Customer Reviews

Wavelength

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Released in 1978, "Wavelength," though not amoung Van Morrison's all time best, is still one of his more engaging albums. It takes the basic formula of his classic "Moondance" and updates it with longer songs (though admittedly they are one the whole not as strong as "Moondance"). The album kicks off with the spirited "Kingdom Hall" and then moves on to such other excellent tracks as "Sante Fe/Beautiful Obsession," "Hungry for Your Love," "Venice U.S.A." and the wonderfully perky title track.

Morrison has never sounded better as a vocalist and in retrospect he was just warming up for his late 70s masterpiece "Into the Music" that would follow a year later. It should also be noted that the CD booklet includes a full lyrics sheet and a list of backing musicians.

Overall, a solid album that stands just a notch or so below Van Morrison's best works.

I personally think this cd (or "album" as my mom and dad would say) is the best. There is a lot of music out there these days. A lot of music catagories to choose from. We have to sit back and realize that it all came from the days of and even before Van Morrison. This music is real..not altered just from the soul. Of course I am 25 and I have listened to my parents music from day one in 1979. I have to say that this cd is my personal favorite. My name is Natalia and guess where that came from? My dad would play the record for me when I was little on Saturday nights when I was in the bathtub he he... Nothing like a song stuck in your head for 25 years huh...Thanks for reading.

Two camps here. First, if you are not a "Van Fan" and are looking for an introductory album, then of course head straight for the "Moondance" or "Tupelo Honey". Beyond that, if you know any of his music and are interested, "Wavelength" is an outstanding recording. The title track is the center of the album. The vocals, instrumentation and lyrics are classic Van, great lead guitar... a really upbeat love song. As is another fave of mine "Natalia". Its' all simple stuff here:
"Here on a summer night
I wanna kiss and hold you tight
Just the way we used to do
Walkin' down the same old street
People that we used to meet
Such a long, long time ago"
It's very upbeat sunny day music. I would have to say that 7 of the 9 songs here are outstanding. Dont expect to hear "Brown Eyed Girl" and you wont be disappointed. LISTEN. Whatever anyone says, trust me this work isn't "horrible".

The stout, shy little Irishman is one of my favorite artists, and many people agree. His name often appears on "best artist" lists, but he's been so stubbornly reclusive and purposely obscure that many listeners under age 40 don't know his work. For those of you who aren't very familiar with this guy, perhaps beyond Rod Stewart's version of his "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," let me explain.

Morrison first earned the everlasting appreciation of rockers everywhere in the mid 1960s by writing and performing "Gloria (G-L-O-R-I-A)" with his band Them. It became THE classic standard rock tune that every garage band had to know to get a gig. The recording industry then proceeded to mishandle and nearly destroy this brilliant young talent, who was constantly battling stage fright and insecurity anyway. He overcame this through the sheer strength of his material, such as the hits "Brown-Eyed Girl," "Domino," "Wild Night," etc., in the early 1970s.

Personal upheaval caused Morrison to completely retreat from the spotlight in the mid 1970s, and this "Wavelength" was his comeback. It's a strong effort that echoes the brilliant "Moondance" collection, where he perfectly wedded the multiple musical styles that fascinate him, from rock to pop to jazz to R&B to traditional Irish instrumentation. "Wavelength" is not as seamless as "Moondance," but its appearance in 1978 was an absolute joy, and listening to it this quarter-century later is a delight as well.

As with much of Morrison's work, this set also includes multiple spiritual references, the presence of which has grown and come to the foreground in more recent years. Nonetheless his restless, searching soul can be found in such varied topics as Jehovah's Witnesses ("Kingdom Hall"), spiritism ("Checkin' It Out"), and reincarnation ("Lifetimes").

In addition to the aforementioned danceable "Kingdom Hall" and optimistic "Checkin' It Out," the highlights here include the rockin' title song, the memorably romantic "Natalia," and "Take It Where You Find It," one of the best songs about the U.S. ever written by a European: "Men saw the stars at the edge of the sea; they thought great thoughts about liberty; poets wrote down words that did fit, writers wrote books, thinkers thought about it...Lost dreams and found dreams in America."

There are one or two cuts here that are filler, which is par for the course for this artist, but when he's on he is WAY on. Check the "Listen" links higher up on this page and listen to the clips of the first three tracks, and if you like those, then yes, you will definitely enjoy the "Wavelength" CD. Well worth a carefully considered purchase.

Too slick...too seventies...too shallow...too "poppy". Wavelength gets a very bad rap. From the sturdy opener, Kingdom Hall, to the fabulous title cut with the sublime guitar solo, to the spectacular closers Hungry For Your Love and Take It Where You Find It, this record stands the test of time, sounding just as strong now as it did in 1978. While Wavelength may not quite measure up, in the eyes of some, to Astral Weeks, Moondance and St. Dominics Preview, there hasn't been much better released since then--by anyone--except for a few Van Morrison records.

Wavelength from 1978 is an album of melodic rock and soul that ranks amongst Van Morrison ten best albums. Kingdom Hall is a full bodied rock song with a great hook and rousing vocals, Checkin' It Out is a lilting mid-tempo ballad with baroque instrumental passages, Natalia is a meandering love song, Venice USA has a bouncy reggae rhythm, lovely organ and an addictive sing-along chorus. The slow song Lifetimes with its unusual instrumental mix is quite special whilst the title track with its handclaps and R&B vocals is Van at his most soulful. I love the guitar textures on Santa Fé/Beautiful Obsession, the brooding vocals on Hungry For Your Love and the intricate piano rolls on the mournful Take It Where You Find It, the most spiritual song here. Wavelength may not be a classic in the league of Astral Weeks, Moondance, Tupelo Honey or Hymns To the Silence, but it still deserves its five stars through and through.

This is quite simply one of the only albums ever made that captures everything. The piledriving title track, the wistful "Natalia" (which rocks rather than rolls), the indescribable "Restaurant in Venice". If you do not whistle the Title Track to yourself, think about Natalia at night, or want to visit Venice after listening to this album, there is something wrong with you.

While this album jams and "Van the Man" is at his best - he's intense and soulful; you gotta be a chump or on drugs to pay $39 for this CD!!! Do what I did (don't get taken), drive to your nearest Best Buy and pay just $11.99 for a new Remastered copy of Wavelength. Enjoy!!

Many outstanding tracks with just a couple of average songs. I especially enjoy Kingdom Hall and Sante Fe, but "Take it where you find it" ranks as one of Van's best ever songs - a truly hidden gem - like "daring night" on Avalon Sunset. It's worth the price of several CD's.

This could be the best Van Morrison album of all. Take it whereyou find it is probably his best moving song but has many close ups onthis album, pure masterpiece END