Astral Weeks, by Van Morrison, and regarded by many as one of the top ten records of all time, is now available on MP3 format from Amazon this month for only $5.00.

With its breathless stripped down emotional wallop, Astral Weeks, even though it’s one of Van Morrison’s earliest records, is still full of the injections of the painful, wretched brilliance that accompanied and solidified his later works. Astral Weeks remains a hauntingly beautiful record, like standing on a misty harbor in the early morning, as the quiet lift of the oceans waves sift back and forth like a hammock. Mixing sublime guitar and flute, electric bass, piquant vibraphone, and quiet haunting passages in each and every song, from the opening track — which is the title track — the unexpected rush of its power and strength hits one instantly.