Customer Reviews

Inarticulate Speech of the Heart

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As with several other Van Morrison albums, I first became aware of this album when I was living outside London in the early 1980s, and quickly became a re-confirmed Van Morrison fan. No one has a wider range of styles, interpretations, and abilities than Van, and he puts all of his eclectic talents to use here. From the opening "Higher Than The World" to the finals strains of the lovely instrumental "September Night", Morrison evokes a provocative journey into the mystic interiors within his heart. Along the way, Morrison shows why he has so confounded fans and critics for the last three decades. This album was part of his evolution into a new, less popular, but much more mature musical style, or styles, since Morrison is so multi-faceted in his approach to each song that it is hard to describe his musical tastes, uses of instruments or arrangements that he has to be heard across a number of albums to recognize common and recurring themes or approaches.

There is much to appreciate and enjoy here, from the haunting "Connswater" to the lilting "Celtic Swing", from the title cut of "Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart"' to the Irish recollection found in a memorable "Irish Heartbeat". There are several instrumentals here, and they do much to provide the atmospherics for the mood of the album. My own favorite of the album is the aforementioned "Irish Heartbeat' as well as the rap-like "Rave On, John Donne", an interesting and unusual chanted survey of the contemporary intellectual scene. When you hear an accomplished poet and lyricist like Morrison show you what rap could be, you realize just how prosaic and amateurish most of what passes as rap really is. Morrison later revved up his career with the blockbuster "Avalon Sunset" album later in the 80s. But all the elements he brought so memorably into that later comeback and reemergence onto the popular charts was here in this album in spades. I think you will a lot to enjoy and appreciate in this sleeper of an album by one of the best of the sixties generation of singer/songwriters. Enjoy

Van Morrison's softer side is revealed here and his R&B excursions are nowhere to be found. The lovely ballad Higher Than The World opens this album of mellow music and high spirituality and is followed by the beautiful instrumental Connswater. River Of Time sort of drifts along but Celtic Swing is stunning, another splendid instrumental with a foot tapping rhythm and evocative wind instruments. Rave On, John Donne is a tour de force in which Morrison mentions a long list of visionary artists of the last two centuries, a very powerful song in which I suppose he lists those writers with whom he feels a certain spiritual affinity. He even mentions the Rosy Cross, Theosophy and the Golden Dawn! Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart No. 1 is a flowing instrumental with outstanding piano and just a hint of ethereal backing vocals, whilst Irish Heartbeat is a tender, achingly beautiful ballad, almost like a lullaby. The Street Only Knew Your Name is a mid tempo rocker where Van does some of his characteristic vocalising. Cry For Home is another tuneful ballad with a lilting rhythm, whilst Inarticulate Speech No. 2 has Van's vocals that are missing in the first version and some great lyrics too. The album concludes with another semi-instrumental with ethereal backing vocals and wordless vocalising, the slow and winding September Night. This deeply spiritual album forms a cohesive whole. It may not be amongst Morrison's best, but true fans will love it for its melodic simplicity and stately elegance.

This is one of my "ten CDs for a desert island" albums: I've been in love with it since it came out in the mid-Eighties. It's aged well, too. Van definitely explores his mystical side here: he's a strong poet and singer.

Aside from his beautiful vocals, which are masterful as usual, there are several instrumental pieces on this recording. Back-up singers (gorgeous, full-voiced women) supply uncommon depth; the dreamy piano and guitar, breathy saxophone, and delicate bass work make this (honestly) the best "lie in bed all day Sunday with your lover" music I can think of.

It's an exquisite recording. I can't count the number of friends I've gifted with it. It's deep, and it's broad.

To quote him, "I'm just wild about it. I can't live without it" (the inarticulate speech of the heart).

I too have been listening to Inarticulate Speech of the Heart for over 15 years. I have both LP and CD versions and enjoy both. While I have a number of Van Morrison works, ISOTH continues to be my all-time favorite and I never tire of it. If I were stranded on an island and could only have 10 CD's to listen to for the rest of my life, ISOTH would be on my list and probably near or at the top. If you don't own this work, get it - you will not be disappointed. You will hear somethine new everytime you listen to it.

This CD is one the gems of Van Morrison's work. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart is music that can make you warm inside on a cold, rainy day. The music is sensual and imaginitive (for me it recalls fond memories of the time when I lived in Ireland). I bought ISOTH almost 15 years ago as an LP which I still play regularly on my old record player. I'm still considering whether to buy the CD-version. The sound of a CD has a different feel to it, but I think the warmth comes out just as much as on LP even though the CD sound is somehow 'smoother'. The softly crackling and spluttering LP with its own 'atmosphere' is no longer available of course. If you are looking for a sparkling and initimate music that gets hold of your heart and soul (the same song is also on the CD), this is IT (if you didn't buy the LP version 15 years ago <g>). This music is worth every dime, a MUST-BUY.

Like a potpourri of heady wildflower petals, this intoxicating CD offers a variety of sensual pleasures--bits of Celtic soul intermixed with poetic ramblings and downright funky rock & roll. Glorious lead vocals from Van and a choir of angelic gospel backup singers articulate brilliantly the often unspeakable message of the human heart, and the music is pure, undiluted joy.

There are four or five "mountaintops" in the ouvre of Van Morrison, and I think this is one of them. (Mark Knofler of Dire Straits says this is his favorite album, period) The Van albums post 1975 tend to alternate between harder R&B ("Wavelength") and jazz meditations. I think this one is the supreme example of the latter. The highest compliment I can pay this album is that for years it was "A" side of my "make out tape." ("Avalon" by Brian Ferry was the "B" side) If you're going to buy one Van Morrison album, buy "Astral Weeks." But by all means buy a dozen or more, and make this one #2.

i love van so much, he is the greatest singer ever, and he's irish he rocks. irish heartbeat is one of the best songs ever heard, simple yet deep and it hits me and makes me cry every time i hear it i recently lost my mother and it was a song she loved and danced to thank you van for giving me memories

If you like something to balance out your grunge and alternative angst, put this album on, grab your mug of cocoa, and curl up some in place warm -- you're in for a treat. It is not so much an intellectual exposition as it is a feel good from the inside kind of album. Van doesn't reach too far (4 rather than 5 stars) with the exception of song/poem Rave On John Donne. (Which shocked me that it didn't make his best of album.) Otherwise the enjoyable aspects of this album are Van's bluesy singing, the sublime background singers, and the seamless adherence to this warmth thingy that all the pieces have. (Perhaps it's the schnapps in the cocoa.) In addition to Rave On..., check out Higher than the World and Inarticulate...no. 2 to get a feel.

Beautiful & poetic. Perhaps not Van's best, but this one has a lingering, haunting quality. If you're in to Van's late 70s/1980s spiritual-side (IMHO his best work), it's a must! Pleasing sounds, striking lyrics.