Magic Time is the thirty-first studio album by Van Morrison, released in 2005 by Geffen Records. It debuted at No. 25 on the US Billboard charts and No. 3 in the UK - Morrison's best UK chart debut until Still on Top – The Greatest Hits opened at No. 2 in 2007. Rolling Stone ranked 'Magic Time' seventeenth on The Top 50 Records of 2005.

Recording The album covers a variety of styles ranging from Celtic rock to R&B and the blues. "Just Like Greta" was recorded in 2000 and originally intended for 2002's Down the Road (when the album was tentatively titled Choppin' Wood), but it was ultimately dropped and used for this album.Heylin. Can You Feel the Silence? p.529 The rest of the songs were recorded in 2003.

Composition The title song is about a nostalgic searching of the past in order to capture a magic moment almost lost in memory. "The Lion This Time" is a continuation over thirty years later of "Listen to the Lion" that first appeared on his album Saint Dominic's Preview. There is a nursery rhyme quality to it as with its predecessor and a delicate use of a classical string arrangement. "Gypsy in My Soul" is also reminiscent of a song "Gypsy" from Saint Dominic's Preview. "Just Like Greta" and "Stranded" have similar themes of being lost in an alien world with only oneself to rely on. "Celtic New Year" is reminiscent of Irish Heartbeat. "Carry On Regardless" is a singing list of "Carry On Films" that Morrison seemed to have a special fondness for.Rogan, No Surrender, p. 488-492

Reception

In a review for Paste, Andy Whitman wrote: "You expect to encounter a tired legend, a once-mighty king becalmed and tamed by the miles and years. You find instead an echo of a full-throated roar hanging in the air, the telltale signs of a bloody struggle, and an empty cage. The lion in winter is on the loose".

Thom Jurek of Allmusic concludes that "[the] acoustic 'The Lion This Time' is one of the finest ballads Morrison has cut in decades. Period." He finds that "Celtic New Year" is "trademark Morrison; the long, loping, repetitive line that is his trademark fuels this one. It's carried by the interplay between Morrison's acoustic and Foggy Lyttle's electric guitar fills, and aided by Chieftain Paddy Moloney's whistle."

The Music Box rated Magic Time the number seven album of the year in May 2005.

By the end of 2005, Magic Time had sold 252,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Liner notes On the first page of the liner notes is the notation: "This album is dedicated to the memory of Foggy Lyttle who played on most of the tracks."

Track listing All songs by Van Morrison; unless otherwise noted

"Stranded" – 5:34 "Celtic New Year" – 6:10 "Keep Mediocrity at Bay" – 3:44 "Evening Train" – 2:48 "This Love of Mine" (Sol Parker, Henry W. Sanicola, Frank Sinatra) – 2:42 "I'm Confessin'" (Doc Daughtery, Al Neiburg, Ellis Reynolds) – 4:29 "Just Like Greta" – 6:25 "Gypsy in My Soul" – 4:04 "Lonely and Blue" ("Black and Blue" with altered lyrics) (Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller) – 3:41 "The Lion This Time" – 4:56 "Magic Time" – 5:06 "They Sold Me Out" – 3:11 "Carry On Regardless" – 5:54

Personnel Musicians: Van Morrison – vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, alto saxophone Mick Green – guitar Foggy Lyttle – guitar Michael Fields – Spanish guitar, lute Martin Winning – tenor and baritone saxophones Matt Holland – trumpet Paddy Moloney – whistle Myles Drennan – piano, Hammond organ Brian Connor – piano, keyboards Dave Lewis – piano John Allair – Hammond organ Jerome Rimson – bass, backing vocals David Hayes – bass Liam Bradley – drums, backing vocals Noel Bridgeman, Johnathan Mele née Jonathan Mele, Bobby Irwin – drums Johnny Scott, Siobhan Pettit, Olwin Bell, Crawford Bell, Aine Whelan, Karen Hamill – backing vocals Irish Film Orchestra – strings

Production: Richard Evans – Design and art direction, sleeve photographs Tim Young at Metropolis Mastering, London – Mastering Javier Pierini/Getty Images – Front cover photograph Solly Lipsitz – Sleeve notes

Charts Album – UK Album Chart YearChartPosition2005UK Album Chart3

Album – Billboard YearChartPosition2005The Billboard 200252005Top Internet Albums25 Chart (2005)PeakpositionNorway6Australia15Denmark4Spain5Italy10Netherlands10 Australian chartsDutch charts

References

Sources: Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press, Rogan, Johnny (2006). Van Morrison: No Surrender, London:Vintage Books Paste Magazine Review: Magic Time

External links Rolling Stone Review #17 Paste Magazine: Listening to Old Voices CD covers