As the decade progressed Morrison’s music became more and more inaccessible and the apex of that era is 1983’s “Inarticulate Speech of the Heart” Morrison was on a spiritual quest for clarity both in music and in life. He continued to embrace his European roots but still was fond of America. It was around this time that Morrison looked into Scientology and was for a while wrongly presumed a counselor for the organization. The music is moved toward jazz-fusion and went heavy on instrumentals and moved away from narrative or nostalgic lyrics to ethereal chants and transcendent themes.
Inarticulate Speech of the Heart (1983)
As the decade progressed Morrison’s music became more and more inaccessible and the apex of that era is 1983’s “Inarticulate Speech of the Heart” Morrison was on a spiritual quest for clarity both in music and in life. He was making “music for meditation” now. It was around this time that Morrison looked into Scientology and was for a while wrongly presumed a counselor for the organization. He has since consistently denied belonging to any organization, religious or otherwise. The music moves toward jazz-fusion and went heavy on instrumentals and moved away from narrative or nostalgic lyrics to ethereal chants and transcendent themes…
1. Higher Than the World – Jazz is the theme from note one in this light, unadorned opener. Guitar and synthesizer are the stars of the show out of the gate and carry the song into the chorus, which has Morrison sounded as grizzled as he had to date. The song from beginning to end is a bland, boring one that sets the tone for a moderately disappointing album.
5.5\10
2. Connswater – Heavy Celtic influence on this relatively upbeat instrumental that begins in very faint fashion. This is a sort of satisfying look into what Morrison’s instrumentals could, and at some of their best would become. They are musically flawless have a very gratifying way of mixing genres into their overall sound and while not the overwhelming experiences his best lyrical numbers can be, they are their own sort of undeniably enjoyable monster.
7\10
3. River of Time – Chant power lyrics and ominous feeling harmony propel this one which switches to a lighter more free tone intended to inspire. The first notable performance by the backup singers which are very good overall on this Lp. The electronic sound is just a little to heavy for me, even with the attempt to fuse it with celtic rhythms that I obviously relate to. A song on the verge of being real good that just never gets there.
6.5\10
4. Celtic Swing – Second instrumental track and again as the title suggests heavy with homeland influence. Again starting with a faint electronic hum and slowly emerging melodies, it’s the horns that first break the ice, trumpet, saxophone and percussion is next to the party then the full symphony jumps in providing a distinctly Morrison sound with almost a twinge of the orient. The electronic sound overwhelms the rest of the music however leading to a rather dull moment here and there.
6.5\10
5. Rave on John Donne – Synthesized jazz out of the gate. Morrison enters with poetry spoken throughout as a light Mark Isham Synthesizer plays along with a circular guitar rhythm. More then two minutes in Morrison begins to sing the words of the poem, saxophone and flute enter the music. Monotony with the instrumental outro, the synthesizer is the one constant throughout this song and the entire album.
6\10
6. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart No. 1 – Music that feels and sounds like a carriage ride through Ireland. It’s the first of two very individual but thematically identical parts of the title track the album was built around. The piano is brilliant setting a dulcet and appealing tone. An acquired taste to be sure.
See No. 2 for total rating
7. Irish Heartbeat – Van makes it clear he intends to find a connection and clarity of this present by relating to his past. He is fully embracing his roots again and feels safe, confident and welcome “I’m going back to my own ones”. The music is melodic and the harmonious vocals as simple and safe as they are fully convey the message and feel of the song. The entire orchestra is a it’s most confident and free of any song on the album. A very pleasing song and a much needed highlight amongst an otherwise mostly bland album.
8\10
8. The Street Only Knew Your Name – The most upbeat number on the album; funky jazz guitar and a bass and drum backbone as Morrison punches out the lyrics. The electric sound carries into the piano and of course synthesizer. Morrison seems extra enthused for the song because of how rare its type is amongst this mystical theme. Confident and decisively delivered it’s a wonderful example of the formula Morrison perfected from “A Period of Transition to Beautiful Vision”. A personal favorite from the album at the time of its release.
7\10
9. Cry for Home – Another clear message and a direct musical nod to Ireland. With pipes and flute’s behind the synthesized sounds laying a bed for the album’s top vocal performance. Morrison’s message is harmoniously reinforced by his back-up choir at all the right moments. Starting with an unsure walk and escalating into a triumphant promenade it’s a new take on Morrison’s traditional build the momentum as you go song writing approach. Shortly after this album’s release Morrison played Belfast for the first time in over a decade and opened with “Cry for Home”
8\10
10. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart No. 2 – This time adding chant vocals to right from the start to the soothing melodic sounds of this two part title track. The humming drone of the music’s maintains as various sections move their musical rhythms around it. An overall well composed but hard to get excited about nucleus for the album.
7\10
11. September Night – The closing track is an eerie instrumental with a relaxing feel built around wavy music and a lot of subtle crescendo. It’s typical of the album to be a little bit light in terms of immediate effect. This one has never really grown on me though either. It just seems like an unnecessary addition at worst and out of place at best.
5.5\10
…This is simple, easy, free music, but it borders on boring throughout and if not relatable is near intolerable. Morrison was now making music for himself, his most ardent fans and those who shared his spiritual quest. The result is what has become an almost forgotten album. The music while still very well orchestrated and performed is so faint and selfish and the production and synthesized backgrounds sound dated and dry. It’s among his worst albums of the decade in my opinion, lyrically it really lacks, most of that is purposely but still, and regardless it’s a worthwhile listen if you’re really digging the music.
Defining Track(s): “Irish Heartbeat” and “Cry for Home” are the best two songs and highlight the central theme of Morrison’s rekindled love for his birth land.
Line in my head: “Stay a while with your own ones”
Christagu’s Take:. In this troubled time, rock-and-rollers have every right to place their faith in the Jehovah's Witnesses or even Scientology when they discover that Jackie Wilson didn't say it all. But to follow one with the other appears weak-minded, like praising Omar Khayyam in tandem with Kahlil Gibran. A hypothesis which the static romanticism of these reels-for-Hollywood-orchestra and other slow songs bears out.
B-
Star rating: (1-5) (from my personal catalog)
***
How it made me feel today: (1-10):
6.5
Overall Ranking: TBD
Next up: A Sense of Wonder- 1984