Van Morrison was working through one of his greatest -- yet least appreciated -- creative periods when he made this album, one that burrows deeply into an introspective jazz-rooted spiritual groove. With Mark Isham's lonely muted trumpet up front, listeners are in the jazz world immediately with Haunts of Ancient Peace, merging perfectly with Morrison's idiosyncratic vocal style. A low-pressure soul-jazz organ riff lays down the base of the most easily assimilated track, Satisfied, as Morrison's lyric indicates that he has reached a state of internal peace. Wild Honey has RB horn riffs over Philly-style strings, while Spirit mostly pursues a self-fulfillment path similar to that of Satisfied. Ultimately, the record stands or falls upon two remarkable, gigantic 15-minute pieces, Summertime in England and When Heart Is Open. The propulsive opening of Summertime drops names of Morrison's favorite poets and authors; the track teeters upon indulgence but you are drawn in by Morrison's obsessions with lines and phrases like "common one" and "let your red robe go," his voice becoming a twin brother of arranger Pee Wee Ellis' riffing sax. Lonely horns over the hilltops open When Heart Is Open, and it begins to resemble a sequel to Miles Davis' treatment of In a Silent Way, setting a peaceful, mesmerizing mood that carries you through its enormous length to the end of the record. No wonder the rock critics of the time didn't get it; this is music outside the pop mainstream, and even Morrison's own earlier musical territory. But it retains its trancelike power to this day. ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi

1		Haunts of Ancient Peace
2		Summertime in England
3		Satisfied
4		Wild Honey
5		Spirit
6		When Heart Is Open

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