A Period of Transition

Following the dreamy *Veedon Fleece*, Van did a 180 with this gritty, soulful album coproduced by Dr. John. Morrison sets the tone with the gloriously greasy, funk-filled opener, “You Gotta Make It Through the World.” “It Fills You Up” is so sexy, it would be hard not to imagine dancers slinking around to it—if not for its lyrics’ occasional mystical detours. By the time Morrison cools things down toward the album’s end, it’s like a welcome breeze blowing across a stack of smoking R&B grooves.

Titles rarely come as explicit as A Period of Transition, a record Van Morrison released three years after Veedon Fleece, an uncommonly long period of inactivity for this prolific artist.