Magic Time
| Van Morrison
Magic Time
Magic Time is a 2005 album by Van Morrison, released by Geffen Records. The album debuted at number 25 on the US Billboard charts and number 3 on the UK charts Morrison's best chart debut until Still on Top The Greatest Hits debuted at number 2 on the UK charts in 2007. By the end of 2005, Magic Time had sold 252,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Rolling Stone listed it as #17 on their list of The Top 50 Records of 2005.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
2005. When Van Morrison visits a recording studio, you can bet your worn-out vinyl copy of Hard Nose the Highway he will not leave until he has recorded some seriously astral Irish blues poetry (“Celtic New Year”), tributes to his pop-culture heroes (“Just Like Greta”) and a lot of mellow, easy-rolling folk-jazz numbers about the evils of the modern world and the struggle of the poet.
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All Music
2005. Magic Time is one of those rare, intermittent Van Morrison records that consciously offers a bird's eye view of everywhere he's been musically and weaves it all together into a heady brew.
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Paste Magazine
2005. Bits of previous Morrison themes, lyrics and music ?oat through this collection of ten originals and a few well-trod jazz-lite chestnuts. It all adds up to Morrison’s most accessible and expansive album in years. And that soulful, masterful voice is still as strong as the darkest Dublin stout.
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The Guardian
2005. As ever, Van's voice is strong and aching, a unique noise in a jungle of dull conformity. This is his strongest album in a decade.
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The Observer - The Guardian
2005. With his 60th birthday a few months away, Belfast's most cantankerous son is in a mellow mood, looking back languidly over the blues and soul music he grew up on. Stranded is a moonlit, slow-waltzing opener, establishing the glow of nostalgia that hovers over many of the songs.
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Hybrid Magazine
Balanced flawlessly between classic Van Morrison folk-rock, jazz, gospel, and many styles of blues, Magic Time is pure gold from start to finish. Van once again proves not only his musical virtuosity, but also his lyrical prowess, and Magic Time firmly re-establishes his place as the world's preeminent Irish bard.
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Concert Livewire
2005. . . . Magic Time, his latest CD, is not much more than a copy of things he's done better before. It sounds a lot like Down the Road a somewhat better album from 2002. In both, we have a song about Indian summer. He's continuing his "I got screwed by the record industry" theme. He may now be the only artist ever to have recorded two songs about lions. And, as he has done for the last three albums, he's thrown in jazz standards.
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The Music Box
Morrison’s latest effort Magic Time is, astoundingly, the 38th solo recording of his illustrious (and absurdly prolific) career. While the album contains absolutely no surprises, it also is a remarkable collection of material that is so impeccably performed that it essentially conquers everything offered by his competition, both young and old.
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laut.de - Album
2005. As a result, the Irishman gives himself back to life and indulges in Rhythm & Blues or Soul. But if you think that the album is now rather unspectacular, Morrison still has an ace on the hindquarters. " The Lion This Time " is a very melancholic folk ballad with plenty of weeping strings, whose mirrored melodies really need to soften stones.
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Independent
2005. Van Morrison marks the start of his fifth decade as a recording artist with this unusually satisfied set, consisting of roughly equal parts nostalgic yearning, insular reclusion, grouchy complaint, cautionary warning and cabaret standard.
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Kamer Tunes Blog
2011. If this is your first exposure to Van’s music, there’s a lot to enjoy, but after listening to 30+ albums, there was nothing special about them to these ears.
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Scaruffi
Magic Time (Geffen, 2005) does not introduce any new element in Morrison's astral introspective folk-jazz. His paradigm is unlikely to ever change, and his metaphysical ballads (Magic Time, the waltzing Stranded) seem destined to reenact his personal calvary till the end.
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Are You On Something.com
2005. Magic Time is pure, unadulterated Van Morrison. As with all of his previous recordings, he once again reaches out to his audience and speaks to them from the depths of his soul. The inner workings of this talented and complex man are brought to the forefront through his music and his unique and undaunted vocal style is always a pleasure to listen to.
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Paul Ridge Blog
Van The Man has created some of his most powerful songs in years, with every emotion seemingly having its place within the fabric of what many will view as one of his most important albums of the past two decades. A definite hit, especially once the likes of Terry Wogan and Michael Parkinson get hold of it and start spreading the word.
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