Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Summer Beauty, July 26, 2004
It Don't Matter is the anthem of my summer. This opening track is one of the sweetest, funkiest, grooviest tracks I've heard in a long, long time. The album is worth the price alone for this insanely good opener, but the whole record is pretty solid too. There aren't any bad songs out of all thirteen of them, and there are several other outstanding songs, most notably What'cha Know About, Call Me Papa and Swing On Down. Fans of G. Love, Jack Johnson (both of whom helped with the production of this disc) and Jon Swift should definitely check out Donavon's stellar debut. I hate to say phrases like -feel good album of the year-, but this one might be just that.
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Relaxed and Simple..., September 21, 2005
On his debut cd, acoustic songwriter and beach bum Donovan Frankenreiter doesn't really bring anything new to the musical table. A lifelong surfer and good childhood friend of Jack Johnson, Frankenreiter's album feels more like a jam session between friends than a full-force, focused work of cohesive music. And Frankenreiter doesn't quite have the talent for melody that Johnson does. But Frankenreiter could care less -- he's too busy relaxing on the beach and strumming his guitar as the sun sets over the waves.
It's impossible to separate this album from it's two main influences -- Jack Johnson and the beach lifestyle, and both are very present on nearly every track (Johnson subsequently co-wrote the album's strongest song, the summery anthem "Free," and at times the voices of Frankenreiter and Johnson are indistinguishbly similar). The album is also heavily influenced by the sound of 60s and 70s pop, and the additon of an electric piano on most songs contributes to that and helps differ Frankenreiter from similar artists such as G-Love and, as mentioned, Jack Johnson.
Overall, the songs on the album have a very layered yet acoustic, poppy-feel in the vein of a modern-day Jimmy Buffett. If there's one complaint, it's that Frankenreiter really doesn't change his tone or vocal range from track to track. At all. This can get tedious and tiring if you're listening acutely to the cd straight-through. For background music during a day at the beach though, it's hard to beat this. And that's really all that Frankenreiter is shooting for.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Play this CD, drive down the coast, forget about everything., July 13, 2004
This CD is the epitome of chill. Of course at first listen it sounds a lot like Jack Johnson, possibly because the two are from similar surfer backgrounds. But after listening to the CD a few rounds, you'll realize that Donavon is more laid back than Jack, if that distinction is even possible. Although Jack touches on topics such as the environment and pollution, Donavon aims more to provide listeners with a sense of peace and harmony. If you are looking for some innovative, technical and complicated music, this is definitely not for you. But if you are looking for relaxing and upbeat music to listen to while driving down PCH or after a long day at the beach, this is the way to go. The CD just conjures up images of the ocean and waves. Best Song: Whatcha Know About
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~ Donavon Frankenreiter
~ Donavon Frankenreiter
~ Donavon Frankenreiter
~ Jack Johnson
~ G. Love & Special Sauce
by Donavon Frankenreiter 
