Poetic Champions Compose

Van Morrison | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 14, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000001FMO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,056 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #14 in Music > World Music > Celtic > Rock
  • #56 in Music > R&B > Soul > Blue-Eyed Soul

Track Listings

1. Spanish Steps

2. The Mystery

3. Queen of the Slipstream

4. I Forgot That Love Existed

5. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

6. Celtic Excavation

7. Someone Like You

8. Alan Watts Blues

9. Give Me My Rapture

10. Did Ye Get Healed?

11. Allow Me

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for Van Fans, October 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Poetic Champions Compose (Audio CD)

This is one of my three favorite Van Morrison albums, the others being "No Guru" and "Moondance". This is one that even non-fans will love. Beautiful instrumentals, love songs, songs of spiritual longings. The best from the best.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jazzy and atmospheric, March 16, 2006

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Poetic Champions Compose (Audio CD)

The instrumental Spanish Steps is the languid jazzy introduction to this album of understated songs. The album takes it name from a line in Queen Of The Slipstream, a gentle ballad with a haunting melody. I Forgot That Love Existed is another jazzy number with gorgeous instrumental flourishes, whilst Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child has more of a soul or R&B feel in its yearning vocals and has something of the same effect as Blind Faith's Can't Find My Way Home.

Celtic Excavation is an ethereal and evocative instrumental with tinkling piano and a lovely lilting flow and Someone Like You is a slow and moving love song. My favourites include the bouncy Alan Watts Blues with its twanging guitar and the rhythmic uptempo Give Me My Rapture, a catchy inspirational song with great organ flourishes.

The piece Did Ye Get Healed? has swirling female backing vocals and the album concludes with another jazzy instrumental titled Allow Me. The album is quite cohesive in creating a mood of contented contemplation with Morrison's characteristic spiritual undertone. It is probably not considered to be amongst his greatest work, but still a classic in my opinion.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, May 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Poetic Champions Compose (Audio CD)

This and "No Guru, No Method, No Teacher" are my personal favorites out of Van Morrison's many albums. The instrumentals are among his best efforts in the jazz vein, the Black spiritual "Motherless Child" is done with great depth of feeling, and the other songs run the emotional gamut from the cheery "Give Me My Rapture" to the deeply touching "I Forgot That Love Existed." This album shows off Morrison at his best, and I still listen to it often.