Hymns to the Silence
| Van Morrison
Hymns to the Silence
Hymns to the Silence is the twenty-first studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was his first studio double album. Morrison recorded the album in 1990 in Beckington at Wool Hall Studios and in London at Townhouse and Westside Studios. When Hymns to the Silence was released in 1991, it reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and received positive reviews from critics. Morrison's use of various musical styles was well received, as were the more worldly-themed songs on an otherwise spiritual album.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
Show All-
Rolling Stone
1991. Hymns to the Silence is a particularly ambitious move on Morrison’s part, a double album of mostly original material that follows his most recent album, the excellent Enlightenment, by less than a year. Like Enlightenment, Hymns draws on such typical Morrison obsessions as nostalgia, wanderlust and the quest for spiritual and carnal fulfillment.
-
All Music
The songs, or more accurately (as the title makes very clear) hymns, combine the elements that have guided Morrison's best albums -- R&B, folk, pop, Celtic, rock, even gospel -- for a satisfying journey through the mystic and the real.
-
Jazz Music Archives
2016. Released in 1991 being Van Morrison’s 21st studio album as well being a double containing quite a mix of styles covering Spiritual, Celtic, Narrative, Rock, Jazz and with a touch of Blues thrown in for good measure.
-
Stereogum
2014. But the overall effect of Hymns To The Silence is Van unloading a particularly large haul from the backhoe of his brain ---- too often exhausting rather than exhilarating.
-
Entertainment
1991. Hymns to the Silence is a sprawling, two-disc set of 21 songs, a moody, tangled, and deeply affecting statement of belief.
-
Kamer Tunes Blog
2011. One album that definitely stood the test of time for me is Hymns To The Silence (1991). This 90+ minute album spread over two CDs would not be a great introduction for the uninitiated, but for any fan of his earlier work who wants to further explore his catalog, this is as good as it gets.
-
Robert Christgau
Like all of his recent and no doubt future work, it's slower than necessary, even in an artist of Van's advanced years. And like so much of his recent and I expect future work, it's more affecting than you'd figure. True love, eh? The simple life, huh? The days before rock and roll, did you say? Sounds kind of good.
-
The Ringer
2018. Perhaps only a misanthrope would associate silence with godliness, unless the voices he yearns to escape come from inside his head — the ones that continually push him away from the divine, or the best parts of himself. That’s what I hear when I play Hymns to the Silence — the tension between who Van Morrison wishes he could be, and who he actually is.
-
Alphoristic Album Reviews
Van Morrison had a great run of solo albums right up to this point – even when his material was a little sleepy, he exuded charisma and mystique. But on Hymns to the Silence he abruptly crosses a line to mundane – it’s like the worst elements of Avalon Sunset stretched out over two discs.
-
TIDAL Read
The themes of the album primarily concern Morrison’s skeptical relationship with the music industry and a nostalgic yearning for his youth in Belfast. Hymns to the Silence received relatively positive reviews especially noting Morrison’s various mix of music genres, but to some critics the album is a bit too long.
-
Reel and Rock
2018. Hymns to the Silence is one of those double-disc affairs that comes along not as a career-peak embarrassment of riches (like Blonde on Blonde or Layla) but more of a case of a prolific songwriter having accumulated a backlog of material—and apparently some grudges as well.
Rate This Album and Leave Your Comments