Customer Reviews

Troubadour: The Definitive Collection, 1964-1976

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Donovan began his career as a folkie, but he will be remembered forever as the leading proponent of flower power hipness.

Early folk-oriented tunes like "Catch the Wind," "Colours" and "Universal Soldier" all charted in the UK, but only "Catch the Wind" dented the US charts (No. 23). In late-65 Donovan splits from his manager and hooks up with new producer Mickie Most (Herman's Hermits, Animals, Lulu, etc.). In the process he switches direction from folk to pop.

His first single for Most is "Sunshine Superman"--which was originally titled "For John and Paul." It goes to No. 2 in the UK and tops the US chart. What follows is a string of memorable hits, including "Mellow Yellow" with Paul McCartney on background "whispered" vocals. [Did anyone REALLY believe this was about smoking banana skins! ] There's the percussion-flute workout "There Is a Mountain," (which the Allman Brothers would convert to "Mountain Jam" on Eat a Peach.]

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Donovan would maintain his popularity throughout the sixties. This also meant expanding his sound. "Hurdy Gurdy Man" starts out with Donovan's trademark vibrato vocal and cosmic lyrics, but with Jimmy Page on guitar and the future Led Zeppelin rhythm section on board it was one of the few Donovan tracks that rocked. Another hard-driving song (and Donovan's last US top 40 hit), "Barabajagal (Love Is Hot)," features the Jeff Beck Group.

Donovan leaves Mickie Most and releases "Celia of the Seals" as a duet with longtime bassist Danny Thompson. It only reaches US No. 84. His next single "Riki Tiki Tavi" is what Donovan dubbed an experiment in "Celtic rock." it peaked at US No. 84. His final US single is "I Like You" from Cosmic Wheels. [I bought this album on vinyl when it was released in 1973. Thankfully this disc does not also include the embarrassingly insipid "Intergalactic Laxative."] The single only went to No. 66. It was becoming apparent that by the early seventies, there were very few listeners still paying attention.

For this baby-boomer, this collection is everything I would expect in a box set: all the hits, a few unreleased songs, tracks from throughout the artist's career (the latest song is from 1976's Slow Down World), and an emphasis on the artist's commercial peak (1966-1969: 26 of the 44 songs). If all you want is the hits, the remastered Greatest Hits' 15 tracks will do the job cheaper, but for six dollars more you get nearly three times the songs and enough Donovan to put you into cosmic euphoria. Go for it. RECOMMENDED

How this spirit might have emerged from the hard heart of Glasgow is anybody's guess, but it did, and we are all the beneficiaries. Today it is quite fashionable to marginalize Donovan as a flower-power hyper-sensitive embarrassment. This is misguided. Remember that he suffered under the "British Bob Dylan" pressure, and held up. Then, ask yourself the question, when was the last time you were hanging out with George Harrison in India, studying meditation?

Donovan has had a rather amazing life, and he has stayed true to his artistic integrity throughout - how many entertainers could make that claim? More to the point, Donovan has crafted his own, unique style, a style so distinct it seems to be influenced by nobody and can be spotted at a thousand paces. Now take his spirit itself. Is there any writer/performer you can name quite so brave, so willing to be emotionally honest and vulnerable, so eager to look at life through the eyes of a child?

Yes, he crosses the line at times, even for me. But at the price of just over 1 CD, this 2 CD set offers at least an 80% hit rate of definite keepers, making it a certified value. And before you pass him off as "the flake that did Mellow Yellow" - look at the distance and evolution from folky Codine to funky rock Cosmic Wheels, with a stop at Epistle To Dippy in between. That's a lot of very interesting, consistent forward motion from a man who did what true artists must, that is, pursue his own vision with a bold disregard for detractors. So enjoy. This music is always good and at times it's so beautiful one can barely stand it.

I've loved Donovan's music for a long time and accumulated albums, singles, tapes, CDs, etc., of his by the bushelful. However, I write this at a time when my infatuation with the man has faded quite a bit. This could be due to overkill on my part. At any rate, this collection has some good things going for it. All his hits are here. Some previously rare tracks have been included that are mostly quite good. A few oddball album tracks made it on here that really didn't deserve to be here. For big fans, this set is a must. For casual, "I just want the hits and the rest make me throw up" fans, you are getting a bit too much here. Go with a single CD of hits and not this 2-CD collection. You have to at least like the sentiment behind flower power to get into the lesser-known songs here. In reality, the choice of album cuts from both the 60s and 70s material is somewhat questionable--there are superior tracks that could have been chosen in some instances. Put a good band behind him, and Donovan can do magic with a song. He can also do quite well with just him and his guitar, as many of the songs on this set demonstrate. I think Donovan himself chose the songs on here--so I guess a few of the choices I don't agree with. Some of his favorites songs he wrote for his beloved wife Linda--"I Like You" is one that doesn't come off real well; "Dark-eyed Blue-Jean Angel" works better. For most listeners, the collection probably should have been limited to the years 1965-1971 or perhaps 1973, and trimming off the last few years of input. That would have allowed more space for great songs like "Three Kingfishers" from the Sunshine Superman album and "Young Girl Blues" from Mellow Yellow. All in all, his songs have aged well and deserve to be remembered for posterity.

This is one of my wife's favorite CDs, and I must say that Donovan has worn exceptionally well. Back in the sixties, I was one of those who dismissed him as a minor Dylan wanna-be with an occasional Top 40 hit. Thirty-five years later, Dylan himself has turned into a Dylan imitator while Donovan is revealed as the Real Deal. Listening to this, I'm amazed at what a diverse and high-quality body of work he generated. This will take you back to the Peace, Love and Flower Power era, but in a way that's still completely enjoyable and won't have you wincing with embarrassment like your Strawberry Alarm Clock albums might do. The songs all have a gentle, mystical quality that's enhanced by Donovan's odd phrasing and Scottish brogue. Even his commentary on the Vietnam War ("To Susan On the West Coast Waiting") is gentle -- and delivers its message far more effectively and timelessly than a Country Joe rant ("Gimme an F!"). There are perhaps four songs on here that I could've done without, but the rest are all keepers. As with Dylan, you gotta love some of the quirky lyrics ("Elevator in the brain hotel, broken down but just as well") -- and, hey, anyone who can have you singing "My antedeluvian BAY-BEE!" without feeling like a complete fool has got to be a rare talent. All in all, I guess this is one of my favorite CDs too.

As one who has owned copies of Greatest Hits (both the original CD release and the expanded remaster from 1999), this comp and the 3-CD Try for the Sun box, I have to admit there has yet to be a Donovan anthology that truly does justice to the man's catalogue, as each one seems to exclude one track or another that a fan would want to have there. These, however, are such minor quibbles as to be truly insignificant. Greatest Hits is perfect for the casual fan looking for Don's classic-era songs; Troubadour gives us a complete overview of his decade with Epic plus the two years preceding it in which he cemented his reputation as a Scots Woody Guthrie; while Try for the Sun is for the true completist.

I first bought this set when it was released and there were few enough Donovan CDs to be had; Sony had only seen fit to put Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Barabajagal and Greatest Hits out, and sad to say, they are still woefully deficient in their reissue of his catalogue (although Troubadour forgave a multitude of sins, as the Try for the Sun box has also done). Troubadour gives you two wonderful Donovan demos, "London Town" (Don's take on Tim Hardin's "Green Rocky Road") and "Cod'ine" (an early anti-drug song, and one of two Buffy Sainte-Marie songs Don covered, the other being the more famous "Universal Soldier," also included here), and his three hit singles for Pye/Hickory: "Catch the Wind," "Colours" and the aforementioned "Universal Soldier." From there, it launches full-on into his Epic years (1966-76); for me, this collection truly opened my eyes to all Don's music, and the rarities were often the most revealing as to his talents. "Breezes of Patchulie," an outtake from the Sunshine Superman sessions, was nothing like its title would suggest--not some hippie dream, but real folkish angst with sitar and violin to add some colour. A decent selection of songs from the Mellow Yellow LP and A Gift From a Flower to a Garden, which hadn't been available at that point, plus tracks from Open Road, Cosmic Wheels, Essence to Essence, 7-Tease and Slow Down World, all of which had been out of print at the time, were also welcome additions, and only Don's best songs (no embarrassments like the oft-cited "Intergalactic Laxative"--even the title is embarrassing) were included. Of the later rarities, "What the Soul Desires" was my favourite, and one I still play for myself on my guitar even now.

In 1992, this was a much-needed career overview of Donovan's work; even now, in 2006, it's the best set of classic Donovan tracks. For the completist or rabid Donovan fan, I would recommend the box set Try for the Sun, as it gives you loads of rarities and tracks otherwise only available on imports (e.g. the HMS Donovan album, never given a US release) and dares to cover his comebacks (a track each from the Rick Rubin-produced Sutras from 1996 and 2004's Beat Cafe, which I also recommend highly), plus adding the film There Is an Ocean on DVD. But for those wanting more than just the obvious hits, but less than a real vault-raider, Troubadour is just what the doctor ordered.

Donovan is an enigma. You can't pigeon-hole him. Folk? Pop? Psychedelic? Truth is, it's all of those plus much much more.

Donovan is one of the more overlooked stars of the sixties and seventies- but his music lives on and is testimony to his talent.

What really surprised me about this set was how many of the songs I knew! And loved. The titles don't always make you say "Hey! I know that song!"- but ten seconds into the song will have you singing along- and smiling!

Standouts are "Hurdy Gurdy Man" and "Season Of The Witch"- most impressive is that Donovan wrote most of this music himself.

I highly, highly reccomend this set- it's impressive, electic and a wonderful addition to anyone's collection.

Knowing the hits, but not having any of his albums, this seemed like a natural choice. The price is pretty good for the amount of music you get but be warned! There are many sides to Donovan.I found myself disliking much of the twee chirpiness on display, especially on some of his Jennifer Juniper knock-offs on disc two. There are gems here beyond the familiar standards, and Cosmic Wheels deserves it's own Tarantino movie to go along with it's cool seventies groove. The Dylan comparison is hard to see nowadays, Donovan at his best is pure pop...

donovan is too often dismissed as a flower-child dylan imitator by those who haven't actually taken the time to listen to his music. every artist has their influences just as every artist is of their time. these are inescapable facts. to hear this music is to experience the essence of pure and free artistic expression unmarred by the current trend of cynicism and irony. while not every song is brilliant there are moments as good as anything ever commited to tape. i.e. sunshine superman,season of the witch,the trip, superlungs, mello yello, epistle to dippy, hurdy gurdy man,barabajagal, clara clairvoyant etc...
fun-loving, witty and beautiful music.

The compilers for this compilation didn't always pick the best non-hit tracks: Where's "Get thy Bearings" or "The River Song" from Hurdy Gurdy Man? Or, "Someone's Singing" from Wear Your Love Like Heaven? Or, amazingly not included: "Young Girl Blues" or "Hampstead Incident" from Mellow Yellow? I can probably add to this many more songs that are essential that weren't included .... "Bert's Blues" from Sunshine Superman, for example. Meanwhile, some of the songs included I've considered kind of un-definitive (e.g., "Writer In the Sun" or "Oh Gosh") -- also, although it was a hit, "Jennifer Juniper"'s kind of dull to me. Basically what I'm saying is this: Don't write off this musical Eastern mystic from the West too soon based merely on the selection choices on this compilation. He wrote and performed many good songs during these years -- not necessarily just these. Donovan deserves better than this compilation, imhumbleo -- but for the price offered, it's agreeable barter at least.

Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964-1976 has some of Donovan's biggest and brightest hits. Standout tracks include: Jennifer Juniper, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Season of the Witch, Catch the Wind, Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, and Happiness Runs. Donovan was a true orginal, right down to the bone. Sometimes ignored and ridiculed by music critics as a Bob Dylan wannabe, Donovan overcame that hurdle and continuted to crank out classy pop/folk tunes. He is so under-rated and it's a shame but with this collection, you can sit back and truly enjoy his incredible gift as one of the most influential songwriters of his era. I highly recomend it, worth every penny. Enjoy!