A Period Of Transition

''A Period of Transition'' is the ninth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1977 (see 1977 in music). It was his first album in two-and-a-half years. At the time of its release it was received with some disappointment by critics and fans: "Most were hoping for a work of primeval vocal aggression that would challenge the emerging élite of Morrison pretenders, whose ranks included Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Phil Lynott, Graham Parker and Elvis Costello." However, the album is still notable for several major compositions, including "Heavy Connection", "Flamingos Fly", " The Eternal Kansas City" and "Cold Wind in August".

The album was coproduced by Mac Rebennack, who also played keyboards and guitar; he had appeared with Morrison at the 1976 concert filmed as ''The Last Waltz''.

Recording

Clinton Heylin remarks on "Flamingos Fly" and "Joyous Sound": "Just seven songs were recorded or ''A Period of Transition''and two of these had already been cut at the Record Plant back in 1975." Both of these versions were included on the 1998 compilation album, '' The Philosopher's Stone''. "Flamingos Fly" was also recorded in 1973 with Jackie DeShannon and appeared on her 2003 reissue album '' Jackie... Plus'', along with three other original Morrison compositions from that recording session. It did not take Morrison long to play the song in concert – a week after the recording session on 18 April 1973, the song featured in a concert in Los Angeles at the Shrine Auditorium. This performance remains the only known live version of the song.

Composition

"You Gotta Make It Through the World" is according to Morrison, "a survival song". Dr. John felt that it had "a real spiritual sound". "It Fills You Up" is an attempt by the singer to explain the inspirational spirit that is often found in his music. " The Eternal Kansas City" is, according to Dr. John, "the song that Van got the whole album hooked up around. It was a real deep thing for him to focus on. It goes from a real ethereal voice sound to a jazz introduction and then into a kind of chunky R&B." The song, "Joyous Sound" is described by Brian Hinton as "more like the real Van as he starts to wail and the lyrics describe themselves." Morrison said of the track, "Flamingos Fly", "I've done three versions in the studio. I've done it slow, a ballad version. I've done a mid-tempo version and I've done this version. This is the version I like best for release." "Heavy Connection" is said to be "psychic stuff" with the lyrics vague and secret but speaking of a love connection "when you came into my dreams/like from a whisper to a scream." The last song on the album is "Cold Wind in August". Dr. John describes it as a "cross current from forties to seventies music. It's like where Ray Charles left off. It's a real tear-jerker that gets back to the basics of music." "Flamingos Fly" was covered by Sammy Hagar, a year before ''A Period of Transition'' was released, on his first solo album ''Nine on a Ten Scale''.

Critical reception

In a contemporary review for ''Rolling Stone'', Greil Marcus dismissed the songs as "a lot of neo-R&B huffing and puffing" and said "Morrison's performances rarely find a focus, almost never hit a groove... The key to the album's sluggishness is the dullness of the horn charts." Robert Christgau wrote in ''The Village Voice'': "In general this is an unexciting record – but not definitively. It's full of the surprising touches... that signify talent putting out." Peter Knobler

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