Van Morrison [ tickets ] will return to the West Coast in May for another series of "cover to cover" performances of his classic 1968 album "Astral Weeks."

The new "Astral Weeks Live" engagements currently consist of a pair of shows in Berkeley, CA, beginning May 2, followed by a May 7-9 stand at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The singer previously performed the album in its entirety last fall in Los Angeles, as well as at four New York City performances earlier this year.

"These concerts give me a welcome opportunity to perform these songs the way I originally intended them to be," said Morrison in a press statement. "These songs are timeless and as fresh today as the day they were written, actually even more so."

Morrison signed a deal with EMI Music to release the recent "Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl," which was recorded at the historic Los Angeles venue last November, almost exactly 40 years to the day after the seminal album's original release in 1968. A DVD version of the concert is scheduled for release April 7, exclusively through online retailer Amazon.

On the studio front, the legendary Irish singer/songwriter scored the highest debut of his more than 40-year career with last April's "Keep It Simple," which bowed at No. 10 on The Billboard 200. The album, Morrison's 35th, is his first collection of all-new material since 2005. He composed all 11 songs and wore the hats of composer, arranger, lyricist and producer.

The new record honors a wide variety of The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's influences, including Celtic, jazz, folk, blues, country, soul and gospel. Several song samples from the set are streaming at his MySpace page.