Donovan - Essential Donovan
List Price:
Our Price: $6.83
You Save: $1.16 (15%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $2.54 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Artist: DonovanEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2004-03-30
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
- Catch The Wind (Mono)
- Colours (Mono)
- Sunshine Superman (Unedited Version)
- Season Of The Witch
- Mellow Yellow (Mono)
- Epistle To Dippy
- There Is A Mountain
- Wear Your Love Like Heaven
- Jennifer Juniper
- Hurdy Gurdy Man
- Lalena
- To Susan On The West Coast Waiting
- Atlantis
- Barabajagal
Music reviews of Essential Donovan
Music Review: Superman or Green Lantern Ain't Got- Nothing On Metamorpho......
Rating: 4 Stars
Well, it used to be when you went to an airport there would be natural flower children, with flower print dresses, with (of all things) flowers to hand out to weary passer-bys. Their buttons revealed their true thoughts: "Make Love, Not War", "Groovey!", "Don't Trust Anyone Over 30!" How foolish to think anything like this could survive into the modern day a go-go world we all know and love. (!)
These days we have persons of a different ilk. You know the ones. They have many piercings, are very loud (urgent that they be heard!) and walk around with placards that read "Save Britney!" or "Free Paris!". As if I didn't have anything better to concentrate on - like freeing and saving myself. Ah! The price we pay for progress folks!
Anyway - I found my old crystal spectacles in the bottom of a drawer and cleaned all the cobwebs off. I am now wearing them (where did all these colours come from? Oh wow!) and am writing this review on "The Essential Donovan".
I have to say that this is quite a respectable collection of goodies from him. That said, I often have reservations about someone else calling it "essential". How does anyone know what I would consider essential as opposed to you or she or he as me and we are all together? ;) Donovan has had tons of tunes, many of which could easily have been included. A one disc retrospective can't do him justice. But, aside from that complaint - this really is not too shabby.
It begins from his acoustic phase and includes the wonderful "Catch the Wind" and "Colours". I guess because he included a harmonica they referred to him as the English Bob Dylan. That really was unfair to him. Although definitely talented- he's no Dylan.
I do recall his earlier folk-rock music to be very diverse and included some great reflective songs. Here, they only give you "Sunshine Superman" and "Season of the Witch" from his album "Sunshine Superman". And, as I recall, that whole album was superb. And while there is nothing wrong with including these songs, you're all missing a wealth of unheard music.
Donovan amazes by being so diverse. He can give you a lilting, french inspired tale of a "Jennifer Juniper" and then the grinding, more intensive rock of "Hurdy Gurdy Man". He goes from the calypso-inspired metaphysical folk of "There is a Mountain" to drowning in a sea of love with "Atlantis". It seems that Donovan's fantasies took him all over the map!
I am happy to see that they included the rare gem "Epistle to Dippy". Now that is one creative song. Donovan's own brand of stream-of-conciousness flowing (or flowering?) though a jaggedy, haphazard meter that makes total sense. Let us not forget the lovely and wispful "Lalena". The quiet orchestra and flutes give this a richness beyond words. Very nice.
A word of warning though, Donovan does rely on repetition quite a bit in lyrics and music. This can prove either annoying or a delicious pop hook. It's up to you to decide. One of my least favorites is "To Susan On the West Coast Waiting" = annoying ;( . Then that unique celtic voice on "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" = tantalizing pop hook with some stratospheric enunciation going on. But, you can all decide to take these compositions in any way you want.
In closing, a most pleasant recollection of a bygone age but nowhere near complete. If you do not have this artist in your archives (and you should!), then this is one to get. But complete? No, far from it.
Now please excuse me. I have to get back to repainting the day-glo flowers on my volkswagon mini-bus. And, oh yeah, those Peter Max prints arrived today! Gotta set up that blacklight!
writing by lava lamp ------ Metamorpho!
Description of Essential Donovan
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.Classic Rock CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classic Rock CDs
Paul Mccartney, Wings - Wings at the Speed of SoundRelease date: 1996-09-24; Music CD
Best price: $287.77
Small Faces - BoxedRelease date: 1997-11-01; Music CD
Best price: $43.38
Dr John - Gris GrisRelease date: 1994-07-15; Music CD
Price in other shops:
![Eric Clapton: Live in Hyde Park [VHS] Image](/images/Eric-Clapton-Live-in-Hyde-Park-VHS-6304817037-X.jpg){kind=small}
Eric Clapton: Live in Hyde Park [VHS]Warner Bros / Wea; Release date: 1998-02-17; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops:
![Human Highway [VHS] Image](/images/Human-Highway-VHS-6303589219-X.jpg){kind=small}
Human Highway [VHS]Warner Bros / Wea; Release date: 1995-08-08; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $120.79
![The Monkees - Head [VHS] Image](/images/The-Monkees-Head-VHS-6303337023-X.jpg){kind=small}
The Monkees - Head [VHS]Rhino / Wea; Release date: 1995-01-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.42
Price in other shops:
![Live & Loud [VHS] Image](/images/Live-Loud-VHS-630276193X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Ozzy Osbourne - Live & Loud [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1993-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $3.96
Price in other shops:
![Unplugged [VHS] Image](/images/Unplugged-VHS-6302639859-X.jpg){kind=small}
Bruce Springsteen - Unplugged [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1992-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops:
![Peter Gabriel - P.O.V. [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel - P.O.V. [VHS]Virgin Records Us; Release date: 1992-06-29; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $121.90
![Past to Present [VHS] Image](/images/Past-to-Present-VHS-6301817664-X.jpg){kind=small}
Toto - Past to Present [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1991-07-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $72.82
Similar CDs
![RAM [Deluxe Book Edition] [4CD+1DVD] Image](/images/RAM-Deluxe-Book-Edition-4CD-1DVD-B007L96VG0-X.jpg)
Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney - RAM [Deluxe Book Edition] [4CD+1DVD]Release date: 2012-05-22; Music CD
Best price: $94.18
Price in other shops:
The Beatles - Yellow Submarine SongtrackRelease date: 2012-06-05; Music CD
Best price: $13.88
Price in other shops:
Blue Oyster Cult - The Essential Blue Oyster CultRelease date: 2012-04-17; Music CD
Best price: $10.00
Price in other shops:
The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made the RadioRelease date: 2012-06-05; Music CD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Gordon Lightfoot - All LiveRelease date: 2012-04-17; Music CD
Best price: $10.78
Price in other shops:
Carole King - Legendary DemosRelease date: 2012-04-24; Music CD
Best price: $9.19
Price in other shops:
![RAM [Special Edition] Image](/images/RAM-Special-Edition-B007L96VCY-X.jpg)
Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney - RAM [Special Edition]Release date: 2012-05-22; Music CD
Best price: $11.85
Price in other shops:
Janis Joplin - The Pearl Sessions (2 CD)Release date: 2012-04-17; Music CD
Best price: $12.83
Price in other shops:
George Harrison - Early Takes Volume 1: Music From The Martin Scorsese Picture Living In The Material WorldRelease date: 2012-05-01; Music CD
Best price: $7.87
Laura Nyro - Essential Laura NyroRelease date: 2011-09-13; Music CD
Best price: $11.42
Price in other shops: