Van Morrison's softer side is revealed here and his R&B excursions are nowhere to be found. The lovely ballad Higher Than The World opens this album of mellow music and high spirituality and is followed by the beautiful instrumental Connswater. River Of Time sort of drifts along but Celtic Swing is stunning, another splendid instrumental with a foot tapping rhythm and evocative wind instruments. Rave On, John Donne is a tour de force in which Morrison mentions a long list of visionary artists of the last two centuries, a very powerful song in which I suppose he lists those writers with whom he feels a certain spiritual affinity. He even mentions the Rosy Cross, Theosophy and the Golden Dawn! Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart No. 1 is a flowing instrumental with outstanding piano and just a hint of ethereal backing vocals, whilst Irish Heartbeat is a tender, achingly beautiful ballad, almost like a lullaby. The Street Only Knew Your Name is a mid tempo rocker where Van does some of his characteristic vocalising. Cry For Home is another tuneful ballad with a lilting rhythm, whilst Inarticulate Speech No. 2 has Van's vocals that are missing in the first version and some great lyrics too. The album concludes with another semi-instrumental with ethereal backing vocals and wordless vocalising, the slow and winding September Night. This deeply spiritual album forms a cohesive whole. It may not be amongst Morrison's best, but true fans will love it for its melodic simplicity and stately elegance.