Like his former bandmates from Them (with their second LP Time Out! Time In For Them), Van Morrison also embarked on a completely new musical path for his future solo career after moving to the USA. After a first LP still in the old pop and R&B style, this transformation continued also on his second solo album Astral Weeks, which he recorded at Century Sound Studios in New York. In addition to John Payne (sax, fl), the band in the studio consisted of other top-notch jazz greats such as guitarist Jay Berliner (Charles Mingus), double bassist Richard Davis (Eric Dolphy), drummer Warren Smith, Jr. (Herbie Mann) and drummer Connie Kay (The Modern Jazz Quartet). In three sessions in September and October 1968, they played together under the guidance of the 23-year-old Irishman a previously unknown mixture of chamber music folk, blues, strings and jazz, held together by Morrison's versatile vocals, which tells of Belfast before the political conflicts, lost youth, and the longing for passion and love. The album, produced by Lewis Merenstein, was released shortly after the recordings in November 1968 on Warner Bros. Records.

At the time, it was hardly noticed, let alone bought. Nevertheless, critics were and still are full of praise, describing it as a milestone and even one of the best albums ever. The English original, released a year later in 1969, is a particularly sought-after collector's item worldwide, regularly fetching top prices.