The Hurdy Gurdy Man

Mellow Yellow 2005 Digitally remastered re-issue features nine bonus tracks 'Preachin' Love', 'Good Time', 'There Is A Mountain', 'Superlungs' (Second Version), 'Epistle To Dippy' (Alternative Arr), 'Sidewalk (The Observation) (Demo), 'Writer In The Sun' (Demo), 'Hampstead Incident' (Demo), 'M...	Sunshine Superman 2005 Digitally remastered re-issue features seven bonus tracks 'Breezes Of Patchulie', 'Museum' (First Version), 'Superlungs' (First Version), 'The Land Of Doesn't Have To', 'Sunshine', 'Good Trip' (Demo), 'House Of Jansch' (Demo). Sunshine Superman marked the coming of psychedel...	Barabajagal 2005 Digitally remastered re-issue that features twelve bonus tracks 'Snakeskin', 'Lauretta's Cousin Laurinda', 'The Swan' (Lord Of The Reedy River), 'A Poor Man's Sunshine' (Nativity), 'New Years Resolution' (Donovan's Celtic Jam), 'Runaway' (Demo), 'Sweet Beverley' (Demo), 'Mar...	A Gift from a Flower to a Garden Originally packaged in a two-record box set with an expensively printed set of lyric sheets, A Gift was sincerely meant as a possible present for the hippie who has everything. The first album is the Wear Your Love Like Heaven album and it's a gem of mid-'60s Mickie Most-produced...	Open Road Digitally remastered reissue of the singer/songwriter's 1970 album. Includes the hit, 'Riki Tiki Tavi'. 2000 release. Digipak.
In Concert: The Complete 1967 Anaheim Show Often portrayed as the British Dylan, Donovan Leitch was in fact much more than this. As the highest profile UK folk singer at a time when most folk singers were American, Donovan's association with the summer of love made him one of the most popular singers of the 60's and he ma...	Catch the Wind 2003 compilation for the UK's finest 60s folk singer-songwriter. Highlights include 'Catch The Wind' (Original & Single Version With Strings), 'Colours' (Original Single Version), 'The Universal Soldier', & 'Turquoise'. Castle Pulse.	What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid Exclusive Japanese Limited Edition reissue of Donovan's 1965 debut album packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. 2006.	Fairytale UK expanded deluxe edition reissue of the folk-rock icon's sophomore album, originally released in 1965. 18 tracks including the hit 'Colours' & six bonus tracks, 'Universal Soldier', 'The Ballad Of A Crystal Man', 'The War Drags On', 'Do You Hear Me Now' (All from EP 'Univer...	Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964-1976 Heaven knows, the Scotsman born Donovan Leitch was ripe for ridicule, even when he was hitting the charts with regularity. He was the ultimate flower child, and his airier pronouncements made cynics want to tighten up those love beads around his neck. Listening to Troubadour, how...

Get this for the bonus version of Catch the Wind
Like a few other reviewers said, this was not an immediate favorite of mine (unlike the very accesible Sunshine Superman). It took several listens to grow on me, but I'm so glad I let it. My favorite album track on here is "Hi It's Been A Long Time", and that was the song that made me keep returning to more than the title track. Some people say this album has not dated well, but that all depends on what you are looking for. I enjoy music that is an obvious artifact of the time. I like '60s psychedelic folk because it SOUNDS like '60s psychedelic folk...and who did it better than Donovan? Nobody gave sunshine and flowers quite the personification Donovan did. That said, GET THIS for the bonus recording of Catch the Wind. I liked the original version alright, but never gave it too much of my time. This recording of Catch the Wind is phenomenal...it is two minutes longer than the original, and I cannot describe to you how sublime and breathtaking the vocals and build-up are. I own most of Donovan's extensive discography and love it all, but this track stands above it all. It is 5 minutes you will want to live over and over again.

Hurdy Gurdy Man
I initially bought this CD to get the Hurdy Gurdy Man song for my computer. Of course, as a bonus, I got Mellow Yellow, Jennifer Juniper and Colours. Donovan remains at best the easiest listening singer there is.

Pure Donovan
This is a pretty good deal - the additional songs added here were from the Hurdy Gurdy Man sessions. I recently found out from the autobiography that Donovan intended the title track for Jimi Hendrix, but Mickey Most talked him into recording the now classic track himself. The quavering vocals, the swirling sounds and the buzzsaw guitars on Hurdy Gurdy Man always get me. Wow, what a song! I have listened to this album so much on vinyl that it has passed completely into both my sub-conscious and conscious minds, you know? The sun is a magical fellow. How can you possibly dispute this? I have always had the opinion that this album probably isn't for everyone - its too Donovanish, too introspective, too mellow for mass appreciation, its sort of like a bunch of ragas and less like a collection of pop songs. Actually, its somewhere in between, I guess: a blast of unique mysticism composed in Rishikesh, India by a 22 year old guy who had just started to turn the corner from pop star to private artist. There is so much delight and wonder in many of these songs, so much real emotion that as a collection its difficult to perceive. The songs also are more "breathed" than sung. That's a bit different, too. Ah well, this is kind of a funny review, but then this is a subtle, uncanny sort of release that I loved at first hearing so its hard to put my thoughts and feelings into just the right words. My idea is put this one together with the newly released complete 1967 concert CD and the Greatest Hits CD. All 3 came out in 68 and give you the basic Donovan formulation in all its glory. Put these three on random for a few days and you'll really have something.

"In old hippy town"
The Hurdy Gurdy Man, released in 1968, is one of Donovan's best and most diverse albums. You get classic, optimistic Donovan (Jennifer Juniper, The Entertaining Of A Shy Girl, The River Song, The Sun Is A Very Magic fellow), jazzy Donovan (As I Recall, Get Thy Bearings, Teas) and new creative hights (Hurdy Gurdy Man, Tangier, Peregrine). The album starts out with the thunderous title track, with is heavy guitar likes and pounding drum loops. It is definitely one of the hardest rock songs Donovan has ever done and it managed to become a big hit as well, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then we go upstream a bit with the dark but whimiscal Peregine which bares slight similarity to George Harrison's work for the Beatles. Now it will take me a long time to talk about each and every one of the songs from the album so I'm just going to name some of the hightlights: As I Recall: A very bright and cheery jazz tune with a charming piano and a horn arrangement Hi, It's Been A Long Time: Possibly one of the most romantic tunes I have ever heard. The classical string arrangement contrasts so greatly with its hip-hop beat. On of Donovan's finest! Jennifer Juniper: Ah yes, this one's also very charming and romantic. Such image-envoking lyrics and a wonderful woodwind arangement The entire album (excluding Jennifer Juniper) was records in May 1968, along with the melancholic hit single Lalena and its charming B-side Aye! My Love, both of which are included on here as two of the seven bonus tracks. Here's a complete list of them: Poor Cow: B-side to Jennifer Juniper and also featured in the movie of the same name but with an alternate arrangement. Teen Angel: B-side to Hurdy Gurdy Man and one of my least favorite Donovan songs. Lalena: Released as a single in November 1968 Aye! My Love: B-side to Lalena What A Beautiful Creature You Are: An outtake from the Hurdy Gurdy Man sessions and I can see why it was left off. A really bad song! Colours: Re-recording Catch The Wind: Re-recording Final word: get the album!

A bit of a mish mash
The aim of this album seemed to be diversity which is both its strength and its weakness. The World Music and heavy elements work, the pop and cute jazz have not aged as well. Donovan could sing jazz very well, such as the version of "Young Girl Blues" he did for the BBC around this time, which is magnficent. The jazz cuts on here are the weakest by far with the singular exception of "Get Thy Bearings". The bonus tracks are mostly singles (some recut for a greatest hits package) and b-sides. By far the best surprise is the duet "What A Beautiful Creature You Are" which is funny and sexy and would have sounded great on the Barabajagal album.