Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
| type = studio
| artist = Van Morrison
| cover = VanMorrisonInarticulateSpeechCover.jpg
| alt = Image of the album cover
| released = March 1983
| recorded = 1982
| studio = {{hlist|The Town House, London|The Record Plant|Harbour Sound, Sausalito|Tres Virgos, San Rafael|Lombard Sound, Dublin}}
| length = {{Duration|m=47|s=10}}
| label = Mercury
| producer = Van Morrison
| prev_title = Beautiful Vision
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast
| next_year = 1984
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
| type = studio
| single1 = Cry for Home" b/w "Summertime in England
| single1date = February 1983
| single2 = Celtic Swing" b/w "Mr. Thomas
| single2date = May 1983
}}
}}
Inarticulate Speech of the Heart is the fourteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1983. Morrison said he arrived at the title from a Shavian saying: "that idea of communicating with as little articulation as possible, at the same time being emotionally articulate". As his last album for Warner Bros. Records, he decided to do an album which had more than the usual complement of instrumental tracks. As he explained in 1984, "Sometimes when I'm playing something, I'm just sort of humming along with it, and that's got a different vibration than an actual song. So the instrumentals just come from trying to get that form of expression, which is not the same as writing a song."Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p. 376-377 Although not expanded upon, of note is that a special thanks is given to L. Ron Hubbard in the liner notes. The reissued and remastered version of the album contains alternative takes of "Cry for Home" and "Inarticulate Speech of the Heart No. 2".{{cite web|url=https://www.vanmorrison.com/|title=Van Morrison Official Website – Tours, Music, Songs|last=Eyekiller|date=8 December 2018|website=Vanmorrison.com|access-date=8 December 2018}}
Recording
The recording sessions took place in California, Dublin, and a series of marathon sessions at the Town House in London. Morrison played piano, guitar and saxophone on these sessions.Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence. p.377
Two Irish musicians played on the album (Arty McGlynn and Davy Spillane) and overall the music had a strong Celtic colouring. Four of the songs were instrumentals.Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, p. 239
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/inarticulate-speech-of-the-heart-mw0000194957|title=Inarticulate Speech of the Heart – Van Morrison – Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=8 December 2018}}
| rev2 = Robert Christgau
| rev3 = Rolling Stone
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/67/albums/album/190939/rid/5945016/|title=Rolling Stone review|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=8 December 2018}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
}}
The Chicago Sun Times gave the album an honourable mention in their list of the top ten albums of 1983.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/321619806/?terms=%22Electric%2BUniverse%22|title=Top Ten: Critics picks 83's best pop discs|page=61|date=5 January 1984|author=McLeese, Don|publisher=Chicago Sun Times|website=newspapers.com}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Inarticulate Speech of the Heart track listing
| all_writing = Van Morrison
| title1 = Higher than the World
| length1 = 3:42
| title2 = Connswater
| length2 = 4:09
| title3 = River of Time
| length3 = 3:02
| title4 = Celtic Swing
| length4 = 5:03
| title5 = Rave On, John Donne
| length5 = 5:12
| title6 = Inarticulate Speech of the Heart No. 1
| length6 = 4:53
| title7 = Irish Heartbeat
| length7 = 4:40
| title8 = The Street Only Knew Your Name
| length8 = 3:36
| title9 = Cry for Home
| length9 = 3:44
| title10 = Inarticulate Speech of the Heart No. 2
| length10 = 3:53
| title11 = September Night
| length11 = 5:16
| title12 = Cry for Home
| note12 = CD bonus song, alternate take
| length12 = 3:49
| title13 = Inarticulate Speech of the Heart No. 2
| note13 = CD bonus song, alternate take
| length13 = 4:48
| total_length =
}}
Personnel
- Van Morrison – guitar, piano, Fender Rhodes, alto saxophone, vocals
- David Hayes – bass guitar
- Mark Isham – synthesizer, trumpet
- John Allair – Hammond organ, piano, Fender Rhodes
- Pee Wee Ellis – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute
- Tom Donlinger – percussion, drums
- Mihr Un Nisa Douglass – backing vocals
- Stephanie Douglass – backing vocals
- Pauline Lozana – backing vocals
- Arty McGlynn – acoustic guitar
- Davy Spillane – Uilleann pipes, alto flute
- Chris Michie – guitar
- Annie Stocking – backing vocals
- Bianca Thornton – backing vocals
- Peter Van Hooke – drums, tambourine
Charts
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for Inarticulate Speech of the Heart ! scope="col"| Chart (1983–1984) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=208}}
| 21 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Canada|69|chartid=6272b|rowheader=true|access-date=1 February 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|14|artist=Van Morrison|album=Inarticulate Speech of the Heart|rowheader=true|access-date=1 February 2022}} |
| {{album chart|New Zealand|4|artist=Van Morrison|album=Inarticulate Speech of the Heart|rowheader=true|access-date=1 February 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Norway|17|artist=Van Morrison|album=Inarticulate Speech of the Heart|rowheader=true|access-date=1 February 2022}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|24|date=19830320|rowheader=true|access-date=1 February 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|116|artist=Van Morrison|rowheader=true|access-date=1 February 2022}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for Inarticulate Speech of the Heart ! scope="col" | Chart (1983) ! scope="col" | Position |
| scope="row" | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1983-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1983 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart|publisher=Recorded Music New Zealand|access-date=1 February 2022}}
| 15 |
|---|
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Inarticulate Speech of the Heart}}
{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=New Zealand|artist=Van Morrison|title=Inarticulate Speech of the Heart|award=Platinum|id=1990-05-25|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|relyear=1983}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}
References
=Citations=
{{Reflist}}
=Sources=
{{Refbegin}}
- {{cite book|last=Heylin |first=Clinton |title=Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography |publisher=Chicago Review Press |location=Chicago |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-55652-542-1}}
- {{cite book|last=Hinton |first=Brian |title=Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison |publisher=Sanctuary Publishing |year=1997 |isbn=978-1-86074-505-8}}
{{Refend}}
{{Van Morrison}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums produced by Van Morrison
Category:Mercury Records albums