Enlightenment (Reis) [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Van Morrison | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B0018PJEZI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,400 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Its title seems squarely in the pilgrim's camp, where much of Van Morrison's '80s music dwells, but 1990's Enlightenment offsets new glimpses of Morrison's oft-sought Avalon ("Avalon of the Heart") with darker confessions of human frailty and challenged faith. The opening "Real Real Gone" belies its hard-charging R&B verve (a welcome return to high-octane soul after his relatively becalmed, then-recent work) with admissions of weakness, and even the lyrical title song reveals confusion more than salvation. A few years later, such defeats might have prompted one of his crankier outbursts, but this set is brightened by the joyful reminiscences of "Youth of 1,000 Summers" and the epic "In the Days Before Rock 'n' Roll," in which Morrison's declamatory fervor is matched by poet Paul Durcan. The latter song is a gloriously apt Morrison moment, exulting in Little Richard as though he walked the same astral plane as William Blake--which, in Morrison's world, is exactly the point. --Sam Sutherland

Product Description

2008 newly remastered sound and expanded packaging including lyrics of Enlightenment, an album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1990. It reached No. 5 on the UK charts. Exile/Polydor releases this album as part of a batch of two of the four catalogue reissues of Morrison's albums dated from 1971 through 2002. In "Enlightenment" Van once again ruminates on spiritual matters, but this is probably the most sober and matter-of-fact expression of his personal struggle toward understanding that he has ever offered. "I'm in the here and now and I'm meditating / But still I'm suffering," Morrison admits, "But that's my problem."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Answer to all Life's Problems is HERE!, January 4, 2003

By 

D. Hawkins (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enlightenment (Audio CD)

Most Van the Man albums have great examples of his spiritual side, but this one might have more SPIRIT than any of them. This is sadly not one of Van's most popular (based on the sales rank here), but it offers a great recipe for how to live one's life. Starting off with "Real Real Gone," he tells us "And Sam Cooke is on the radio/And the night is filled with space/And your fingertips touch my face/And I'm real real gone." This certainly illustrates the magical power that music has over us. The title track preaches for us to "Chop that wood/Carry water" since focusing on such mundance tasks is the key to being truly ALIVE. Following these two magnificent tracks, we have "So Quiet in Here" and "Avalon of the Heart." If Heaven has a waiting room, then these two songs are on constant rotation, as there is no other place these songs could have come from. Needless to say, Van's magical voice on these two songs can bring anyone with a soul to tears. Following this, there are many other wonderful songs to choose from, from "Start All Over Again" to "Memories" to the quaint song that grows on you, "In the Days Before Rock and Roll." My words have probably failed to explain exactly how transcendent this album is, but it's certainly the most undiscovered "gem" in Van's massive catalog. I am in the process of burning a CD of all my favorite Van songs. As any true fan knows, that's a pretty daunting task narrowing the best of Van down to 80 minutes, but I'm sure some songs from this CD will make the cut. To sum this album up using Van's own words from "So Quiet in Here": "This must be what paradise is like!!!"

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening !, June 26, 2001

By 

John E (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enlightenment (Audio CD)

This is a record I listen to from start to finish. No desire or need to mess with it all. Just put it on, and take the journey. Another thing about this wonderful cd-it never loses its juice. I've heard it literally dozens of times now, and it still shines as bright as it ever did. Great production, tight, polished musicianship, and terrific songwriting; you can't go wrong with this Morrison release. Highly recommended.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two Hands Clapping - And They're Mine! "Enlightenment" Gets A Superb Remaster & Two Fairly Good Bonus Tracks!, July 1, 2008

By 

Mark Barry, Reckless Records, London (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Enlightenment (Reis) (Audio CD)

"Enlightenment" is part of the 2nd wave of Van Morrison remastered reissues to hit the shops in 2008 (see full list below). Released Monday 30 June 2008 in the UK and 1 July 2008 in the USA, it also boasts an upgraded booklet and 2 bonus tracks for the first time.

Here's the layout (58:52 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 10 make up the original album - it was released in October 1990 on Polydor
Tracks 11 and 12 are previously unreleased bonus tracks - "Enlightenment (Alternate Take)" and "So Quiet In Here (Alternate Take)"

The upgraded booklet has the lyrics to the two Alternate Takes after the rest of the album, session notes and beneath the see-through inlay is a photo that matches the original artwork. Disappointingly, there's no new liner notes, no interview, no photos - but the really greats news is the remaster - the original analogue tapes have been 96K/24Bit Remastered for this release and the sound quality is superlative - much better than the very quiet sound that came off the original 1990 CD. I've waited 18 years to hear "See Me Through" in this sound quality - and it was worth the wait.

The bonus tracks are a mixed bag; the alternate version of "Enlightenment" is heavy on the vocals and the keyboards - while Georgie Fame's tinkering is lovely, Van's vocals are very forced and it sounds like what it is - a run-through - a take trying to find the true soul of the song. It's good, but nowhere near as good as the finished take. "So Quite In Here" fares better - it's delicate, lovely in places - and deserves the moniker of `bonus track'.

"Enlightenment is "Avalon Sunset" Part 2 and a firm fan favourite - this excellent remaster finally gives it the sonic muscle it's long deserved. Recommended.

PS:
30 Van Morrison albums are re-issued in remastered form throughout 2008 and into early 2009. Each title contains an upgraded booklet; previously unreleased bonus tracks and all will be at mid-price. The releases are in 4 batches as follows:

28 January 2008 (7 titles)
Tupelo Honey (1971), It's Too Late To Stop Now (2 CD Live Set) (1974),
Wavelenght (1979), Into The Music (1979), A Sense Of Wonder (1985),
Avalon Sunset (1989) and Back On Top (1999)
(see SEPARATE REVIEWS for all 7)

30 June 2008 UK/1 & 8 July 2008 USA (8 titles)
Veedon Fleece (1974), Common One (1980), Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (1983), Live At The Grand Opera House, Belfast (1984), No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986), Enlightenment (1990), A Night In San Francisco (2CD Live Set) (1994) and The Healing Game (1997)
(see also SEPARATE REVIEWS for "Veedon Fleece", "Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart", "Common One", the live 2CD set "A Night In San Francisco" and "No Guru, No Teacher, No Method")

September 2008 - delayed until February 2009 (7 titles)
Saint Dominic's Preview (1972), A Period Of Transition (1977), Beautiful Vision (1982), Poetic Champions Compose (1987), Hymns To The Silence (2CD Studio Set) (1991), How Long Has This Been Going On (Live At Ronnie Scott's) (1995) and Tell Me Something - The Songs Of Mose Allison (1996)

January 2009 (8 titles)
Hard Nose The Highway (1973), Irish Heartbeat (with The Chieftains) (1988),
Too Long In Exile (1993), Days Like This (1995), The Story Of Them (2CD Set) (1999), The Skiffle Sessions - Live In Belfast (with Lonnie Donegan & Chris Barber) (2000), Down The Road (2002) and What's Wrong With This Picture? (2003)

PPS:
Those hoping to see desperately needed sonic upgrades of his 1st and 2nd album masterpieces on Warner Bothers "Astral Weeks" (1968) and "Moondance" (1970) or even "His Band & The Street Choir" (late 1970) will be disappointed to hear that they're NOT in this re-issue campaign - on either side of the pond. "Astral Weeks" and "Moondance" in particular have both been languishing around on crappy-sounding non-remastered CDs for over 20 years now and they're glaringly obvious omissions in this supposedly 'extensive' re-issue campaign. These universally recognized masterpieces have long deserved 2CD DELUXE EDITION treatment (some tracks in remastered form are available across the 3 volumes of "Best Of"). However, I've recently been informed by a good source that all 3 are NOW AVAILABLE since June 2008 in JAPAN in RHINO REMASTERED form. See the excellent Japanese site CDJAPAN.CO.JP for details (worded in English).