Following the deluxe edition of Moondance from Warner in 2013, both Astral Weeks and His Band And The Street Choir get the same treatment with remastered and expanded versions – the former featuring four unreleased alternate takes (including complete versions of ‘Ballerina’ and ‘Slim Slow Slider’), the latter, five. The fact that Astral Weeks is now widely considered a classic, featuring on countless ‘Greatest Album’ lists, is all the more remarkable given that, in addition to Morrison's apparent remoteness during the three sessions at Century Sound Studios in NYC, none of the musicians had played with him before (with the exception of flute/sax player John Payne), nor were there any rehearsals or charts. And yet, from the hypnotic harmonic stasis of the title track, to the chattering harpsichord of ‘Cyprus Avenue’ (played by string arranger Larry Fallon – the string quartet was overdubbed) and the incantatory vocal of ‘Madame George’, the album unfolds as one inscrutable, unbroken arc. Producer Lewis Merenstein deserves credit for assembling a superb band: acclaimed bassist Richard Davis, whose stellar discography included Out To Lunch!, Point of Departure and a host of other Blue Note, Prestige and Impulse! releases, the ever-versatile guitarist Jay Berliner, long-standing MJQ drummer Connie Kay, and vibist and Composers Workshop Ensemble co-founder Warren Smith Jr. After failing to make the charts on its release 47 years ago, Astral Weeks has long since passed into pop mythology. If His Band And The Street Choir didn't quite turn out to be the album Morrison first envisaged – his original vision was to record it a cappella, which didn't work out, nor was he impressed when Warner retitled the album (originally named Virgo's Fool) without his consent – it contains some outstanding songs. Which songsmith wouldn't give their right arm to have penned ‘Domino’ (a US Top 10 hit), ‘Gypsy Queen’ in which Morrison channels his falsetto to captivating effect, or the sublime ‘Street Choir’? The five unreleased bonus tracks include a pulsating, James Brown-influenced version of ‘I've Been Working’.