Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Poetic Champions Compose
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images

Poetic Champions Compose [Original recording remastered]

Van Morrison (Artist) | Format: Audio CD
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


Product Details
1. Spanish Steps
2. The Mystery
3. Queen Of The Slipstream
4. I Forgot Love Existed
5. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
6. Celtic Excavation
7. Someone Like You
8. Alan Watts Blues
9. Give Me My Rapture
10. Did Ye Get Healed?
11. Allow Me

Product Description

From Amazon.com

If his albums are any indication, Van Morrison seems to have bounced between religions like a demented pinball. Amazingly, for a decade that saw the Belfast enigma explore Christianity and Scientology before returning, on Avalon Sunset, to Christianity, Poetic Champions Compose serves as a reminder that Van managed to even cram in an agnostic phase along the way. With this in mind, a desperately bleak version of the folk standard "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" lacerates the heartstrings. But the album shouldn't be assumed by any means to be a depressing affair. Three saxophone instrumentals, including the Miles Davis-influenced "Spanish Steps," lend a crisp Sunday morning feel to much of the proceedings, while "Queen of the Slipstream" and the live favorite "Did Ye Get Healed" suggest that, however bad the crisis of faith was (and the quite awesome preceding album No Guru, No Method, No Teacher suggests it was pretty bad), here is a man ultimately happy to find redemption in a love song. --Peter Paphides

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

› Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

3 star
0
2 star
0
1 star
0
Most helpful customer reviews
JAZZY, ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC Jun 11 2003
By Pieter HALL OF FAME TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD
The instrumental Spanish Steps is the languid jazzy introduction to this album of understated songs. The album takes it name from a line in Queen Of The Slipstream, a gentle ballad with a haunting melody. I Forgot That Love Existed is another jazzy number with gorgeous instrumental flourishes, whilst Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child has more of a soul or R&B feel in its yearning vocals and has something of the same effect as Blind Faith's Can't Find My Way Home. Celtic Excavation is an ethereal and evocative instrumental with tinkling piano and a lovely lilting flow and Someone Like You is a slow and moving love song. My favourites include the bouncy Alan Watts Blues with its twanging guitar and the rhythmic uptempo Give Me My Rapture, a catchy inspirational song with great organ flourishes. The piece Did Ye Get Healed? has swirling female backing vocals and the album concludes with another jazzy instrumental titled Allow Me. The album is quite cohesive in creating a mood of contented contemplation with Morrison's characteristic spiritual undertone. It is probably not considered to be amongst his greatest work, but still a classic in my opinion.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Most Heard Van April 16 2003
Format:Audio CD
I was a wedding photographer for many years & always tried to keep in touch with the DJ's. If the wedding was with an evangelical couple, this CD was normally played during the reception. This is one of Van's more happier & lighter CD's with love songs galore. Comes right after the more profound "No Guru, No Method, No Teacher" which gives a more quasi-Buddhist/Christian direct mystic appeal. Van Morrison always had the singing voice though very emotional & spiritual, can at times be rather rough & therefore many don't care for his songs. But this CD would be a good starting place to get use to his singing voice & enjoy the many styles & subject matters. Van is in top form with this CD, playing his beloved sax at times with a light jazz feel. Other songs are either R&B or straight ballad music. Try the "Listen to Samples" section, each of the songs are very good, the most famous song from the CD "Someone Like You" is not programmed for you to listen to. I gave this CD a "5" because the whole CD is good all the way through. I like other Van Morison CD's better, but their number would be off the chart.
Was this review helpful to you?
SOME OF HIS BEST LATTER-DAY COMPOSITIONS AND PERFORMANCES April 7 2003
Format:Audio CD
Van Morrison discs will always retain a professionalism of musicianship and at least one great song. Poetic Champions is one of the latter day Van's best albums because a) he isn't resorting to synthesizers and other "flavor-of-the-week" produciton values that have dated much of his '80s work that would otherwaise be timeless, b) lyrically and musically, he doesn't shy away from sentimentality, but there is a distinct lack of Van's trademark cynicism, and c) it's one of the few examples post-Into theMusic, that Van really does seem to get let the music lead him, rather than the other way around.

The album kicks off with the mellow-jazz lounge instrumental (!) "Spanish Steps". It's followed by one of the BEST all-time devotional songs "The Mystery". Other compositions of romance and renewed faith abound: "Queen of the Slipstream", "I Forgot That Love Existed", "Someone Like You". These songs are all excellent and are unabashed love songs, both joyous and joyful. The other great track here is the cover of the traditional "Motherless Children". Van does a wonderful, inspired reading of this song that has been covered from everyone from Blind Willie Johnson to Eric Clapton.

Of Van's post-1980 work, this and Avalon Sunset are absolute must-owns (Hymns to the Silence and The Healing Game are damn good too).

Was this review helpful to you?
Most recent customer reviews
Excellent CD!
Buy it and you'll be pleased if you're a Van Morrison fan.
Published on Feb 11 2003 by Peggy
A superb/eclectic album
"Poetic Champions Compose" features songs composed around a theme: the sophisticated and wise ruminations of an experienced musician and a brilliant (blues) musician. Read more
Published on Feb 9 2003 by Nathaniel P. Foster
For when you want to melt like the snow!
So much of Van the Man's appeal lies in his music's ability to caress the listener and let that person drift off into nirvana. Read more
Published on Jan 5 2003 by D. Hawkins
van still the man
this is a good album, not great, i love van, he rules, better albums are veedon, astral, moondance, avalon, inarticulate etc.etc. Read more
Published on Oct 22 2002 by ray b.
Mellow to the max
I can't think of any single piece of music that is as mellow as this disc is mellow. When it starts, I almost collapse, knowing that I'm helpless hearing these tunes. Read more
Published on July 15 2002
How can you not like this album?
This album just amazes me. Van Morrison is a genius. His arrangements are so uniquely attached to his personal that it is truly a mystical experience. Read more
Published on July 1 2002 by "spufi"
long time van fan
Van Morrison is my very favorite musician. I think that Poetic Champions Compose is a truly beautiful CD. I also own 22 others. Van is the only musician that I never get tired of.
Published on Jun 15 2002 by jeanette g dionne
On the cusp of discovery
Although I had heard all of the songs on the radio: Brown Eyed Girl, Domino, Moondance, etc. I never truly listened to Van Morrison until I heard Poetic Champions Compose in the... Read more
Published on Jun 6 2002 by Bruce Vandal from St. Paul
I'm listening to this CD right now
This is a great CD. I love all the songs. Queen of the Slipstream is a great song and Someone like You is a really sweet love song.... Spanish Steps is just beautiful. Read more
Published on April 11 2002
Van's Inspirational Bluesy Jazzy Love Album Ages Beautifully
I'm an old VM fan and bought this album when it came out in 1987.
The uplifting message of believing in your feelings to achieve love and happiness in your life saw me through... Read more
Published on Nov 23 2001 by Shayna A. Stillman
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject





i.e., each title must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?