Saint Dominic's Preview  by Van Morrison

Saint Dominic's Preview from 1972 is considered one of Van Morrison's most ambitious and eclectic records, marking a return to "spiritual quests" after the lighter Tupelo Honey. Saint Dominic's Preview was Morrison's sixth studio album.

The recording took place in early 1972, mainly in San Francisco (Wally Heider Studios, Pacific High Studios) and in San Anselmo, California. The track Listen To The Lion had been recorded earlier, in 1971, during the sessions for Tupelo Honey. The musical style of the album is a blend of folk rock, R&B, soul and jazz, with strong elements of "Caledonia Soul" and stream-of-consciousness experiments. All the songs are written by Van Morrison. He co-signs the production along with Ted Templeman. The main singles were "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile), which reached No61 in the U.S., the titular Saint Dominic's Preview, and Gypsy. The cover depicts Morrison sitting on the steps of a church (likely St. Dominic's in San Francisco).

Saint Dominic's Preview reached No15 on the Billboard 200, which remained Morrison's highest position in the American charts until 2008. Although there are no official figures for specific worldwide sales numbers, the album is considered a commercial success for its time, helping Morrison establish his position as a "superstar" of rock.