A Period of Transition [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [IMPORT]

Van Morrison

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 1977
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: Polygram Int'l
• ASIN: B000002GNP
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #152,546 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Japanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) pressing of this rock album. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won't believe it's the same CD! Universal. 2008. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lives Up to Its Title, April 14, 2003

By	Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Situated between the classic albums Irish rocker Van Morrison produced in the late 60s/early 70s (like "Moondance," "Astral Weeks" and St. Dominic's Preview") and the more spiritual stuff he would begin recording in the late 70's (starting with the masterpiece "Into the Music"), "A Period of Transistion" is exactly what its title implies. Fairly brief at only 7 songs, the album actually starts out well with the burning openers "You Gotta Make it Through This World" and "It Fills You Up," followed by the soulful "Kansas City."

After that, however, the album runs out of steam with the remainder mostly sounding like filler material. Van Morrison is simply too large a talent to record a true dud, and there is still enough here for ardent fans to give it a qualified recommendation.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Transition with consistency, September 27, 2005

By	Tyler C. Gillespie - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I rediscovered this album the other day after having listened to it multiple times as a boy and I absolutely love it...for very subtle reasons.

This album has some very interesting, even catchy aspects to it:1) "It fill you up, it fill you up, it fill you up, yeah; 2)Choir at the beginning of The Eternal Kansas City; 3) the pop-esque Flamingos Fly. Although none of these elements detract from the nature of the album, they overshadow some of Morrison's remarkable subtleties.

A Couple of Great Examples: In TEKC, Morrison uses the choral introduction as a fantastic contrast to his soulful, hitting voice and musical timing. Secondly, it was the last track, CWIA, where I realized how brilliant Morrison utilized horns as integral but not outshining in his music. Whereas this is evident definitely in Moondance, it is perfected here.

This is a great, short album and Dr. John and Van work well. Check it out!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maybe you had to be there, January 23, 2006

By	kevnm "kevnm" (Costa Mesa, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I know Van fans give four and five stars to everything he's done, even the ponderous 90s stuff, and I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but Van fans and fans of anything R&B should love this - trippy, soulful, cool. It's completely different and really great sounding - I think the best after the obvious classics and more original and soulful than anything in the last couple of decades. Dig it!