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Poetic Champions Compose | 
 enlarge | Artist: Van Morrison
Label: Polydor / Umgd
Category: Music
Buy New: $114.19
New (2) Used (9) from $19.94
Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 92963
Format: Original Recording Reissued, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 731453754720
EAN: 0731453754720
ASIN: B000009DDN
Release Date: July 14, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Spanish Steps | | • | The Mystery | | • | Queen of the Slipstream | | • | I Forgot That Love Existed | | • | Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child - Van Morrison, Traditional | | • | Celtic Excavation | | • | Someone Like You | | • | Alan Watts Blues | | • | Give Me My Rapture | | • | Did Ye Get Healed? | | • | Allow Me |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
If his albums are any indication, Van Morrison seems to have bounced between religions like a demented pinball. Amazingly, for a decade that saw the Belfast enigma explore Christianity and Scientology before returning, on Avalon Sunset, to Christianity, Poetic Champions Compose serves as a reminder that Van managed to even cram in an agnostic phase along the way. With this in mind, a desperately bleak version of the folk standard "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" lacerates the heartstrings. But the album shouldn't be assumed by any means to be a depressing affair. Three saxophone instrumentals, including the Miles Davis-influenced "Spanish Steps," lend a crisp Sunday morning feel to much of the proceedings, while "Queen of the Slipstream" and the live favorite "Did Ye Get Healed" suggest that, however bad the crisis of faith was (and the quite awesome preceding album No Guru, No Method, No Teacher suggests it was pretty bad), here is a man ultimately happy to find redemption in a love song. --Peter Paphides
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| Customer Reviews:
Van at his best, deep, spiritual, filled with emotion and passion.... August 17, 2008
Grigory's Girl (NYC)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought this in a cutout/bargain bin for 7 bucks or so, and I'm glad I did. It's one of Van Morrison's most beguiling, spiritual, and moving albums ever. It's Van at his best, mystical, spiritual, and poetic, both with his lyrics and his music. Poetic Champions Compose is also one of Van's best titles. Gone are the bitter, virtolic songs about how the music business has screwed him over. Here Van is himself, and he's made one of his best, most underrated albums.
The opening song, Spanish Steps, is the coolest, most moving instrumental Van has ever recorded. It has a majestic sax line that really moves you. The Mystery is a great song. Somes like Queen of the Slipstream and I Forgot that Love Existed are great love songs, and Give Me My Rapture and Did Ye Get Healed? are great spiritual songs. The latter two are reminiscent of In the Garden from Van's previous album, No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (another underrated gem from the 1980's). Van is really "feeling the spirit" here, and he's made one of his greatest albums.
Another mystical experience March 11, 2007
Shannon Freeman (Tennessee)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Relating to this album as another Van Morrison release is missing the point. Each of his recordings give a glimpse as to where he is on a mystical, spiritual journey. Morrison likes to plumb the depths; this is no bubblegum artist. However, this fact doesn't negate a playful side. Morrison is versatile enough to touch all bases.
" Poetic Champions..." seems a great introduction to the "adult" Van Morrison. After rollicking good times on many old gems ( " Tupelo Honey", " St.Dominics...") Morrison got serious in the mid 80's. 1987 saw the release of this album, containing dreams and lullabies for the mature set.
" Spanish Steps" purrs. An instrumental, it actually sasheys and purrs. "The Mystery" is an open invitation to embrace the unknown while having faith, the challenge all spiritual seekers wrestle with.
" I Forgot That Love Existed" is a wake-up call. The heart still beats, even as the head tries to snuff it out. " Someone Like You" has been featured in quite a few romantic films, but it plays better among its family. " Allow Me", the closing, another instrumental, floats along like a flower, mid-air, on a spring day.
Always rich in imagry, Morrison begins a cycle that recalls seasons; "Poetic Champions..." is fitting for this time of year, awakening from a long winter, happily drifting toward a warm spring.
Poetic Champions Compose January 17, 2007
Michael Palma
I had not bought a Van Morrison album in many years but one night my wife was watching one of her chic flicks, "Bridget Jones Diary" and I heard an awesome, soulfull love song in the film and it sounded like Van Morrison. I checked it out. The song was "Someone Like You" and I finally found a vinyl copy of the album and I listened to it probably four hours that night. The album never grows old. I'm 54 years old and I have an enormouse record collection spanning 5 decades. This album would be in my top 5. All songs on the album are wonderful, but my favourite is "Queen of The Slipstream". Anyone not moved by this album is not human.
A workingman in his prime June 7, 2006
Reader 100
The line above is from Cleaning Windows, a song from another CD, but it applies to Poetic Champions Compose as well -- Van Morrison is INTO this music, committed to it, and it is music that means something. Neil Drinkwater's keyboards are silk; Van's saxophone chops are up to the task; and his distinctive voice is as expressive as ever. True enough, this is a more romantic, spiritual side of Van, but artists worth the name always strike out for new territories. For 40 years, Van has led his listeners through combinations of rock, pop, soul, folk, country, jazz, celtic, r&b, and whatever else moved him. This is the record that got me hooked on Van, and years later, it is the record that still pierces my heart.
Poetry October 26, 2005
Scott C Elliott (New York City, NY)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The moment you start this journey, hearing Mr. Morrison blowing his alto sax, you KNOW this is no regular event. The mood is set - somber, deep and achingly beautiful. Be ready for the simple, honest lyrics set to true soul music from this small powerhouse of a man. He gets spiritual with THE MYSTERY, shares his longing on QUEEN OF THE SLIPSTREAM, bares his heart on I FORGOT THAT LOVE EXISTED, and on and on. But when he sings SOMEONE LIKE YOU, a tear should fall from anyone who's been in love's eye - man or woman. Van continues on a journey into the blues and then back to the spiritual. It doesn't have to end there if you hit repeat. Perfection!!
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