Barabajagal

Donovan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000024VV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,128 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

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), 'Marjorie' (Margarine) (Demo), 'Little White Flower' (Demo), 'Good Morning Mr Wind' (Demo), 'Palais Girl' (Demo), 'Lord Of The Universe' (Demo). On Barabajagal, Donovan made his first steps away from the folk rock of before towards an acid rock sound, with songs such as the title track and Trudi. EMI. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars EMI Opens the Vaults, June 26, 2005

By 

J P Ryan (Waltham, Massachusetts United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barabajagal (Audio CD)

I've always liked Donovan's "Barabajagal," right down to the Victoriana of the album's artwork. This is not his most consistent album - I really don't need to hear "I Love My Shirt" or "Happiness Runs" very often, and they embody a certain precious quality that has not worn well (and didn't sound so great in 1969). There are, however, several gems on the original set, including the double-sided hit "To Susan On the West Coast Waiting", a still-fresh, deceptively low-key anti-Vietnam song, and the grand, five-minute "Atlantis," one of Donovan's biggest US hits, recorded in L.A. with the great Jim Gordon (Derek & the Dominos) providing superb drumming. Forget the "Hey Jude" comparison, this song has a power and personality all its own. The original album also included two collaborations with the Jeff Beck Group (classic line-up, with Beck, Ron Wood, Nicky Hopkins, Tony Newman, and Rod Stewart who stayed home), opening with the ferocious title track, an almost unbelievably intense excercise in controlled dynamics - a hard rock/funk classic, with Donovan at his 'hottest' and the Group truly 'molten'. The other D/JBG collaboration, "Trudi," rocks out, albeit in a less overpowering manner. I should note these tracks were from the last session by the Beck Group (May '69) who would break up by the end of July. EMI has turned this (and their other Donovan reissues) into "The story of the making of..." with outtakes, demos, copious notes, and period photos and memorabilia. A long rumored third track with the Beck Group ("Stromburg Twins") finally sees the light of day (a fourth, "Homesickness," appears in abruptly truncated form on the fine "HMS"), and the alternates, demos and sketches all provide great context and background on this still underrated artist's work habits, not to mention some highly listenable music, making this the edition of "Barabajagal" to own. Kudos to EMI!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An okay album greatly improved by the bonus tracks, June 28, 2005

By 

a music fan (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barabajagal (Audio CD)

Barabajagal is the last of the four remastered Donovan cds released by EMI in 2005. The original album was definitely a mixed bag. When it's good, it's excellent. Songs like Barabajagal, Superlungs and Atlantis rank among the best rock songs of 1969, and Happiness Runs is a charming children's song. Unfortunately, most of the other album tracks are just filler.

EMI seems to have solved the problem with this reissue. The addition of the bonus tracks, all previously unreleased, double the length of the album, and -- like Sanctuary's reissue of Kinda Kinks -- many of the best songs on the disk are bonus tracks. All the bonus tracks here are good, some are great, and Swan (Lord Of The Reedy River) is one of the most gorgeous songs Donovan ever recorded, which is quite saying something when you think about it.

Like the rest of the albums in this series of reissues, the sound quality is excellent and the liner notes are poor.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of his best.., August 12, 1999

By 

Ray Riddle (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Barabajagal (Audio CD)

This is one of my favorite Donovan albums. The Jeff Beck Group accompanies him on some of the songs, giving a truly cool electric sound to those songs. It's got his war protest "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting", and also shows his fun/silly side with songs like "Happiness Runs" and "I Love My Shirt". "Atlantis" was one of his bigger hits. Worth checking out.