Tracks of the Week 09.04.22
After travelling to the island of Kimitoön in the halcyon summer of 2019, where field recordings and acoustic experiments lent a bright and sometimes plaintive air to three days of studio material,...
Food in Fiction: Hot Peas and Vinegar in ‘Two Gallants’
The addition of a condiment can sometimes turn an insubstantial side into a hearty supper. In James Joyce‘s ‘Two Gallants’, Lenehan stops at a shop for something to eat: ‘He paused at last before...
Culturedarm’s Songs of the Month (August 2015)
With so much excellent music released over the short course of the past few weeks, Culturedarm’s songs of the month for August features largely new works and related compositions. July’s list and a couple of Cultureteca pieces discussed in turn Dr....
Daily Visual 31.08.15: Van Morrison Down On Cyprus Avenue
Today was Van Morrison’s 70th birthday, and he celebrated the occasion by performing two concerts on Cyprus Avenue, the leafy street in east Belfast made famous by his 1968 album Astral Weeks. The street provides...
Culturedarm’s Songs of the Month (April 2015)
A late edition this month, owing to the UK general election 2015 occupying the last couple of weeks; but here are plenty of words and some excellent songs and videos to –...
Behind the Song: Van Morrison – ‘Crazy Love’
‘Crazy Love’ is the third track from Moondance, Van Morrison’s second proper solo release. Astral Weeks had appeared on Warner Bros. in November 1968; with Blowin’ Your Mind! a compilation of recordings Morrison had...
Springtime in England: Instagram IX
gainst a context where there is springtime in both Alaska and Paris, in the Rockies, and for Hitler, but ‘Summertime in England’, ‘Springtime in England’ seems neither here nor there. Indeed, there are...
‘Madame George’ and Guerlain’s Shalimar: A Portal to Perfumery
Asked and obliged to be concise, I would name Astral Weeks by Van Morrison as my favourite album, and ‘Madame George’ from Astral Weeks as my favourite song. This article isn’t intended...