A Period of Transition

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 wrote in Crawdaddy: "The agonies of Morrison's earlier works are submerged—not obliterated, mind you, or denied, but not crowding out the obvious pleasure that carries the album forward." The Globe and Mail called A Period of Transition "a fine record marred by a few more bad moments than he's allowed before", but noted that "an artist like Morrison is constantly challenging his own tastes and beliefs".

Cash Box said of the single "Joyous Sound" that "Morrison relaxes with the pure sound and accent of the syllables in his vocal, while the band cooks throughout." Record World said that it's "a bright, happy jump song with a trademark Morrison horn arrangement".

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine was more positive and said the album is "warm, welcoming, infused with spirituality and humor. Still like any period of transition, this is somewhat tentative and uneven, with its best moments, being at best, minor masterpieces." Biographer Steve Turner called the album "lethargic and uninspired" but said that perhaps it was the album Morrison needed to make after being largely absent from the music business for almost three years.

Aftermath

Expectations were high and Morrison has admitted to working at his best when not under the pressure of high expectations from the industry and fans. In June 1977, he explained his feelings about this:

I think I needed to break a lot of that expectancy down. I know from experience that I go to see some artists expecting a particular thing. If they don't come up with that then I'm disappointed, but if I have no expectations they usually do something I haven't heard before and I'm turned on. The moment you expect something, you never get it.

The album charted moderately well but most critics were disappointed, after waiting three years for a new album from Morrison. He had hired Harvey Goldsmith as manager and began a much more public media profile after the album's release. He recorded a session of The Midnight Special for NBC that was broadcast in April 1977, appearing with Carlos Santana, George Benson and Etta James. Morrison also began giving interviews again, commencing with his first interview since 1973 to Cameron Crowe from Rolling Stone. In the interview when asked by Crowe: "Is the album a document of the actual period? Is the transition over?" Morrison replies: "All of that. It's been going on for about three years ... it's like, there's been lots of highs and there's been depressions ... there's been starts and stops ... it's just a period, you know."

Album cover

Morrison has said that the title of the album referred to its front cover. Photographer Ken Mcgowan captured Morrison in various reflective, introspective moods until he realises with a half smile in the last shot that all such moods are transitory.

Track listing

All songs written by Van Morrison unless noted.

Side one

1. "You Gotta Make It Through the World" – 5:10
2. "It Fills You Up" – 4:34
3. "The Eternal Kansas City" – 5:26

Side two

1. "Joyous Sound" – 2:48
2. "Flamingos Fly" – 4:41
3. "Heavy Connection" – 5:23
4. "Cold Wind in August" – 5:48

Personnel

Musicians

• Van Morrison – acoustic and electric guitars, vocals, harmonica
• Ollie E. Brown – drums, percussion
• Marlo Henderson – guitar
• Jerry Jumonville – tenor and alto saxophones
• Reggie McBride – bass guitar
• Joel Peskin – baritone saxophone
• Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) – piano, electric piano on all tracks, guitar on "It Fills You Up"
• Mark Underwood – trumpet
• Robbie Montgomery, Roger Kennerly-Saint, Gregory Wright, Carlena Williams, Paulette Parker, Candy Nash, Toni McVey, Gary Garrett and Joe Powell – backing vocals

Production

• Producers: Van Morrison, Dr. John
• Engineer: Gary Ladinsky
• Assistant Engineers: Mike Beiriger, Richard Kaplan, Bart Johnson, Mick Glossop
• Art Direction/Design: Mike Doud-AGI Hollywood
• Photography: Ken McGowan
• Management: Harvey Goldsmith
• Cover Concept: Van Morrison

Charts