"Avalon Sunset" is perhaps best known for being a spiritual album (I prefer the word "spiritual" to the word "religious"), but as a matter of fact only a couple of the songs on the album have an overtly spiritual bent to them, including the initial "Whenever God Shines His Light on Me." This song is a real attention-grabber--great melody, beat and words--and deserves its spot at the beginning of the album. I sometimes stop and play this track two or three times before moving on to the rest.

The most famous song here is, of course, "Have I Told You Lately [That I Love You]." What I especially like about it is that I can listen to it on a couple of different levels, either as a song of praise to God or else as a simple love song addressed to another person. It's that subtlety, that lack of "beating me over the head" with the lyrics, that I find especially appealing, but the more I hear the song, the more I find comfort in the spiritual interpretation of it.

Of course, there are any number of songs on here that deserve to be as well known as "Have I Told You Lately," and that repay repeated listenings. Some of my other favorites on this album are "I'd Love to Write Another Song," "I'm Tired Joey Boy" and "Orangefield."

One very special track is "Coney Island." Van's voice, reminiscent of John Prine's in some ways, is very expressive, and especially so in this piece. "Coney Island" is not a song at all but rather a short spoken description of a trip Van took to Coney Island with someone special, the stops they made on the way, the photos they took, the food they bought, and so forth. If I had to pick a favorite phrase here, it would be "I look at the side of your face," which is indelibly etched into my memory.

I have enjoyed this album many times and expect to continue enjoying it well into the future. Indeed, "Avalon Sunset" is at the top of my short list of indispensable albums.

The Return of True Genius
"Avalon Sunset" in my opinion marks a return to Van Morrison of yesteryear. Songs such as "Whenever God Shines His Light" and "I'd Love To Write Another Song" sound as if they were fresh from his "Into The Music" era. "Contacting My Angel" hearkens back to "Astral Weeks" or "Veedon Fleece", and "Have I Told You Lately" stands on its own as a fine single. This follow-up to "Irish Heartbeat" truly matches in quality and these two albums mark a much improved Van Morrison.

Very Polished
This album is very polished. It includes "Whenever GOD Shines A Light on Me." and "Have I Told You Lately." The latter is one of the best love songs I have ever heard. My wife Debbie and I love to dance to that song. Van Morrison is more brilliant than he gets credit for.

Not nearly as good as earlier work
This album has received tremendous praise from many of the Amazon customers but I have to disagree. The lyrics are not nearly as deep and personal as those found on Moondance and Astral Weeks. His voice has obviously aged as well. When examined critically, Van Morrison's voice is not why we enjoy his music (at least for me anyway). It is the spirit and the feelings that his music engenders. His voice is just good enough to not take away from these things. He is in the same league as a Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin in that regard. These guys would probably not sell many acapella albums but would win poetry contests or instrumental competitions for days. When Van Morrison's aged voice is coupled with lyrics written to say "I am a Christian" and not "I am Van Morrison (who happens to be a Christian)" you get only 2 - 2.5 stars.

these are the days
van gets better with age it's too bad people know rod stewart's version of have i told you van wrote the damn song people give him his due these are the days when people wake up and listen to the most soulful man there ever was
When R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe wrote "That's me in the spotlight / Losing my religion," he could have been singing about Van Morrison, the man who lost his three times within a decade. In the end, though, Van returned to Christ and found himself rewarded with his first British Top 20 hit. With its sparse piano hook and Cliff Richard's guest vocals, "Whenever God Shines His Light" is a misleading beginning for an album awash in the kind of sentimental orchestration that might hurt one's teeth were it not for its perpetrators' almost childlike wonder. Cynics, then, needn't concern themselves with love songs like "Have I Told You Lately" and "Orangefield"--both of which suggest that, despite his renewal of faith, Morrison's muse isn't purely metaphysical. Even better is the spoken-word reverie "Coney Island," in which a grown man can be heard extolling the virtues of potted herrings. Naturally, it's the best thing here. --Peter Paphides