMING...YOUR VOICE IS SPIRITUALLY SEXY..LOVING YOU..JACKIE.. 
 

HI VAN, I JUST BOUGHT YOUR NEW TAPE. SOLID:):)..WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THEM COMING...YOUR VOICE IS SPIRITUAL SEXY..LOVING YOU..JACKIE.. 
 

At the risk of sounding unintelligent and elegeant with words.......all I have to say is that this CD changed my life. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that it might sound cliche!!! I was raised on the love of Van Morrison by my father. All VM CD's are amazing. However I pride myself on finding this CD and giving it to my dad. He had never heard it before which was so strange to me seeing how he had owned so many. I bought Astral Weeks when he was out of town and was so excited to show him my new find. To make a long and sad story short my Grandma (my dads mom) passed away while he was out of town. When he came home I met him at the airport terminal and broke the news. It was one of thte hardest things I have ever had to do. We rode home from tthe airport silent for half of the way and then I decided to put this amazing CD in. And of course we still satt silent and just listened to the music. We cried and both knew that words were not necessary. 7 years later we can both just look at each other and know that no one will ever know what we went through that day... 
 

Van Morrison is a legend. He is everything music is missing. I am 23 and Van is probably my favorite musician of all-time. I grew up listening to him driving down the Jersey Shore every summer. The live version of this album is just as incredible. Everyone should check out his live performance of Caravan from The Last Waltz. One of the best performances ever. I hope Van can make it to Philly for this tour.
 

I can't understand the lyric but I understand the music and it's style .
 

I started getting into Van Morrison in high school in the late 80s and this quickly became, and has remained, one of my favorite albums of all time. I can sing it in it's entirety from memory and can hear the opening notes playing in my head as I write. Poetry worthy of Yeats woven with instrumental dreamlines evolving into the ringing emptiness of the afterglow. Of youth, of life? But I digress. Thanks to Van for being bold enough to commit these songs to wax so long ago and thanks for dusting them back off again for us to discover and rediscover.
 

I'm 48 and born in Frisco, so I did hear it growing up. But I first listened to it in 1981, visiting my mother's first husband (and my biological father) in the summer before my senior year of college. I hadn't seen this pater since I was 5 years old and was only visiting because he sent an airplane ticket and my college girlfriend lived in the same town. ....I didn't see her much, but I drank his beer and smoked his weed and Astral Weeks was the only record of his that I figured I would enjoy. And I did. I will never grow so old again. Didn't really care about the girl anymore, I shed all trepidation and awkward fear of staying in this man's house that was actually owned by his third wife. I listened and was liberated. Not like Gil Scott Heron would have it, politically, but socially and personally. It's like no other music. I couldn't figure out how, why or what the musicians were doing to make that expansively prancing rhythym. Sweet thing, indeed.....Haven't seen that dude, my host, since. Gave up on the girl, but have been scratching away at my guitar trying to emulate that gorgeous loping rhythym ever since. Without much luck, but happy in the thought that there is an aural Eden and if I keep strumming I might get back to that garden.
 

I was in middle school when Astral Weeks was released and immediately fell in love with it and Mr. Morrison's music. All the big events of my life are tied to his music. Dancing to Moondance with my husband, Baby Please Don't Go with my toddler son, singing Sweet Thing to my daughter and now dancing to Shakin' All Over from A Night in San Francisco with my little grandson. I listened to Astral Weeks when I was expecting my daughter in 1979. She and my son were raised on Van's music. A couple of years ago, my mother was terminally ill so I was constantly at the hospital. My husband treated me to Van's Hollywood Bowl performance that April which was the best date of my life, even in the midst of such a sad time. How special it was to share the recording of Astral Weeks at the Hollywood Bowl this past November with my daughter for her birthday. It was unforgettable. I am so appreciative for the Man and his music, which is the background music of my life. Being Irish, I plan to take my entire family to Ireland in the next year or so and will plan the trip around (hopefully) performance dates. Thank you, Mr. Morrison, for sharing the music of your soul with the rest of us.
 

You need to hear my guy that does a Frankie songs.. He is the best.....
 

I saw the Feb 27 date at MSG - the first time he's played ASTRAL WEEKS in NYC since, well, since he recorded the album! What an outstanding show! You can see my full review at www.robkirkpatrick.com
 

I first heard Astral Weeks in college, when I was 18. I thought I had never heard anything more profound or meaningful in my life, and still feel that way about everything Van does. He's my desert island artist: the only artist whose body of work would suffice if I were stranded on a desert island for the rest of of my life. It wouldn't bore me or annoy me to hear everything over and over again. In fact, it gets better the more you listen. There is no one else about whose work I feel that way. It all started with Astral Weeks.
 

I was 14 when i got this album. I was already a van morrison fan but this album was incredible. I could put it on lay back close my eyes and let my mind take off. I have many van morrison albums but this album will always have special meaning for me. I was a kid in the 80's with the change music was taking you could by an album and 1 maybe 2 songs were good. After i bought this album I realized that while van has many different sounds in his music, whether songs are heavy on strings or horns van has been a constant in my life. Your the gratest van and this album is a piece of music genious.
 

van morrison...i am 62 years old and grew up with your music since the 60s. love your music love your own unique style. aint anyone better than van the man. you keep topping yourself with each new album, cd. dvd but astral weeks just takes me back to the 60s absolutely the best, great great cd. thanks larry