VAN MORRISON “Avalon Sunset.” Mercury ***POP STARS...

VAN MORRISON “Avalon Sunset.” Mercury ***

POP STARS ***** Great Balls of Fire **** Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door *** Good Vibrations ** Maybe Baby * Ain’t That a Shame

On this extremely solid album, the greatest white singer of his generation wraps his steel-belted vocal cords around fairly commercial examples of just about every sub-style with which he’s ever been associated. “Contacting My Angel” is a dreamy, repetitive, jazz-folk number that wouldn’t sound too out of place on “Astral Weeks.” “I’d Love to Write Another Song” is a jazz-blues shuffle with one of Morrison’s patented “Moondance”-era horn arrangements. “Daring Night” is raving, up-tempo soul, sporting all the skittering, stuttering vocalisms that are the singer’s trademark.

The lyrics are dominated by two themes: washed-in-the-blood religious statements, such as the soulful “When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God” and “Whenever God Shines His Light”--the latter a perky, poppy, Latin-tinged duet with fellow pilgrim traveler Cliff Richard--and righteous paeans to the pastoral joys of Morrison’s native Irish countryside, such as “Orangefield” and “Coney Island,” the latter a brief recitatif set to the most lush, plush string arrangement this side of the auld sod.

In lesser hands all this in your-faith-stuff could be as obnoxious as some clown with hair extensions screaming about the power of Satan, but this is Van the Man, taking he latest step in his never-ending spiritual journey into the music . . . .