Van Morrison - "No Guru No Method No Teacher" (1986)

I still am not entirely sure if I like this record or not. On the plus side, considering the long, sordid history of artists who got their start in the 60s succumbing to 80s production trends, it was pleasant to turn the record on and not hear any synthesizers or drum machines. Instead, the music is a tasteful, classy mix of folk, Celtic, and rock music, complementing Van Morrison's impressive vocals and lyrics. Indeed, I am not extremely familiar with Morrison's discography, but based on what I have heard and read, the sound of this album is very similar to his work at his artistic peak, and I have to credit the man for staying true to his principles in the dark times of 1986.

But! (And you knew there was a but.) This record may also be the least melodic record I have ever heard. Every single song, without fail, is delivered in a rambling, hookless style that sounds as if the vocal notes were improvised on the spot. I am a lover of vocal melody first and foremost, so despite all the plusses of this album, I largely found it very boring to actually listen to. Morrison's backing band does provide instrumental hooks, but their task is to provide background accompaniment, not to be the central focus. One advantage that Van does have over most of his singer-songwriter ilk is that he is a legitimately great singer, with a powerful, belting voice, but most of the songs here range over five minutes in length, while saying all that they need to say in the first 90 seconds.

Ultimately, there were two main factors that made me decide to keep this record. One is that given the high level of artistic integrity that is apparent on the record, it is quite possible that it is one of those albums that simply can't be fully appreciated on first listen, especially for someone not familiar with Morrison's albums. The other is that although I am rarely moved by above-average lyrics, there are exceptions where the lyrics are so good that I can't help but be drawn in, regardless of the quality of the music. The centerpiece track of this album, "In the Garden," is one of those examples. As Van growls "no guru, no method, no teacher" and makes an excellent track based solely on atmosphere and dynamics, I begin to believe that this amelodic approach can work.  And indeed, the greatness of "In the Garden" has a lot to do with hearing the lyrics sung (especially since I could only digest such an openly religious song because of the passionate vocals). In conclusion, I've convinced myself over the course of this rambling review that this may be an even better album than I gave it credit for.