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Enlightenment | 
| Artist: Van Morrison
Label: Commercial Marketing
Category: Music
List Price: £8.99
Buy New: £4.98
You Save: £4.01 (45%)
New (39) Used (6) from £3.09
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 22520
Media: Audio CD
Running Time: 58
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 001136702
UPC: 600753087633
EAN: 0600753087633
ASIN: B0018PJEZI
Release Date: June 30, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Real Real Gone | | • | Enlightenment | | • | So Quiet In Here | | • | Avalon Of The Heart - Van Morrison, John McCarthy, The Ambrosian Singers | | • | See Me Through | | • | Youth Of 1000 Summers | | • | In The Days Before Rock'n'Roll | | • | Start All Over Again | | • | She's My Baby | | • | Memories | | • | Enlightenment | | • | So Quiet In Here |
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| Customer Reviews:
Retrospection, introspection and his musical heroes November 27, 2008
Dominated by tasteful horn and string arrangements, this appealing album was Morrison's first great achievement of the 1990s. It has now been enhanced by the addition of a second version of the title track and So Quiet in Here. Van as Fan comes to the fore on the great 9 minute track In The Days Before Rock n Roll, an intelligent & absorbing reflection on his musical heroes.
There is plenty of modal & tempo variation. The tuneful Real Real Gone is catchy & rhythmic, the tender gospel song See Me Through is a stirring highlight whilst the exuberant Youth Of a 1000 Summers, a serenade to the "sweet bird of youth" is another true gem.
The music is accessible and melodious with definite pop appeal. Morrison pays tribute to his influences, many of which were American soul singers. Enlightenment is a soothing & introspective album where tasteful excursions into jazzy realms add a special touch.
The Belfast Cowboy looks back down the trail July 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an odd album, beautiful songs but very much looking back at his influences and his past work. "Real, Real, Gone" namechecks Wilson Pickett, James Brown and others; "She's My Baby" has the "doo doo doo" bit from Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears". Others quote his own work; "Enlightenment" has the melody of "No Guru, No Method..."'s "Oh the Warm Feeling", and "Avalon of the Heart" goes even further, with "the viaducts of my dreams" straight from "Astral Weeks" to the tune of Tupelo Honey's "Old, old Woodstock". Very appropriately, the last track of the original release is "Memories", giving the whole album a nostalgic feel. I'd give it five stars but it makes me spend too much time trying to work out the similarities!
"Enlightenment" Gets A Superb Remaster & Two Fairly Good Bonus Tracks June 30, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
"Enlightenment" is part of the 2nd wave of Van Morrison remastered reissues to hit the shops in 2008 (see full list below). Released Monday 30 June 2008 in the UK and 1 July 2008 in the USA, it also boasts an upgraded booklet and 2 bonus tracks for the first time.
Here's the layout (58:52 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 10 make up the album originally released in October 1990
Tracks 11 and 12 are previously unreleased bonus tracks - "Enlightenment (Alternate Take)" and "So Quiet In Here (Alternate Take)"
The upgraded booklet has the lyrics to the two Alternate Takes after the rest of the album, session notes and beneath the see-through inlay is a photo that matches the original artwork. Disappointingly, there's no new liner notes, no interview, no photos - but the really greats news is the remaster - the original analogue tapes have been 96K/24Bit Remastered for this release and the sound quality is superlative - much better than the very quiet sound that came off the original 1990 CD. I've waited 18 years to hear "See Me Through" in this sound quality - and it was worth the wait.
The bonus tracks are a mixed bag; the alternate version of "Enlightenment" is heavy on the vocals and the keyboards - while Georgie Fame's tinkering is lovely, Van's vocals are very forced and it sounds like what it is - a run-through - a take trying to find the true soul of the song. It's good, but nowhere near as good as the finished take. "So Quite In Here" fares better - it's delicate, lovely in places - and deserves the moniker of `bonus track'.
"Enlightenment is "Avalon Sunset" Part 2 and a firm fan favourite - this excellent remaster finally gives it the sonic muscle it's long deserved. Recommended.
PS:
30 Van Morrison albums are re-issued in remastered form throughout 2008 and into early 2009. Each title contains an upgraded booklet; previously unreleased bonus tracks and all will be at mid-price. The releases are in 4 batches as follows:
28 January 2008 (7 titles)
Tupelo Honey (1971), It's Too Late To Stop Now (2 CD Live Set) (1974),
Wavelenght (1979), Into The Music (1979), A Sense Of Wonder (1985),
Avalon Sunset (1989) and Back On Top (1999)
(see SEPARATE REVIEWS for all 7)
30 June 2008 UK/1 & 8 July 2008 USA (8 titles)
Veedon Fleece (1974), Common One (1980), Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (1983), Live At The Grand Opera House, Belfast (1984), No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986), Enlightenment (1990), A Night In San Francisco (2CD Live Set) (1994) and The Healing Game (1997)
(see also SEPARATE REVIEWS for "Veedon Fleece", "Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart", "Common One", the live 2CD set "A Night In San Francisco" and "No Guru, No Method, No Teacher")
November 2008 (7 titles)
Saint Dominic's Preview (1972), A Period Of Transition (1977), Beautiful Vision (1982), Poetic Champions Compose (1987), Hymns To The Silence (2CD Studio Set) (1991), How Long Has This Been Going On (Live At Ronnie Scott's) (1995) and Tell Me Something - The Songs Of Mose Allison (1996)
January 2009 (8 titles)
Hard Nose The Highway (1973), Irish Heartbeat (with The Chieftains) (1988),
Too Long In Exile (1993), Days Like This (1995), The Story Of Them (2CD Set) (1999), The Skiffle Sessions - Live In Belfast (with Lonnie Donegan & Chris Barber) (2000), Down The Road (2002) and What's Wrong With This Picture? (2003)
PPS:
Those hoping to see desperately needed sonic upgrades of his 1st and 2nd album masterpieces on Warner Bothers "Astral Weeks" (1968) and "Moondance" (1970) or even "His Band & The Street Choir" (late 1970) will be disappointed to hear that they're NOT in this re-issue campaign - on either side of the pond. "Astral Weeks" and "Moondance" in particular have both been languishing around on crappy-sounding non-remastered CDs for over 20 years now and they're glaringly obvious omissions in this supposedly 'extensive' re-issue campaign. These universally recognized masterpieces have long deserved 2CD DELUXE EDITION treatment (some tracks in remastered form are available across the 3 volumes of "Best Of"). However, I've recently been informed by a good source that all 3 are NOW AVAILABLE since June 2008 in JAPAN in RHINO REMASTERED form. See the excellent Japanese site CDJAPAN.CO.JP for details (worded in English).
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