The instrumentation is clearly thoughtful and complex, but it also feels very spontaneous and lively. The effect that these recording procedures had upon the final output is immense. Morrison and his studio band recorded this album over the course of only three sessions, with Morrison refusing to hand out lead sheets to the musicians and instead encouraging them to play what they felt fit the melodies he brought them. However, in his 1968 album Astral Weeks, Van Morrison uses nearly every trick at his disposal to artfully overcome this obstacle. Music recorded in the studio and then consumed in various digital formats have trouble retaining this sense of humanity. Moreover, the perceptible effort which any decent artist puts into a show reminds us of the highly intricate process which led to what we’re currently hearing. The music becomes more analogous to human existence, vulnerable to mistakes but equally capable of taking on an evolved form. People might argue as to where this special quality originates, be it from superior sound quality or highly stimulating visual effects, but what really makes live music so experientially unique is its human quality. There’s something uniquely enjoyable about seeing live music.
