Enlightenment is the twentieth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in 1990 and reached No. 5 in the UK charts and "Real Real Gone" charted at No. 18 in Mainstream Rock Tracks.
| Enlightenment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1990 Reissued June 2008 | |||
| Recorded | February 1990 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Celtic, folk rock | |||
| Length | 50:30 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Van Morrison | |||
| Van Morrison chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Enlightenment | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[3] |
| MusicHound | 3.5/5[4] |
| Rolling Stone | [5] |
| Select |   [6] |
The June 2008 re-issued and re-mastered version of the album contains alternate takes of "Enlightenment" and "So Quiet in Here". "Start All Over Again" from this album was listed as one of the standout tracks from the six album reissue.[7]
Recording edit
The album was recorded in London, England, and Real World in Box. The arrangements were by Fiachra Trench and Micheal O'Suilleabhain played piano with a brass section made up of British jazz musicians from the late sixties: Frank Ricotti, Henry Lowther and Malcolm Griffiths. One of the songs "So Quiet in Here" was recorded at the Kirk, Rode, Somerset, a setting which served as both church or studio.[8]
Composition edit
The song "Enlightenment" contains the words: "I'm in the here and now and I'm meditating/ And still I'm suffering but that's my problem/ Enlightenment, don't know what it is". "So Quiet in Here" is a continuation of the song "Into the Mystic" from the Moondance album.[citation needed] The single released from the album, "Real Real Gone", was originally written and meant for the 1980 album Common One.[9] The song "In the Days Before Rock 'N' Roll" was a collaboration between Morrison and the Irish poet Paul Durcan.
Track listing edit
All songs by Morrison unless noted otherwise.
- "Real Real Gone" – 3:43
- "Enlightenment" – 4:04
- "So Quiet in Here" – 6:09
- "Avalon of the Heart" – 4:45
- "See Me Through" – 6:13
- "Youth of 1,000 Summers" – 3:45
- "In the Days Before Rock 'N' Roll" (Durcan, Morrison) – 8:13
- "Start All Over Again" – 4:10
- "She's My Baby" – 5:14
- "Memories" – 4:14
Bonus tracks (2008 CD reissue) edit
- "Enlightenment" – 3:29 (alternate take)
- "So Quiet in Here" – 4:03 (alternate take)
Personnel edit
Musicians edit
- Van Morrison – vocals, guitar, harmonica
- The Ambrosian Singers – choir, with John McCarthy as choirmaster (on 4)
- Dave Bishop – soprano and baritone saxophones
- Paul Durcan – spoken word (on 7)
- Dave Early – drums (except on 4, 10)
- Georgie Fame – electric piano, hammond organ, backing vocals
- Alex Gifford – synthesizers, piano
- Steve Gregory – tenor saxophone, flute
- Malcolm Griffiths – trombone
- Bernie Holland – lead guitar (on 2, 6, 9)
- Henry Lowther – trumpet (on 6, 8, 9)
- Brian Odgers – bass guitar (on 2, 9)
- Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin – piano (on 3)
- Steve Pearce – bass guitar (except on 2, 9)
- Frank Ricotti – vibraphone (on 8)
- Steve Sanger – drums (on 4, 10)
- Steve Waterman – flugelhorn (on 6, 8, 9)
Production edit
Recorded mainly at Wool Hall Studios, Beckington
Townhouse, London, Real World, Box and
Pavilion Studios, London.
("So Quiet in Here" recorded at The Kirk, Rode, Somerset)
- Producer: Van Morrison
- Engineers: Mick Glossop, Steve Williams
- Additional engineering: Alastair McMillan
- Mixing: Mick Glossop, Steve Williams
- String, Brass and Choir arrangements: Fiachra Trench
- String section leader: Gavin Wright
- Keyboard and Synth arrangements: Neil Drinkwater
Charts edit
Album edit
| Year | Chart | Position |
| 1990 | UK Album Chart | 5 |
Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Billboard 200 | 62 |
Singles edit
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Real Real Gone" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 18 |
Notes edit
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ Entertainment Weekly review
- ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 784. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ^ Rolling Stone review[dead link]
- ^ Brown, Glyn (November 1990). "Guiding Light". Select. p. 100.
- ^ "Catalog Reissues by Van Morrison on Blurt Online". blurt-online.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2009.
- ^ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, pp. 292–293
- ^ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, pp 293, 294
References edit
- Hinton, Brian (1997). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074-169-X