Morrison Does Astral Weeks; No Drinking
10/02/2008
Performing classic album in its entirety - completely sober.
By Fred Mills
Billboard.com is reporting that on Nov. 7 and 8 Van Morrison intends to perform his classic '68 album Astral Weeks in its entirety. The legendary musician is apparently taking his cue from the commercial and critical success other artists' similar endeavors (not the least of which would be Brian Wilson, who revived both Pet Sounds and SMILE for the stage, as have numerous alternative acts ranging from Sonic Youth to Mogwai to Public Enemy).
The shows "will feature some of the original musicians" who appeared on Astral Weeks, says Billboard.com. Tickets will be a whopping $75 to $255.50 via Ticketbastard starting Oct. 5.
However, after you get your tix it might be a good idea to stock up on airplane bottles of booze or invest in a pair of those cool sandals that double as flasks; earlier this year Morrison, a recovering alcoholic, imposed a ban on alcohol sales at his concerts both in the U.S. and the U.K. Not to worry, though, if you choose to simply bend the ol' elbow in the parking lot prior to the gig: Astral Weeks only runs about 45 minutes!
On Oct. 21 Rhino will be reissuing the album on 180-gram vinyl
