A Sense of Wonder
| Van Morrison
A Sense of Wonder
A Sense of Wonder is the fifteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison released in 1985. On first release, original pressings had to be recalled when the W. B. Yeats estate refused to allow Morrison's musical version of the poem "Crazy Jane on God" to be included, as they believed his poems should only be set to classical music. Morrison substituted "If You Only Knew" for the Yeats' recording. (Later, perhaps due to Morrison's efforts, Yeats poems would be put to rock settings on a whole album).-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
1985- Overall, A Sense of Wonder is serenely uplifting. With astonishing commitment and profound belief, Van Morrison continues to push forward into the mystic.
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All Music
Van Morrison's U.S. label debut with Polygram (which had issued his Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast album in England earlier) is a strong effort, mixing some of his familiar influences -- R&B, poetry, mysticism -- on such characteristic tracks as "Tore Down a la Rimbaud."
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Stereogum
2014- It's a fine record with the same warmth and luxuriousness of his previous efforts from the recent past, but it doesn't surprise or amaze in Van's accustomed ways. And that's really okay -- Van's most mediocre day at the office is still a good day for the rest of us.
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Alphoristic Album Reviews
A Sense of Wonder is a grab bag of different Van Morrison styles from his earlier 1980s albums – it wouldn’t be surprising if some of these tracks were outtakes from previous records.
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Robert Christgau
By marrying r&b usages to Celtic mysticism in an art that honors both and then some, Morrison proved there was more to r&b than even Ray Charles had dreamed. But when inspiration fails him, he's left with uninspired art. At his most automatic, Charles still has r&b.
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All About Jazz
2008. A Sense Of Wonder . . . appeared six years later, combining a restored sense of pop structure with the zealous poetic approach of "Tore Down A La Rimbaud."
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Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
Morrison finally left Warner Brothers records at this point, switching to Mercury. The band was carried over largely intact, except for Isham.
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Rock NYC
2015- A Sense Of Wonder (1985) – Sure it has “Tore Down A La Rimbaud”… and then?
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