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Amazon.com essential recording: Conceived in the wake of his bucolic classics, Moondance and Tupelo Honey, 1972's Saint Dominic's Preview sustains their mix of crisp R&B ("Jackie Wilson Said") and anthemic folk-rock ("Almost Independence Day") while insinuating a darker, warier spirit to Morrison's music. In what would amount to the first major installment in an ongoing cycle of digs at the music business, the title song pits the singer's authentic art against the false idols of the predators and sycophants surrounding him--a familiar Morrison theme decades on but given a soulful urgency here that makes it tough to dismiss as the ravings of a career curmudgeon. --Sam Sutherland
Customer Reviews:
- One of His Best..: This is one the Best Van Morrison Albums for sure...My favs are this one, Tupelo Honey, Moondance and Hard Nose The Highway...
- His most artistic piece of work: This album had a profound effect on me when I first bought it twenty odd years ago. I sincerely think it beats Astral Weeks hands down as being his most artistic album. The man's musical genius shines through brighter than ever on this album. It has its own sound once again, and this time the ever versatile maestro goes for an acoustic guitar vibe. Its certainly an indulgence on some tracks but then music itself is an indulgence so I really don't have a problem with it if it sounds right, and Van always gets it sounding right. This is a listen at home album, not one for the road, this is turn off the lights and lose yourself music. It is also a classic album cover, with Van's arty troubador look setting the tone for what you'll hear inside. A true classic album that I think is overlooked only because he made quite a few classic albums and his more conceptual ones usually take the plaudits. I think if he had tweaked a couple of tracks to make it more homogenous throughout then it would be talked about in same terms as Moondance and Astral Weeks. Still, this album works fine for me.
- The Lion Has Little To Say: Trust me, you are not going to listen to "Listen to the Lion" and "Almost Indepencence Day" more than once. Van sings these songs and then tries to stretch them out with improvisation and "scat" singing. Believe me, Van is no scat singer. He grunts and groans as if he is turning into the lion he sings about. It is pointless and irritating. When someone becomes as respected as Van; his fans start cutting him breaks when he makes bad decisions. I think it should be just the opposite. We should hold him to a higher standard. Most of the music on the CD is either uninspired or self-indulgent. When Van sticks to songs, he's great. When he tries too self-consciously to make "art", he fails miserably. Download "Jackie Wilson Said" and skip the rest. This is Van at his worst.
- My Favorite Van Morrison: There isn't a week cut on this CD. "Listen To The Lion", "Almost Independence Day", "Jackie Wilson Said" and "Gypsy" are my personal favorites although I never skip a track when i play this. Certainly the one Van I would pick for a Desert Isle Disc.
- The Perfect Album: For me, no other Van Morrison LP comes close to this one. It kicks off with the joyful soul of Jackie Wilson Said and never misses beat thereafter. Van was surely in absolute peak form, and his Celtic mystical soul found its muse in the natural beauty of northern California. Like many, Listen to the Lion is my favorite track in its hypnotizing power. There is not a weak cut anywhere -- each is a standout in its own style. The horns, like all Van Morrison, have more soul than anything coming out of Memphis or Detroit. The combination of soul, blues, jazz, and trippy mysticism is alchemy that few have ever approached artistically.
I cannot describe exactly how, but this music lifts me every time I hear it, and it sounds better today than when I first discovered it (around 1979). Do not miss it.
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