Van Morrison Vinyl Records – Astral Weeks, Moondance & Essential Albums on Vinyl

Van Morrison is one of the most singular voices in recorded music. Born in Belfast in 1945, he first came to prominence as the frontman of Them — whose version of Gloria became a garage rock standard — before launching a solo career that has spanned more than five decades. Astral Weeks, recorded in 1968 with a live jazz ensemble at Century Sound Studios in New York, is routinely cited as one of the greatest albums ever made. Moondance, Into the Mystic, and Brown Eyed Girl are woven into the fabric of popular music. His work draws on blues, jazz, folk, soul, and Celtic tradition, often simultaneously.

If any catalogue was made for vinyl, it is Van Morrison's. Astral Weeks was recorded with acoustic instruments — Richard Davis on upright bass, Connie Kay on drums, Jay Berliner on guitar — captured live in a single room, and the subtle interplay between those musicians reveals itself in ways that only analogue playback can properly reproduce. The 180g Analogue Productions reissue, mastered from the original tapes, is considered one of the finest reissues in existence. Across his catalogue, the warmth of his voice and the organic textures of his arrangements make Van Morrison an essential vinyl artist.

Best Van Morrison Albums on Vinyl

Astral Weeks (1968)A record unlike anything before or since. Recorded in two sessions at Century Sound Studios with a jazz ensemble playing live around Morrison's vocals and acoustic guitar, Astral Weeks is a stream-of-consciousness masterpiece that blends folk, jazz, blues, and poetry into something transcendent. It barely charted on release but has since been recognised as one of the greatest albums ever recorded.

Moondance (1970) The album that brought Morrison to a wider audience. Into the Mystic, And It Stoned Me, and the title track are among the most beautiful songs in popular music. More structured and radio-friendly than Astral Weeks, Moondance channels jazz, soul, and R&B into warm, optimistic songwriting. A record that sounds like a late-night conversation with an old friend.

Veedon Fleece (1974) Morrison's most overlooked masterpiece. Inspired by a return to Ireland, it is a deeply atmospheric album of folk and Celtic-inflected songs — meditative, spiritual, and utterly beautiful. Fair Play and Streets of Arklow are among his finest compositions. An album that rewards patient, attentive listening — perfect for vinyl.

Into the Music (1979) A joyous, spiritually charged album that marked a creative resurgence. Bright Side of the Road became a pop standard, but the deeper cuts — And the Healing Has Begun, Troubadours — reveal an artist reconnecting with the ecstatic, searching quality of his best work. Rich, full production that sounds magnificent on vinyl.

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