Light On Dark Water

Van Morrison has released a recent live performance of his masterpiece, Astral Weeks. I read about this at cnb’s blog the other day, and thought, “Why? It can’t possibly have the magic of the original.” Well, you can watch a video of it here and make up your own mind. If you care. This is an album that affects some people profoundly and leaves others cold. I’m one of the former.

I don’t think this new performance is as good as the 40-year-old original, but it still gets me. It still produces in me, as it did when I was 21, the agonized yearning that we’ve talked about here and that is sweeter than most pleasures. It’s so powerful that I rarely listen to it. I can’t explain it; perhaps you have to be a person to whom regret comes naturally.

And we shall walk and talk
In gardens all misty wet with rain

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