Album of the Day

From his earliest recordings with Them, it was clear that Van Morrison was one of rock's greatest vocalists, and ASTRAL WEEKS confirmed that he was an equally brilliant writer. But that beautiful song cycle wasn't a hit; it was the follow-up, 1970's MOONDANCE, that put Morrison into the Top 40, selling steadily over the years to go triple platinum. An accessible fusion of blue-eyed soul, jazz and the music of Morrison's native Ireland, the collection has been hailed by the likes of Time and Rolling Stone as one of the greatest ever made. The Deluxe Edition of MOONDANCE offers a rare look at Morrison's creative process; along with a meticulously remastered version of the original album, the set includes some 50 previously unreleased recordings from the sessions, including multiple takes of such favorites as “Caravan,” “Into The Mystic” and the title track, as well as “I Shall Sing,” a song which didn't make the album but later became a hit for Art Garfunkel. Van the Man turns 70 today; we'll wish him a happy birthday with this definitive look at one of his summit achievements.