Stimulating sounds: "Blowin' Your Mind" by Van Morrison

Year released: 1967
Personnel: Van Morrison (guitar, vocals); Eric Gale (guitar). Can't find the rest of the personnel listings for the life of me.

So, I thought I'd take a dip into the world of Van Morrison, who--interestingly--was born on the exact same day as my mom (Aug. 31, 1945). One of the good things about being a music snob like I am is that when you finally get around to hearing more "mainstream" stuff, it's like opening up a whole new world. Morrison's class is well known, but not to me, and I think I'm going to enjoy immersing myself in his classic works.

And what better place to begin than at the beginning, his debut from that wild and crazy year of 1967, "Blowin' Your Mind." While the psychedelic cover has its detractors--critic Greil Marcus famously described it as "monstrously offensive"--the music contained within is quite good. Morrison effortlessly mixes the blues, folk and yes, psychedelic touches into a heady combo that grabs you early and doesn't let down much. Of course, the album is best known for the monster single and lead-off track "Brown-Eyed Girl," which has a thumping bassline that I heretofore didn't know existed. "He Ain't Give You None" (where Morrison reminds his girl that he's given her his "jelly roll" time and time again) and "Midnight Special," with its gospel inflected chorus, are the other standouts for me.

After the mandatory two listens, I'm still not sure what to make of the nearly 10-minute "TB Sheets." English poet and musicologist declares it a "Dickensian tale of death and decay in the big city." Marcus--not a fan of the album--calls it "sprawling" and "sensation numbing." To me, it's like certain elements of free jazz; I can appreciate the effort in putting it together but the end result leaves me un-moved. Good album though and a good beginning on a wonderful ride with Van Morrison.