weeks second studio album northern irish singer songwriter recorded new_york_city sessions september october participants biographers agree songs early evening sessions morrison assembled jazz musicians played recordings commenced rehearsals lead sheets handed cover art music lyrics album portray symbolism love heaven feature morrison work weeks released november receive promotion label immediate success consumers critics blending folk blues jazz classical music album songs signaled radical departure sound previous pop hits brown eyed girl weeks critical standing eventually improved greatly viewed rock music greatest important records reputation morrison dismissed referred song cycle concept album critics album arrangements songwriting morrison lyrics described hypnotic modernist placed numerous widely circulated lists best albums time enduring impact listeners musicians years album release morrison performed songs live time concerts november background beginning involved contract dispute kept away recording activity occurred sudden death label founder born heart defect fatal heart attack discovered dead new_york hotel room december prior death morrison experienced creative difficulties pushing morrison pop oriented direction morrison wanted explore newer musical terrain result widow held morrison conflict responsible husband death years later scenario morrison wife planet gone record describing initial subsequent morrison death inherited contracts morrison annual option recording contract week funeral legally bound bang records morrison kept studio found unable find performing work new_york clubs booking fearing discovered late husband previously filing appropriate morrison british citizen new_york contacted attempted morrison deported morrison managed stay girlfriend planet agreed marry married morrison wife moved cambridge massachusetts found work performing local clubs morrison began performing small electric combo blues numbers songs mind morrison band days musicians soon left morrison retained bassist student morrison decided try acoustic sound began performing shows coffee houses boston area acoustic duo morrison playing guitar upright bass morrison primarily recorded performed electric musicians acoustic medium provide greater vocal improvisation feel later heard jazz trained time sitting jam session invited club played morrison hoping morrison invite join allowing sit performance morrison extended invitation accepted trio morrison continued performing months weeks played began develop template time approached morrison hoping sign roster presumably interest focused prior success brown eyed girl morrison current acoustic work regardless interest allowed morrison return recording studio time deal production arm founded manager worked producer received morrison boston related producers gone hear morrison thinking going hear brown eyed girl person voice heard morrison play studio recalled morrison played song weeks started crying soul knew wanted work sound set work resolving morrison contractual troubles legally bound morrison issues future time managed free obligations conditions morrison write submit publishing company original compositions month course year morrison fulfilled obligation recording thirty nonsense songs single session action legal ultimately morrison assign web half copyright musical composition written recorded morrison released single year september demand point releasing single time frame single released weeks finally morrison include original compositions controlled web album morrison fulfilled demand compositions madame george versions subsequently released vastly different musically original versions recorded bang recording sessions legal matters resolved morrison freedom proceed recording debut album recording sessions taking place century sound studios new_york september october recording adjacent studio musician reported morrison couldn work anybody finally shut studio songs acoustic guitar later overdubbed rest tapes fact completely live tracks sessions performed morrison vocals acoustic guitar separate vocal booth musicians playing upright bass lead acoustic guitar flute drums strings horns constituted instruments added subsequently initial recording sessions producer background jazz according morrison jazz met soul yes jazz weeks recording sessions contacted veteran bassist best known work davis essentially served session leader davis recruited guitarist drummer musicians strong backgrounds jazz worked closely modern jazz quartet morrison working sessions essentially replaced according got bass lines embellished lot gave feeling davis proved pivotal sessions listen album tune led richard everybody followed richard van voice says knew brought richard support van wanted vocally jay playing beautiful counter lines van davis impressed morrison disdain notions morrison professional generally meet davis expectations prep meeting recalls davis remote cause came went booth stayed isolated booth don think introduced shy later told rolling_stone approached morrison asked wanted play said play felt like playing sat jammed morrison impression sessions songs came studio tracks takes musicians type guys play gon good told tracks recorded sessions album trains basic blues numbers didn fit album weeks sessions apparently employ lead sheets distributed musicians stood mind fact allowed stretch recalls playing charts van played songs guitar told ahead play exactly felt actually great appreciation freedom given band played lot classical guitar sessions unusual play classical guitar context says session held evening september produced recordings album initially intended inclusion cyprus avenue madame george scheduled play attended session listened played parts day recalls identified surviving documentation play flute released takes cyprus avenue included album credits morrison tried squeeze tune end session spoke pleaded permit participate allowed play title track album weeks fourth song produced initial session remainder sessions played song session according occurred early morning work session worked final album didn happen says wrong time day jazz musicians create think end session knew going said let forget available recruited play lead guitar place according tension second session stopped hours morrison quoted saying album recorded hour sessions plus sessions album biography gives date second session october states young lovers session album reason different lounge jazz sound track biographers primarily noted early morning october session abandoned producing songs album final session evening october produced recordings completed album way young lovers sweet thing davis expressed rolling_stone certain feel seven clock session time day played sweet thing originally scheduled session search closer consumed considerable time attempted rejected number songs morrison suggested don think live recalls morrison book songs don know decided drums guitar player vibe player van playing started playing soprano thing said wanna try start want bass soprano van successful came long coda prompting large cut editing process tracks weeks subjected edits mainly performances easily substantial estimate minutes instrumental stuff says went stages got avant garde kind weird hear weird stuff playing progression according cut coda long long ending went carried minute minute tune left recording engineer album remembered sessions cloud came called van morrison sessions cloud cloud took away sic album landed rolling_stone interview morrison told pretty happy album complaint rushed thought closer type music wanted actually composition stream consciousness poetic lyrics evoke emotions images instead coherent intellectual ideas narratives according npr folk rock album seminal album folk rock genre online biography morrison said music trance like folk jazz set free flowing lyrics allmusic hand viewed music folk blues jazz classical music unlike rock usually described song cycle concept album songs considered link long song forming narrative worlds delivered writer calls masterpiece singing according album songs combine themes nostalgia drama morrison personal performed blue eyed soul style album form symbolism eventually staple morrison songs love heaven close living approach morrison davis upright bass interpreted earth opposing percussion string arrangement representing heaven lead acoustic guitar residing plane told biographers wrote songs madame george cyprus avenue stream consciousness madame george came right song stream consciousness thing cyprus avenue didn think writing interview paste morrison said songs weeks written prior period years npr review comments totally fictional conversations heard know things saw movies newspapers books comes stories songs beginning weeks song weeks opens album lines ventured dream steel crack ditch roads stop according shows morrison pulled neck neck lyricist morrison described songs light end tunnel don think elaborate words song pictures wall appear based morrison real life custom carrying poster hanging wall lived revealed rolling_stone interview second song album described poetry collection images scenarios begins classical guitar morrison voice morrison described kind song sing kid somebody love basically love song song somebody originally recorded december recording shows pop music intentions different sound weeks recording sweet thing sweet thing song album look forward instead backward words allmusic reviewer descending circular progression morrison sings positive lyrics nature romantic partner seemingly beginning middle thought merry way paul wrote sweet thing puts singer pastoral paradise gardens wet rain counts stars lover eyes vows grow old read lines pleads mind quiet heart hear think experience innocence popular cover song album weeks song included morrison compilation albums cyprus avenue song cyprus avenue chord blues composition served years closing song morrison live shows madame george centerpiece album songs belfast related highly song told point view outsider watching inside automobile getting tongue tied refined school girl appears fine lady rainbow hair carriage drawn white horses returning fair described cyprus avenue street belfast place lot wealth wasn far brought different scene mystical place avenue lined trees found place think way young lovers way young lovers described lounge jazz sound sticks like champagne review rolling_stone spoke song poor jazz flavored cut place record describes van voice blues brass string section previously drifted describes growing adolescent kiss madame george called album masterpiece cyprus avenue madame george minutes long tells mysterious madame corner playing drag things setting cyprus avenue belfast lyrics stream conscious details seemingly unrelated describes effect sensory experience lyrics instrumentation morrison vocals listener album like kind twilight state sleeping engaging listener project spell song rolling_stone album reviewer wrote touch madame george cryptic character study aging certainly heartbreaking find pop music morrison denied song including believed original title song madame joy morrison later changed title actually sings words madame joy song earlier recording slightly altered lyrics backing singers tempo inappropriate party atmosphere changes tone considerably weeks recording oldest composition weeks morrison composed member time met future wife inspired flash actress opera house appearing ballet according morrison guitarist recalls band working song engagements morrison words armstrong says sort cause structure performed song night hawaii recorded weeks length version appeared expanded edition left right audio channels opposite originally released edited version song album string overdubs according morrison played live like song sheets singer tells watching young girl die girl bent self destruction know dying baby know know song ends abruptly words time don know said morrison said caught big city like london maybe sure release reception weeks released sold poorly united_states album somewhat popular cult import largely overlooked critics united_kingdom british magazine published negative review finding morrison songs nme called pale imitation guitarist album year best selling records exception title track felt compositions indistinguishable suffer stuck groove american magazine editor panned weeks free verse mind album plagued lyrics singing morrison especially madame george hand argued rolling_stone lyrics thoughtful deeply intellectual terms myths metaphors exist world rock roll marcus believed music lyrics captured spirit bob_dylan album calling weeks unique timeless record magazine later named album year called year best records featuring morrison small harsh voice backed attractive musical combo genius madame george morrison album released ran page advertisements remarking weeks record stores calling damn shame ended critically acclaimed obscure album want find store record buyer loud customer right potential obscurity weeks critical standing improved greatly time viewed rock greatest records culturally significant work number factors afforded record canonical reputation rock criticism backstory commercial highly personal work morrison distinction rest discography artistic autonomy music song cycle composition enigmatic lyrics quality seriousness originality perceived mature rock audiences writers according morrison beautiful intense album foundation legend work continues musicians listeners said feeling listen calling rock record significance life far record people stunned life completely overwhelmed stalled skins ages paralyzed moment vision irish musician said think life greater depth feeling greater sense fear horror desire imagined credited morrison fully realizing ambition create pop constraints weeks allmusic said reputation critics justified unlike record encompasses passion mixed best postwar popular music critical recognition renown weeks came morrison subsequent work morrison according biographer recording career single moment like weeks perceived critical standing allowed little discussion equally fascinating musical followed morrison felt annoyed retrospective acclaim claims record significance agreement logan original criticism later said changed arrangements arrangements songs change mood hand album day gives pain hear pain wrong word moved album certified gold recording_industry_association_of_america having shipped copies music historian said album commercial performance like musical aesthetic similar classical music instant sell copies year year weeks appeared time best album polls worldwide according 15th ranked record critics time lists voted 22nd best album time poll prominent american english rock critics ranked second greatest mojo 19th rolling_stone 3rd times voted 9th greatest album time music millennium poll conducted channel_4 guardian placed record number list greatest british albums time included list time albums weeks voted best irish album time wrote extraordinary work packed evocative songs rooted belfast deliver powerful lasting universal poetic resonance legacy influence impact future releases musicians huffington_post wrote weeks influenced album songs second said weeks like religion according writer album popular travelers trail europe reports painted psychedelic colours renamed van morrison book wrote elusive time deliberately created album music indefinitely withstand music industry image making later albums reminiscent claim weeks like according said minutes film based marcus referred impact album calling common language relates shocked teaching princeton couple years ago students said favorite album weeks marcus goes enter lives talking album recorded born spoke understood language soon heard described weeks adventurous record rock medium hasn record daring rolling_stone interview recalled older brother years johnny favourite music time said try van morrison weeks stirred heard like said weeks album purchased teenager opened musically august director choreographer staged production portland oregon rock opera story ballet called find packaging according biographers irish painter influenced weeks morrison related friend drawings flat projection house working song began venture called weeks painting paintings studio time van looked painting suggested travelling album cover photograph taken best known young lions squared circle cover photo described portraying mystic symbol union sacred marriage heaven earth revisited november performed concerts hollywood bowl los_angeles california playing entire weeks album band featured played original album morrison toured performing album live rolling_stone calling concerts inspired performances career live album entitled weeks live hollywood bowl released morrison record label listen lion february issued double vinyl album released date dvd featuring hollywood bowl performances entitled weeks live hollywood bowl concert film released asked rolling_stone editor performing album live years morrison replied received promotion got play songs live wanted play record live fully orchestrated like live recording like listening live records fond studio contrived like freedom live moment sound songs original album morrison told los_angeles_times columnist songs poetic stories meaning timeless songs works fiction inherently different meaning different people people disposition october album remastered reissued session bonus tracks including length versions track listing songs written composed personnel musicians vocals acoustic guitar flute soprano saxophone classical steel string acoustic guitars double bass percussion drums string arrangements conductor cyprus avenue acoustic guitar way young lovers production producer engineer art director photography reissue production reissue
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