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... more » him one of the most popular singers of the 60's and he made forays into the world of psychedelia, with Sunshine Superman, ahead of most of his contemporaries. Donovan's greatest albums have already been digitally remastered and re-released - the albums that epitomise his time as one of the UK's greatest singers - Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, The Hurdy Gurdy Man and Barabajagal. EMI. 2006.« less
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 made forays into the world of psychedelia, with Sunshine Superman, ahead of most of his contemporaries. Donovan's greatest albums have already been digitally remastered and re-released - the albums that epitomise his time as one of the UK's greatest singers - Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, The Hurdy Gurdy Man and Barabajagal. EMI. 2006.
CD Reviews
ONE OF A KIND, ONE TO ONE
Kerry Leimer | Makawao, Hawaii United States | 07/01/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When it comes to many and more live albums, it's easy to take 'em or leave 'em. But there's always been something exceptionally warm and intimate about Donovan's live performances. It may simply be due to the purposeful clarity of the music as composed and the clarion quality of Donovan's voice, but there's an immediacy and sense of touch that becomes more and more rare as bands and their "shows" get bigger and bigger.
This CD offers the complete concert and the performance has thankfully been remastered with a great deal of respect for the original sound. The very brief liner notes call attention to the fact that even the reverb you'll hear is that of the performance space -- no indulgence in additional tinkering or sweetening was applied. And frankly, none is needed. Which means you're hearing the sort of music that actually lives in the performers' abilities and in-the-moment interactions, not the over-rehearsed recreation of a studio recording designed to support some silly dance routine. (In such cases, I guess the dance routines are so important because the music itself is usually so profoundly incapable of holding the attention of so many 21st century fans. Either that or the height of musical expression was somehow realised on the old Carol Burnett Show during the June Taylor Dancers' segments and I just failed to recognize it as such...).
As the next in the line of these Donovan remasters, the decision to present the entire performance is the right one, especially given the intimate nature of so many of these songs and their place in the early Donovan canon. And -- as you must already know -- the performance itself is both dear and great stuff, gratefully restored and greatly appreciated."
Bob Dylan was the American Donovan
S. Lyons | Pleasantville, USA | 08/02/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I grew up listening to Donovan's Greatest Hits, a best-of collection of Donovan's songs, which included remakes of his earlier tracks. Donovan's style varied between simple, eloquent, poetic folk and beatnik jazz (and, now that I think of it, British music hall music, too). This is a poet with a lovely Scottish voice who composed what I would consider THE soundtrack of what the 1960s were about -- and I'm a huge fan of all facets of 60s music. This live collection came out as an abbreviated single LP recorded with either Donovan and his acoustic guitar alone, or else with his small ensemble of flautist, bass player, and bongo/drummer. With Donovan's music, that's all you need. Now that it has been remastered and is in an unedited two-CD set, it is highly recommended. Lower your lights, light some incense, and fly Trans-Love Airways back in time to the hippie/flower power/beatnik music by the quintessential practitioner thereof."
Relive Flower Power
R. Feinstein | 08/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I think this concert captures the spirit of the "Flower Power" sixties. If you are laid back and folky then you will definitely enjoy this album. This is an expanded version of the original so naturally I think a good thing got better. A definite buy for all Donovan fans."
Much better
Bach | Greenlands, QUEENSLAND Australia | 05/24/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The whole concert in full hangs together much better than the truncated version released all these years ago. Performances by Donovan and band are superlative"
Fly Trans-Love Airways...Get You There On Time!
Shell-Zee | Long Island, NY | 04/06/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"How I envy all those lucky people who were present in Anaheim back in 1967. Donovan was at his peak and seemingly could do no wrong. Upon his first excursions into pop music with "Sunshine Superman" and "Mellow Yellow", the young folkie troubadour had grown into a first rate songwriter with enough talent and creativity to rival Lennon/McCartney, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. This marvelous concert is evidence of his awesome songwiting skills. Even his lesser known compositions like "Poor Cow", "Tinker & The Crab", "Young Girl Blues", "Pebble & The Man" and "Fat Angel" demonstrate his endless imagination and deft hand at crafting beautiful melodies and colorful lyrics.
Donovan, the performer is equally impressive to Donovan the songwriter. This concert, performed by a small acoustic ensemble, beautifully recreates the original studio recordings. Standouts include; "There Is A Mountain", the aforementioned, "Fat Angel" and "Mellow Yellow" and Donovan's early folk tunes "Sunny Goode Street", "Try For The Sun" and "Catch The Wind". As I said earlier, I would have loved to have been at this particular show. However I was fortunate enough to catch Donovan in the summer of 2008 at "Friends of the Arts"/The Planting Fields, on Long Island. It was a marvelous evening indeed, as Donovan performed almost all of the songs contained herein along with some of his new compostions from the "Beat Cafe" Album. The songs and the overall vibe of Donovan's performance seemed hardly "dated" at all. The music was as fresh and relevant as it was back in the halcyon days of the mid-late sixties. For me that was proof enough of his brilliant artistry and endouring appeal.
"Fly Trans-Love Airways...Get you there on time"....Even if you are forty odd years late to the party!"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1