Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Love 60s psychedelic rock. This sounds very original. I see myself revisiting some of the songs
Great story telling
I love Donovan’s psychedelic records. Just good vibes and fun here.
i absolutely loved this album - it's everything i love about the 60s and 70s sort of singer-songwriter with the mysticism inspired instrumentation over top of the very forward/mono mix of the singer and the playful sort of imagination fueled fever dream that happens when you write on LSD.
1966 folk
Pretty great
Incredible 4.8
This is the second time I am going to make a comparison to Pink Floyd; and I have yet to get anything from Pink Floyd on the generator. It's heartbreaking, really. I say this because if you have any exposure to Pink Floyd's early Syd Barrett days and were in any way a fan, Donovan's 'Sunshine Superman' will be right up your street. The opening title track 'Sunshine Superman' feels like an outlier, almost like it doesn't belong on the album; as if this was the single to get people interested. Because the rest of the tracklist couldn't be any more different. One of my favourite tracks directly follows it: 'Legend Of A Girl Called Linda', a 6+ minute folk song with relaxing, almost deliberately slow, singing featuring easy floating acoustic guitar work accompanied by a very light orchestral backdrop and tasteful use of wind instruments; as Donovan lets out mystical, fantasy-esque, and wonderfully whimsical lyrics. It took me right back to the many D&D sessions I used to have more time for. And I loved every second of it. This continues into other tracks such as 'Guinevere'. 'Three Kingfishers' and 'The Fat Angel', as well - but they expand the overall sound with more Indian flavours. But it's not all medieval inspired tales; there is the excellent, self referential, finisher 'Celeste'. Donovan also litters many songs with the kind of out-of-left-field observations a lot of 60's psychedelic rock was famous for. 'Ferris Wheel', the bluesy 'Bert's Blues', the more traditional rock based 'Season Of The Witch', and the almost country-esque 'The Trip' in which he references a particularly strange experience with LCD It's a fascinating album that you can find yourself getting totally lost in. Similar to Syd Barrett, there's just something about Donovan's voice, lyricism, and musical influences that all combine to make the music so damn engaging that it will speak to you in many different ways regardless of what your state of mind is at the time. And at 10 tracks, it feels like such a perfect length to leave you satisfied and wanting so much more. I am literally sitting here wanting to dive into the dude's discography after listening to this album three times this morning. 'Sunshine Superman', I feel, will make any fan of psychedelic music wish they were around to watch it all happen in real time during the late 60's. Between this, Pink Floyd's 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn', The Beatles 'Revolver', Hendrix's trilogy of albums, and more. It really seems like a time of prominent artists creating whatever the hell came to their heads - and having record labels around that were willing to finance it to let it flourish. And it's a shame that the music industry today doesn't operate that way any more. Artists back then were allowed the freedom to work their way up to a magnum opus, whereas today it feels that has to be an artist's starting point. Anyway - getting back on topic - this album is a psychedelic masterpiece and I cannot stop listening to it. 5/5
Way ahead of Dylan, and he can sing!
Wow. Dieses Album kann man heute immer noch hören. Zeitlos und wunderschöne Melodien. Da kann man nur staunen. Ich bin heute noch genauso begeistert wie damals.
In meiner Jugendzeit habe ich sehr viel Donovan gehört. Vor allem die Filmmusik "Franz von Asissi" hat es mir sehr angetan, leider gibt es diese Aufnahmen mit Orchester noch nicht digital, sondern unplugged (Gitarre und Stimme). Diese Album kannte ich noch nicht, nur die Lieder "Sunshine superman" und "Season of the Witch". Aber gerade auf diesem Album ist der "Franz von Asissi"-Stil unverkennbar. Franco Zifferelli hat bestimmt dieses Album gehört und wußte genau, dass Donovan der Richtige für seinen Film ist: leise, wunderschön arrangierte Musik mit Folk-einschlag, spirituelle Texte. Aber so ein Titel wie "Sunshine Superman" hat auch noch eine besondere Note mit psychedelischen Touch. Klasse-Album
Some of the greatest songs of the 60s!!
Sunshine Superman is the third album by Donovan, originally released in 1966. This is some whimsical shit right here. If you were to take the entire summer of love and transpose it into a sonic medium it would probably output this album. There was a period of time in the mid-60s where Donovan was in the same class as Bob Dylan. In fact, they had a bit of a rivalry because of all the media's comparisons. I believe Bob Dylan is on record stating that he "hates" Donovan. So why isn't Donovan the legendary figure that Dylan is today? Well, he certainly isn't in the same songwriting class as Dylan. However, I think Donovan's musical compositions are very interesting. He really fell victim to appeasing the pop scene at the time, leading to a lot of his work appearing way too "twee" by today's standards. He kinda disappeared after the psychedelic scene faded away. Like another user commented, I think he really got into the hippie movement and everything that the real hippies stood for. There is a sense of genuineness in his music that reflects this. It's records like this that truly show what Donovan is about. That whimsical, psychedelic, almost medieval sound. I really feel like a nobleman sitting in my palace puffing hashish while listening to this. It recalls a sense of nostalgia for times that I've never experienced, which is a really unique and enjoyable feeling. Much like The Incredible String Band, this record is best enjoyed on a summer day through a haze of Nag Champa incense and weed smoke.
great one!
Donovan's first couple of albums are pretty bad, but it all started to change with Sunshine Superman: a really great Donovan album to which I listened a lot and that contains the best song from the sixties, Season of the Witch.
I'm not exactly sure what it is about this album that I love so much. It sounds like pretty classic 60's psychedelic rock, in the vein of the Beatles, but all the songs work together so well. I enjoyed the mythical, mystical theme about the legend of Camelot. I also enjoyed the use of Indian instruments like the sitar and tabla. Overall, a lovely listen.
Great
Fantastic album, really one of the best offerings of the 60s psychedelic scene. Donovon shows he can do it all on this album here, varied yet catchy
This is a great one. I wore out my LP by playing it over and over. Good to listen to the songs again.
Absolutely love this album! I have a very special place for 60s music and especially Donovan in my heart. One of my all-time favourite records ever. Most of the time I had the feeling of taking a walk through the woods with little elves and dwarves crossing my way. For me, this is exactly what the 60s sounded like.
It doesn't get more 60s than this album, complete with some elements of Indian music. Best song would be the opener "Sunshine Superman". I really liked it, have to listen to it again.
Season of the Witch is one of my top favorite songs. Donovan is classic, 5/5
a classic of psych rock, Season of the witch MVP
I surprisingly really enjoyed this album. The unique sounds of each song kept me intrigued. Some of them used Indian sounds which I really enjoyed. 4 stars
So much weirder than his greatest hits, which is the only thing I've heard of him before. Should have found this earlier. Love it.
Very nice psychedelic indie music with a wide array of great instrumentation. All songs were good. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a strong influence on The Decemberists.
Great psychedelic rock. Seems to be closely related to sgt pepper. Enjoyed listening to this in the office with Alyssa. Really like the blues song
Amei o bruxo.
Minimalist and mellow compared to other psychrock efforts, which are usually explosive. Yet it's groovy and rich in colours. Perhaps the most elegant piece from the psychrock era.
I love the meandering flow of the album tracks, this album takes a few listens to get it and maybe some LSD. Great stuff.
Excellent early Psychedelia, I think this was important enough and also unheard of for me (a layman) to consider it vital.
J'ai vraiment trippé, c'est dans les années qe j'aime et je ne connaissais pas. J'ai été vraiment surpris et ca mérite cette note car ca fait un bout je n'ai aps eu grand chose a me mettre sous la dent que j'aimais beaucoup. J'imagine qu'après 878 albums il en reste plus beaucoup de bon... 5
cool
THE GREATEST! I fucking love Donovan! What a wild card, a true pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre. Great album too with such classic songs, Superman Sunshine, Season of the Witch, Guinevere all so so good! Cannot go wrong with any Donovan tunes! 10/10
oh genieten!
Awesome band, I like this kind of music
Donovan is a great storyteller and calms me with his voice. True, original and genuine musician. 5 stars
Absolutely sure I've heard quite a few of these songs before. But if someone had asked me what Donovan sounds like, I wouldn't have had any clue whatsoever. Turns out, I quite like his music. Not sure if I should round the 4.5 up or down - but let's err on the positive side for the obvious influence he had on a lot of later music I enjoy a lot.
Un extravagante álbum con toques folk y rock los cuáles asemejan mucho a la edad medieval, además de sus letras las cuales nos llevan en un viaje a través de le época medieval
oh hell yeah that his has been one of my favorite albums for a while I’m glad I got it again just all-around weird and perfect 10/10
Two thumbs up!
Mí favorita es The season of the witch pero me gustaron todas las canciones. Discazo!
This is right up my alley. This kind of folk music just feels so genuinely unpretentious to me. From the harpsichord to the sitar to all the other instruments, I loved listening carefully to this record. An album I can get lost in.
Good. I liked it. 5\5
psychodelic
so. huge fan of psychadelia. come to find out, this was some of the OG shit. love it!
60s in a bottle. I LOVED IT!
What a cool guy
I can't believe I'd heard so little of Donovan before this! This album leans heavy on psychedelic, but it does so much more, and it shows a lot of the sound that I'd thought was a Doors trademark. Donovan clearly deserves to be remembered as a first generation innovator of rock music, rather that the also-ran, hanger-on to the Beatles and Bob Dylan that I'd thought he was.
I knew a couple of tracks on this album, but it was my first exposure to the album as a whole. It was excellent. Although I was less in love with the slow folkier tracks than the psychedelic-leaning ones, I thought that the album as a whole was a treasure.
Wowee, was this fun! I love the prominent bass and the psychedelic sound. Occasionally, it ventures into a ren-faire area (a ren-fairea, if you will) and engages in some scansion shenanigans (scansionanigans) that might make me uncomfortable if they came from another artist. But on Dononvan I find them completely endearing. ("Through the DARK, forbo-DING skies..." You're kill-ING me!) Fun fun good good fun.
i did not realize singing about wizards was such a long and storied tradition
This album unexpectedly really touched me. As another reviewer said, there is not a trace of cynicism in it.
Love Donovan. Folky with some Indian music influence. Great album. Season of the witch.
Beautifully 60s. A good mix of big hits and weird trippy stuff.
Fantastic mix of psych and folk with great lyricism. I need to cop this album.
Very good
Super psychedelic
Najlepszy z tych które były dotychczas. Początek albumu ma taki magiczny vibe bardzo przyjemny. Legend of a child girl Linda przepiękny utwór, choć każdy z utworów bardzo mi sie podoba.
2026.07.05.
Me gusto
Who doesn’t like a bit of psychedelic folk? Well, probably quite a few people, but I love it. Fairytale lyrics, hummable melodies and a great vocal delivery. 4
Nie geweet wat om te verwag nie maar dis 'n lekker casual listen
Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Really great songwriting. Soft but not dragging or sleepy. Just perfectly soft and pleasant. I had a pleasant and comforting time hearing this. Plush
Tämähän on yks lemppareita ja kaikki kuulostaa hauskalta tässä ja Donovanin sanoissa on vielä järkeä ja painajaisissani olen jälleen 14.
Folk muito prazeroso de ouvir. Ótima experiência. Instrumentos e sons extras muito legais. Kawanoaudio Horaiko.
Mun ennakkoluulot kannen perusteella oli, että nyt on luvassa jotain ryönästä kukkavoimaa. Kukkavoimaa tosiaan oli tarjolla, mutta ryönäsestä jäi kauas! Tää levy oli täynnä hienoja biisejä ja tunnelmia ja tykkäsin erityisesti jälkipuolella löytyvistä keskiaikasävyistä. En oikein vielä kahdenkaan kuuntelun jälkeen tiedä että onko tää kolmonen vai nelonen, mut hyvä tää oli joka tapauksessa – joskaan ei ihan Zombiesin, Beach Boysin tai Beatlesin tasonen hippimestariteos.
Tässä oli jotain tosi erityistä ja lumoavaa. Suorastaan hypnoottista paikoitellen!
Älyttömän hyvä levy! Menee vakikuunteluun! Ihanaaa plimps plomps ja vähän sitaria siellä ahh. 4,5
Love, take notes!!!! just tämmöstä flower-poweria enemmän!!! niin hyvä meininki, upea kansi ja upea musiikki, niin hyvää kesältä maistuvaa. osuu niin minun folkkisydämeen :')
I really enjoyed this.
Some fantastic work here, even the ‘filler’ stuff is good. Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch being the top picks
Day887 - season of the witch and sunshine superman are just great songs and this would be a number one album in about any other year but 1966
More great classics I love that I had forgotten about. Good stuff.
habs in der früh ghört und bin die ganze zeit eingschlafen, beim zweiten hören bissi durchgeskipped aber all in all scho gut. also i kanns nit definieren was es is, so funk wrsl.. ok psychedelic folk sagt wiki.. naja, nit schlecht. würd sogar sagen 4/5, weil es is mehr als a solide 3… bert‘s blues gfallt ma und es sind immerwieder so random instrumente und so also scho cool so..
Wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Exactly why I started this project to listen to things I'd normally never pickup.
Have not started listening yet but I think this may be a bit of an insane jump from Kid A. We'll see. Yeah a little bit of a vibe switch but I can get behind it. Ok yeah. I like this. Yeah ok good music, solid, but is it that influential. Oh this initiated the psychedelic revolution? Really? This doesn't quite sound psychedelic to me. I guess I don't know much about the genre but what is psychedelic about this except the album cover. It's kinda just folky pop. Idk. I suppose anythings psychedelic when you're a hippie on acid in the 60s. I gotta put myself into that mindset. I mean great song. Yeah I suppose it's quite hippie. I like this. I would play this music to my child so they have some niche songs they can brag to their friends their parents played them in their adolescence. No blackbird singing in the dead of night here, we listen to the legend of a girl child named Linda in this household. very fun, I like the different instruments, sounds like it would be in a vintage cartoon. Aww wait Donovans kinda a cutie patootie. I like this guy. Why's he lowkey getting oriental with it. I suppose that's to be expected with a white hippie guy. They can't really help it. Sounds like something that would play in Gilmore Girls kinda. I really like it. Classic folky pop to play in chill moments. Listen I love ldr but her cover has nothing on the original this is so good and twangy. Ooh. Loving this album. I was a little dubious initially but I'm really loving this. Is he playing a sitar?? What tf is that instrument in the background of every song. Well okay all these songs were written on an acid trip but what tf is that man. Fusion of Celtic folk and Indian music right. Naturally. Tis a sitar indeed. Imagine one of your friends writes a song about you and the album gains international recognition but it's called the Fat Angel. Bro. This sitar is kinda annoying it's a little out of place at time. I aspire to live my life in the clouds as much as this guy did. Evidently it was the acid but god what I would give to have wrote music and been famous in the 60s and 70s. What a life. Favourite: Season of the Witch Least favourite: Sunshine Superman/The Fat Angel
It was pretty good, but after listening to it on repeat all day the song started getting annoying LOL. Great sound though. 4/5
i covered “season of the witch” with one of my former bands. hated it. this second song is very sweet :)
I think this album cured my depression. Well, maybe thats a bit pf an exaggeration, but I can absolutely see it blowing some minds back when it first came out.
Right up my ally. Love Donovan
Sunshine Superman - 3/5 Legend of a Girl Child Linda - 4/5 Three King Fishers - 3/5 Ferris Wheel - 3/5 Bert's Blues - 3.5/5 Season of the Witch - 4/5 The Trip - 4.5/5 Guinevere - 4/5 The Fat Angel - 3/5 Celeste - 3/5
Familiar with Donovan from Season of the Witch, rest of the album did not particularly strike any chords with me.
Donovan does do some pretty catchy songs… but some of them just keep going way too long.
more weird and wonderful rock music from the '60s. this guy started out with more traditional folk rock at the start of his discography, but this is the record where he branches out and gets a little crazy-go-nuts. far out, if you will. fitting for the genre, you got your folksy acoustic songs paired with just about every of-the-time cliché you could imagine. harpsichords, weird sitars, the kind of unapologetically 60s music that makes you want to put a flower in your hair and play a tambourine. i have a preference to the dreamier and more straightforward tracks versus the ones that make you feel like a naked woodland creature who overdosed, but i'd say this album is pretty solid overall. at least if this sound is your thing, which to me it is. it may differ for other people.
I looked. I was 37 seconds in when I decided that this was probably going to be a good album. And I did. I really, really enjoyed the entire album. Until listening to *Sunshine Superman*, I had never heard of Donovan Leitch, but wow--he is a super important person in music history. And talented. I'm glad he came up early in my 1001AG (#47?) because this album is the framework for the 60s psychedelic era. I doubt he set out to change music history forever, but can you imagine being that person?
Number: 116 Date: 04/29/2026 Artist: Donovan Album: Sunshine Superman Year: 1966 Genre: Psychedelic Folk Rock Familiarity: Well-versed (4) Rating: 4 Before: ======= I already know there are probaly a few 4 or 5's but not sure about the whole album. I have 3 tracks on my best of 1966 list and when making that I'm sure that I at least skimmed trough the whole album. During: ======= 5 Sunshine Superman 3 Legend Of A Girl Child Linda 3 Three King Fishers 4 Ferris Wheel 4 Bert's Blues 5 Season Of The Witch 4 The Trip 3 Guinevere 3 The Fat Angel 3 Celeste ----------------------------------------------------- 3.68 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= 2 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 3.7 composite rating
Great 60's psych album. Isn't as weird or silly as some 60's psych albums tend to be. Great lyrics, guitar work, and vibes
Fun, weird, four
You've Got To Pick Up Every Stitch 1001 Albums Generator 276 (4/23/2026) I really love Donovan's style when it comes to rock, and I think that the more medieval sounding psychedelic folk tunes are pretty cool, although I wish the album was more rock and less folk as opposed to the other way around, since some of the folk tunes can be a bit boring. There's also some raga influence on some of the songs here, which is a mixed bag. However, the good songs are really fantastic, and there's more good than bad. 3.5/5, rounded up to 4. Favs: Sunshine Superman Season of the Witch Celeste Least Fav: Guinevere
Rad album, love everything I've heard by Donovan (which isn't a ton). Season of the Witch and Sunshine Superman are standouts, but the whole album is pretty great. I'd never listened to Donovan much beyond the Greatest Hits album, but I really enjoy everything that I do listen to.
A few great songs. 3.5
Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Great - Donovan gets a bit of stick from some circles but this is a fantastic album. The title track is really fun, Legend Of A Girl Child Linda is beautiful. Bert's Blues is a great track. Season Of The Witch is incredible and The Trip is also really good. I forgot just how good this album is actually.
Kitschy & corny but still beautiful
Wow such an ipressive debut from a 19 year old Donovan
Solid album. Interesting that it came out before Pet Sounds and Revovler. Good songs and lyrics. Probably some of Donovan’s best works. Pretty eclectic musically.
I surprisingly enjoyed this a fair deal more than The Hurdy Gurdy Man, the other Donovan album I've heard (which may or may not be on this list), despite that album having the absolute heaters that are the title track and Get Thy Bearings. This one sells its folky atmosphere a lot better to me, plus it has two heaters of its own opening the B-side, Season of the Witch and The Trip! Great slice of 60s psych-folk.
Sword and sorcery, flower power, trippy, eastern baroque precursor to the summer of love. And quite obviously so. Definitely some good stuff on here... Season Of The Witch (which I'd never heard before but it seems well known?) and Sunshine Superman are standouts. Legend Of A Girl Child Linda is an overlong dirge. So yes there's good and bad, but this is mainly good. 3½
This is super 60's, psychedelic, tamborines and groove beats... Yet it is ... truly great! The lyrics have meaning and the Indian stuff ... In a way it is easy to understand why it is aged as it is, but simultaneously it is sort of equally also timeless. Mmm... this is really... I like this a lot. Worth the listen but DO expect it to BE very 60's, but also DO expect to NOT be disappointed!
Great album. The Asian style instruments aren't really my thing though
I like the psychedelic tracks more than the folk tracks. Fortunately almost all of them are psychedelic and a pure pleasure to listen to. I added “Season of the Witch” to my Generator playlist.
Wow! I’ve only ever heard of one of these songs and it was the Lana Del Ray cover of “Season of the Witch” that gets popular every September/October lol. Overall, a big fan. There were a couple songs that were a bit too… religious christmas song sounding and I wasn’t so into that. But the rest of it was fun and great to listen to. Season: Early Autumn Favorite Song: Sunshine Superman
Truly there's like 2.5 songs preventing me from putting it at a 5, that being said, I enjoyed the rest of the album quite a bit. The first song was my favorite but the album felt like it had rhytmic flow to it, where there would be an equally good song two away. It was holistically a nice expereince. now the bad Legend of child girl linda sounded way too much like a modern church song, which is unfortunate because im certain he both does it better and did it first. ALSO i did NOT know he sang season of the witch originally, and to be honest that shoots it up on the unrelated but but always present cool scale.
Great record. Some might say it sounds dated but. I think it captures that era perfectly.
Deze knakker heeft het woord 'HIPPIE' met grote letters op zijn voorhoofd staan. Indiase klanken, check. Clavecimbel, check. Kleurige hoes met veel bloemen en dito pakje: check. Zweverige teksten over prinsessen en tovenaars, in satijnen gewaden in verafgelegen kasteeltorens, check. Er zit gelukkig ook wel iets van blues en zelfs rock in, zodat we iets meer pit krijgen dan bijvoorbeeld bij Fairport Convention. Zo'n titelnummer klinkt als een soort eenpersoons-Beatles, vervolgens lijkt het weer op Nick Drake, dan wordt het weer folkig of begint het zelfs op Bob Dylan te lijken (maar dan wel zuiver gezongen). Kortom, het is meer een staalkaart van wat de jaren zestig zoal te bieden hadden dan een statement van een artiest die een eigen stijl heeft gevonden. En toch, meneertje Donovan heeft het songschrijven en -brengen goed genoeg onder te knie om niet clichématig te worden of in herhaling te vallen. Ik ben geen fan van die koning Arthur-nummers, maar verder kan ik hier best goed naar luisteren.
Ik had hier vooraf weinig van verwacht, gezien de flowerpower hoes en het feit dat het onbekende muziek uit 1966 is. Maar ik vind het onverwacht leuk en goed. Het doet me denken aan Searching for Sugarman, een soort nostalgie naar vroeger, toen alles nog pais en vree was. Met prima liedjes, die afwisselen tussen sfeervol en dromerig en tussen rustig en net iets steviger. Ondanks dat het bijzonder gedateerd is, heb ik het de volgende dag gewoon nog een keer kunnen luisteren en met net zoveel plezier. Dat is toch erg knap. 5 sterren is te gortig, maar een hele dikke 4 sterren zijn op zijn plaats.
Love the psychedelic vibes
Heard a lot of Four Leaves Left on here. Liked those bits. Didn’t like the more psych-y bits. 4 stars overall
Not even in Donovan's top 3 albums, but I love him so much, I have to give it 4
pretty cool album with some good tracks, but a bit inconsistent. some overstay their welcome. Most 60s music i’ve ever heard.
The sound landscape on this album is soo 60’s. It’s pretty good, and there’s even a sitar popping up in Three King Fishers. Donovan’s voice is quite characteristic and suits the music well. This was a nice experience, though the last songs are a little more forgettable. Favourite songs: Seasons of The Witch, Sunshine Superman.
3.5/5 It's like the beatles but a little better
This album encapsulates the best of 60s music to me. It’s folk and psychedelic, experimental, interesting lyrics and unusual sounds and instruments. Songwriting it great and Donovan sounds great. I already liked a lot of his songs but never listened to this album through. It’s really great! Top Songs: Sunshine Superman, Legend of a Girl Child Linda, Three King Fishers, Bert’s Blues, Season of the Witch
Scottish folk with sincere lyrics and vocal bliss.
I'm usually not a big fan of psychedelic folk albums, But there's something about Donovan's delivery here that really endeared me to this album. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece by any money onions, but it's one of those records that I don't think I would have come to on my own and so I'm glad that it's on this list.
Really great psychedelic album. Albeit most songs I wouldn't listen on their own without the context of the rest of the LP, but I think it's a very solid album and Season of the Witch is and always will be a banger.
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Good one.
I actually liked this album a lot. I didn't know any of the songs previously besides Season of the Witch, but this feels like some of the absolute best of the psychadelic rock scene of the 60's. The way he includes harpsichord, clarinet, and cello into rock music, and the way he moves between different song structures made thew whole thing feel unique, engaging, and dynamic. Favorite Track: Three King Fishers
Enjoying this a lot, sooooo sixties
One of the first LP’s I ever bought was one by Donovan on the Music For Pleasure (MFP) label. MFP must have been one of the first labels to offer cut price albums from well known artists and generally comprised of their greatest hits. Donovan was one such artist in the 60’s having a string of hits which made up a big part of the hippy movement and the summer of love in the UK. As my cut price album contains all these great songs I prefer it to this album but nevertheless still one deserving to be on the list. Its presence today did prompt me to play my vintage 60 year old album for old times sake. Surprisingly still good even when considering it must have been cheaply made all those years ago. 4/5 27/2/26
obsessed w this album cover first song was fun but then shi slowed down real quick but loving this. already knew season of the witch ofc but glad i got to listen to the whole album also geeeeet favorite song: the trip
The first few tracks I can take or leave, but it really hits its stride in the middle and is just fun AF to the end
woah psychedelic man
The only reason I know Donovan is because he shows up in Futurama in the episode The Deep South. Never heard his music before, and I went into this expecting to hate it. After listening, it was actually quite enjoyable. It's definitely a great 60's album. A ton of drug references, some psychedelica, Indian influence, some aspects almost sound medieval folky. There's a lot going on and it's not really a one note album. So this was Donovan's "i'm not a Bob Dylan clone" album. Donovan was famously in India with the Beatles in 1968 studying Transcendental Meditation....but this album predates that. So i'm interested to know where the Indian influence came from with the use of the sitar before he had been there. The album kinda loses me after Season of the Witch though. Season of the Witch is a great song, but the following songs are just a bit flat for me. The songs are good, just for some reason loses my attention right at The Trip each time.
This was good i'll have to revisit!
Donovan is an interesting one. Probably the most prolific and successful artist to explore psychedelic sounds. I like him.
8/10 Best songs: Sunshine Superman, Bert's Blues, Season of the Witch This album is sort of schizophrenic - some songs have such a mid-60s groovy vibe that is kind of psychedelic, kind of singer-songwriter; other songs are folk songs with medieval themes that don't really seem to belong in the same realm as songs with lyrics about "trans-love airways." I definitely like the psychedelic tracks more than the rest, but it's all pretty good. I'd like to hear more by this musician; I appreciate experimental acts.
Buen disco. No conocía. Empiezo a tener la teoría de que me gusta más el rollito folk antes de que empezase a ponerse psicodélico en vías a que todo reventase en Woodstock, y este disco, siendo del 66, parece todo un pionero en lo psicodélico; Season of the witch como claro ejemplo. Por lo demás hay buenos temas, bastante variados, pero mi tema favorito diría que es el que suena más folk del disco: Legend of a girl child Linda. Qué temazo. Desde la primera línea ya me tuvo completamente hooked. Volveré aunque solo sea por ese tema.
“Superman or Green Lantern ain’t got a-nothin’ on me I can make like a turtle and dive for your pearls in the sea, yeah” I approached this with tremendous caution. “Season of the Witch” is of course a fantastic song but my only other exposure to Donovan prior to this was “Mellow Yellow” which is… yeah. I circumstantially ended up having to restart the album after about 4 songs and was in a significantly better mood the second time round. I’m grateful for this as I think it massively enhanced my experience. “Sunshine Superman” is incredibly ‘60s. It is chilled out, somewhat psychedelic, and very free. There are points where Donovan’s pretentiousness gets the better of him such as on the overly long “Legend of a Girl Child Linda”. There are also awkwardly shoehorned in sitars that can be heard on many Psych albums from the period (see “Three King Fishers”. But, when “Sunshine Superman” is good it is a near perfect snapshot of the movement Donovan was a part of. “Season of the Witch” is Donovan’s biggest hit for a reason and could rightly be included in a top ten list of ‘60s songs. I ended up enjoying this much more than I expected and have revised my preconceptions of Donovan as a consequence.
Amazing 60s album. Not weird, just good
Groovy baby, yeah!
Very pretty 60s baroque sound, a tiny bit too much sitar, but still - very respectable, always liked Donovan's voice
Good artist from the 60’s and 70’s . Good music.
I think I first became aware of Donovan through D.A. Pennebaker's documentary "Don't Look Back", filmed during Bob Dylan's 1965 UK tour. In one scene, Dylan notices a newspaper headline about Donovan, who at the time was being framed as "the new Dylan", a folk singer who had modelled his look and sound closely on Dylan himself. Curious, clearly irritated by the idea of a clone, and likely high on amphetamines, Dylan arranges to meet him. The atmosphere is awkward. Dylan seems less interested in Donovan the person than in mocking the very notion of his "successor". Donovan plays "To Sing For You", and Bob's response, "That's a good song, man!", seems very genuine. But then there's a moment when Donovan asks him to play "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". The line "the vagabond who's rapping at your door / is standing in the clothes that you once wore" makes an awkward situation even more awkward. It's a line which could be referencing the folk purists he'd outgrown, or people following in his wake, wearing the style he'd already shed. Sitting directly across from him, his clone. Regardless, poor Donovan was caught up in a moment, and ends up looking a little embarrassed, while also incredibly starstruck. I don't know if this series of events was the cause of it, but Donovan did shift his image, and his music, away from folk towards psychedelia and a richer, more interesting sound. And some of the first examples of this "new Donovan" in full flight is on this album, Sunshine Superman. Title track and opener "Sunshine Superman" sets the tone. The iconic bassline that starts things off is quickly smothered in a blanket of instrumentation. What struck me the first time I heard this song was the lead guitar punctuating the verse, sounding like it was beaming in from another dimension. The whole song comes together as a cacophony of sound, and somehow the melody stays coherent and present. It's an absolute classic. A jarring sweep of orchestration slaps you in the face before "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" starts up. At first, it sounds as a return to the folky nature of earlier Donovan, but unusual instrumentation and orchestration start to build and swirl around the song, giving it a psychedelic feel. Donovan's vocals sound a lot like a mix of early Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed here. "Three King Fishers" dives headfirst into Eastern influence, with bongos, modal melodies, and extended sitar passages. You have to remind yourself that this was 1966, early days for psychedelia, and it must have sounded so strange and unexpected to fans expecting the folky Donovan. "Ferris Wheel" continues the exploration, using feedback and electric violin textures before circling back eastward. "Bert's Blues" is another standout track. The descending guitar and bass meet some fantastic, bright organ playing. Donovan's voice works so well with this type of music. The orchestration and harpsichord breaks are glorious, which only heightens the guitar and bass when they come back in again, this time with added sax. These songs are so varied in musicality, you really didn't know what to expect next. And just as well, because next up is the highlight of the whole album, "The Season of the Witch". I was lucky enough to see Robert Plant perform with Saving Grace in my hometown, Galway. Before playing a cover of this song, Plant was gushing about how Donovan had been at the gig the night before in Cork (where he now lives apparently). Honestly, it's one of my all-time favorite songs. Dark, bluesy, and weird in all the right ways. "The Trip" continues the bluesy feel to side two of the album, sounding a little, dare I say it, like electric Dylan 😬. A really great song, and catchy as hell. "Guinevere" moves towards medieval folk. And this was before Syd Barrett was doing similar. Donovan may not have been alone in this territory, but he was certainly among the earliest explorers. "The Fat Angel" keeps blues as its core while surrounding it with sitars and psychedelic ornamentation. Side-note: calling someone a "fat angel" may not be the compliment that Donovan thinks it is, and likely not the homage that Mama Cass wanted. But, different times, different times. "Celeste" closes the album in a wash of blended instrumentation, all merging into a single, luminous sound. It's a great finish to a great album. This is a very different Donovan to the one in that hotel suite with Bob Dylan and his cronies. It's a much more diverse and varied Donovan. Not "the new Dylan", instead stepping out of Bob's shadow and becoming something much more interesting. 4.5 stars.
A couple of very good songs and mostly middle of the road others just about gets a 4 from me.
I always kind of picture Donovan's brand of psychedelic folk to be like, fairy music. And sometimes I'm in the mood for that whimsy. However, the actual folk songs on this album are nowhere near as good as the more rock-type songs. And that one blues song
Great songs I knew but didn’t know much about the artist.
Cool. Yes it is interesting to hear the work behind the hits that endured. Some repetitiveness but hey we're inventing an idiom here. At least a couple of these are hall-of-famers. 3 for most, but 4 for the superlatives.
I loved this! Sometimes I think Donovan is a caricature of the 60s psychedelic sound. Maybe he is. But I was hearing Season of the Witch via my 2026 ears and it hit.
The definition of groovy
Unexpectedly enjoyed! :) Extra star for this suprise
Great album, as soon as it finished I put it straight back on
Pretty innovative album. Honestly, I've got a soft spot for psychadelic rock. Here, the folk influences are obvious and quite enjoyable, as folk is one of my favorite genres. Not crazy about the vocals. Highlight: "Season of the Witch."
Season of the witch is so so good. The rest of the album has some great tracks as well but this one in particular feels so timeless
A beautiful trip through the birth of flower power by an incredibly talented young person. The lyrics relating to British mythology combined with the Indian & Middle Eastern influence were delightful.
Very much a time machine to the mid 60s psychedelic rock movement.. this was great. Extra points for Zep members involvement.
Bjóst ekki við svona góðri plötu. Það var helvíti næs að hlusta á hana yfir yfirferð á stærðfræðiprófum. Þetta var ekki innihaldslaus froða eins og ég hélt að það yrði.
Such a fun vibe and the cadence of each song is just that right amount of funky fun that isn't overdone.
Donovan is an interesting musician. There are times he writes great music and other times I have no idea what just happened.
Fantastic blend of folk and psychedelia. Love it!
Some of these songs were really good. I hated Legend of a Girl Child Linda with a burning passion. Overall, it's dated. But it's also a snapshot in time. They don't make music like this anymore!
Some good hits. Easy listening
Was nice, enjoyed it
An album ver of its time. I have always loved the title track
Good listen. Would round up to 4.
Un poil trop folk, mais quand même fort sympathique.
I talk a lot about albums setting moods for activities. Some albums are perfect for cooking, some for working out, sexy time... you get the gist. I can say with confidence that this album is not good for hanging christmas lights on your house. I can see this being good for just about anything else, though.
Surprisingly good album for me. It took me a couple listens to get into it.
Rating: 8/10 A nice little collection of eclectic folk pop songs, which is my shit. I don’t care as much for the straightforward stuff. Another one of these albums to keep in mind that this guy wrote these songs when he was basically a young kid 60 years ago. I’m just impressed when people make cool art, like I could never conceive of writing any songs this good even now
Not bad, not bad at all. Crazy that Ogden's Nut came out two years after this. 7 kryptonites out of 10 lizard wizards
Pretty solid, but not super compelling. Good instrumentals and vocal work. Bonus points for having an earworm with 'Season of the Witch'!
Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch are the shining towers of this album, but the filler is mostly good too. As opposed to anything the Doors produced, I think this album really represents the peak flower-power music scene, with a rock spine and then folk, sitar, and medieval influences. Also fun fact: this would have beat the contemporary, similar, and much better Revolver and Pet Sounds to the shelves, but alas, business disputes
Its a lovely album, great for breakfast. Its enough movement to get you going , but with enough spacey sitar for you to chill
Really only familiar with the title track, but this whole album was super solid. Enjoyed the variety, seems quite random in song selection but you can tell he’s doing his thing with sincerity. 3.5/5
- não conhecia, parece que esse álbum influenciou o sgt pepper e o começo da psicodelia - além de elementos psicodélicos, de art rock e folk, também tem muita influencia de música indiana e barroca
A good one
Bold, psychedelic, Donovan, music
It was a good classic album with some amazing songs. There are a few that didn’t do it for me but the rest was amazing.
I've heard the title track a billion times and didn't realize it. There are little touches on that song like the distortion and that key bent note that elevate it (is this the birthplace of Kevin Shields?) I don't know Donovan at all, and I was hoping for more like the title track, and so the sharp drop in energy on the second track was jarring. But there also he included little touches that belied simplicity. I was engrossed as various instruments and thoughtful arrangements and flourishes expanded the song past its sleepy exterior (though it didn't need to be almost seven minutes.) The whole album carried on like that. Songs that initially felt too folksy for my tastes caught my ear as the psychedelic and bluesy arrangements swept them into something infinitely more interesting. There were moments on "Season of the Witch" and "Celeste" that sounded very close to Lou Reed vocally and John Cale musically. I don't have many higher compliments than that. There was a short stretch near the end that felt like we were just hitting the same beats again, and I ended the album unsure what I thought but compelled to listen again, which often portends an album I'll be listening to for years to come.Maybe a few years from now I'll bump this down to a 3, but for now, I'm excited. My favorite discovery of this project so far.
waw je savais rien de cet artiste et j'avais des préjugés étant donné la date de l'album et le premier instrument qu'on entend qui fait très époque médiévale et pourtant je pense que c'est l'un de mes albums préférés que ce site m'est recommandé ? incroyable
I heard the sitar! Season of the Witch is breathtaking
3.7, some bangers some corny stuff too
Donovan is one of the best! Chill way to start the day.
Listens: Standout Tracks: Burt's Blues, Season Of The Witch This was a largely enjoyable entry on the List, for me. I enjoyed the variety of instruments present on the album. There's some jazzy stuff (saxophone?), baroque harpsichord, guitars, percussion. The end drags a little bit, but there a few great songs in the middle which make up for it. Season of the Witch is another one of those songs that sounds simply timeless, like Blister In the Sun by the Violent Femmes or Florence + The Machine's Dog Days Are Over. Pick a year, pick a decade between 1960 and 2025, Season of the Witch could have been written and performed at any time between then and now, and you would fool a lot of people into thinking its older or younger than it sounds. It sounds fresh in a way that other songs on the album don't. Bert's Blues is another interesting track. It's clearly blues in origin, but also harpsichord? It scene changes a few times across the song and it kind of feels like two or three songs stitched or jammed together. I liked it.
Quite liked this, especially Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch.
At its best it's beguiling. The blend of olde English romanticism, eastern-tinged mysticism and just enough psychedelia would have been impactful for 1966. There are some background tracks - 'Ferris Wheel' and 'The Trip' among them, but it's a tastefully arranged album that still holds up. I particularly enjoyed the hardcore stuff (Guinevere, Celeste, Girl Child Linda', Three Kingfishers), plus the obvious, the title track.
Such a nice man
Being familiar with some of the tracks on this album ("Sunshine Superman", "Season of the Witch", and surprisingly "The Trip" because I didn't even know it was performed by him), this album took me by surprise. I was expecting sweet summer folk songs in the style of Don McLean (not my favorite), but instead was quite impressed by the instrumentation and lyrics of this album. Although undeniably trippy-hippie, it's a great revisit to those summer of love years when I wasn't even born. 4/5
I bet this is great on drugs
A cool mix of folk and psychedelic rock with eastern influences (a sitar was used), I enjoyed it and feel as if this was quite ahed of its time especially it coming out the same month as revolver and also including similar sounds to love you to. It does have that sound to it that makes it sound older and more medieval in a way which was a really cool production choice or maybe just a result of it being old. The lyrics were interesting with its inclusion of legends and folklore, it really does just sound like a medieval album sometimes. Favourites: title track, Ferris wheel, Bert’s blues, Season of the witch, the trip, celeste, Breezes of patchulie, superlungs for my supergirl and the land of doesn’t have to be. Overall, 7.5/10 (close to 8).
I loved the sitar and bongo. Felt like a real hippie album
A real good listen actually. Legend of a Girl Child Linda reminded me very much of Leonard Cohen, whom I LOVE
Way too sober to enjoy the intricacies of this album but Season of the witch is a banger so I’ll give him a 3.7
Great...pure nostalgia
Had a great Donovan moment in about '08, on a roadtrip playing his Best Of with Colo(u)rs up on deck, stopped for a tea and the coffee shop was playing the same song...shows his Magic. Anyway.. So many great.Donovan moments on this one - The lyrics to the title track which Fatboy used on a mixtape.to secure the bag with Ball, the "Beatniks out to make it rich" like on Season of The Witch, The Trip - guess it was de jure to have a song called this on any 66/67 album, the melody on "Fat Angel" gloriously "iterated" on BJMs Donovan Said..
One of my favourite albums of the 60s. A masterclass in sounding like you are from the west Coast of the USA, when actually you are a leading light in the St Albans folk scene. It’s fun, it’s playful, it’s tuneful. I was toying with a 5 star review but there are a few more folksy tracks which hold it back. Still, it’s a fantastic piece of music and one which encapsulated the era.
it is the season of the witch le sitar??? insane
Rambly folky pop, with heavy kiddle eastern influence, using a kind of medieval setting? Very interesting mix
Hidden treasure
I agree with the other reviewers, it really does seem like Donovan genuinely believes in flower power.
dood was just vibing
Fun album listen to, whimsical even
Psychedelic Folk being dreamy and playful (singing being in a light, intimate tone that feels conversational and inviting) leaning more toward mystical wonder (Strings and unusual timbres) than heavy experimentation. Good enough to relisten If I'm in the mood.
delightful and I'm glad I got to hear it
This guy in the album cover and now (2025) looks like he fell out of LOTR (compliment)
Really interesting, I always think stuff from this era is so interesting, and I feel like its kind of in a bubble, where nobody has since made music like this, maybe for good reason as I don't think it would flourish it as much any time later. Its got the heavy Eastern Influence, which must have been happening around this time, as Revolver is the same year as this. The sitars (I think) are really well integrated into these songs, sort of used where others might use a banjo or just a lead guitar. It also has that mystical feeling, notably on the second song, where he's singing a Medieval-type story, almost like a fairytale or something. Favourite songs: sunshine superman, legend of a Girld Child Linda, three king fishers, ferris wheel, season of the Witch, the trip, Celeste. Overall around 7/10
Superb songwriting
Surprise hit
sitaar india mainittu.. kuultu ja taputeltu tämä on mestariteos . ei ihme että donovan on one of the yksi kaikista koskaan one of the greatest yksi influentiaalismmista merkityksellisimmistä koskaan KOSKAAN IKINÄ!! sitaar sitaar... vittu se on komee myös kato tota lärviä aijjaijjai kohoaa omg kuin hiivakonsanan alushousut kohoaa tllä hetkellä niinvitustii niinvitustiiiii... huoh... Donovan se pukkaa menemään ja syöksyttää kaikki siemennesteensä meikän pikkureikään pikkuaukkon menee donovanin kyrpäjuoma. ja iloitsen. kiitän. kiitos donovanni. verkackten. mitähän tuo tarkoittaa? hauska sana... heh... the trip
I enjoyed the variation in instrumentation.
ISKRENO VRHHHH bas mi se svidia nekako misticno
Great 60’s rock!
I was struggling to get through this. It’s ok. It’s very 60s that’s for sure. I like the “Season of the Witch” and “Guinevere” but otherwise this was ok.
Always fun to go back to the peace and Love days of our lives. This was a fun trip down memory lane. Peace!
Donovan is very talented. No question. He had a run of great singles. From Mellow Yellow through to things like Barbajargl, he had the serious folk edge with a commercial sheen that appealed. Cat Stevens won the ‘war’ but Donovan can hold his head high. Season of the witch is a standout as is the title track. I was going to question this one being on the list but it belongs. 3.5 rounded up
This album is mostly carried by its two heavy hitters, but those tracks are strong enough to make the whole record worth noticing. The title track, “Sunshine Superman,” is pure psychedelic pop brilliance, catchy and colorful without losing its edge. It is the kind of song that defines an era and still holds up today. “Season of the Witch” seals the deal. Moody, trippy, and full of atmosphere, it has that perfect mix of mystery and groove that keeps it timeless. Those two songs alone justify giving this album a solid rating. The rest of the album does not always rise to the same level, but with songs this iconic, the highs outweigh the lows. Sunshine Superman earns its place as a cornerstone of 60s psychedelia. Favorite song: Sunshine Superman
You can really hear how Indian classical music influenced the Brits in the mid to late 60's. Donovan's album is full of hypnotic percussion and sitar work. This is his best work IMO. His best songs like Season of the witch and Sunshine superman are right here. The comparison between him and Bob Dylan may be a bit too glazing, but Donovan is a fine musician in his own right.
Excellent psych rock album. Season of the Witch is a huge banger of course. Weaves amazong soundscapes while alluding to Hades, Arthur and other esoterics. Very enjoyable! 4/5
Didn’t think much of it to begin with but got better as it went along and really grew on me. Reminded me of Rodriguez
Giving me a lot of good albums - far out, man.
A favorite of my parents, and now that I'm getting up there, it's something that I enjoy as a whole album instead of just the hit tracks. I know a lot of his fame comes from his associations with other more famous people, but Donovan was a quite gifted singer/songwriter in his own right. A trendsetter as well, as this album really predates a lot of the canonical psychedelic albums from the era.
Спокойная, душевная музыка, слушается прекрасно. 7,5 из 10.
4+ Stars (12/15)
Very easy listen. I'm a sucker for 60s/70s
This is a hard one for me to rate. In February of this year, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told she had about a year to live, but possibly more. Eight weeks to the day of that conversation, she was dead. She spent most of her final month in shared rooms in the hospital, but after requesting MAID, they moved her to a private room. My mom loved music and Donovan was one of her favourites. Once moved to the private room, I made her a playlist of her favourite music and asked her what she wanted on it. Some of the songs she requested were from this album. I recognized it from being on this list, but hadn't had it generated yet. Suffice it to say, there are some freshly painful memories attached to this album for me. I liked it, and I can see why mom did, too.
thoughts: finding out he recorded this when he was *19 years old* blows my mind. this is a time capsule record. some very groovy, some very folksy, some a little mix of both. very well produced. i like donovan’s voice throughout. the back half gets a bit long but nothing to ruin the record or anything. songs: “sunshine superman”, “bert’s blues”, “the trip” rating: 7.0/10
Donovan is great
Donovan is the classic 60s hippie sound, and I am mostly here for it. (I just wish he had been a better dad to his kids, but that’s not what we are here for.) There are some ultimate 60s bangers on here, starting with the title track and right through to “Season of the Witch.” There are also a few duds, but even those have a special sauce that feels all entirely Donovan.
I liked this, (we didn't listen to the creepy track). I liked the psychedelic folk even the Arthurian track, Sunshine Superman and season of the witch were highlights. 4
I love 60s psychedelic folk rock, so this is right up my street. It is a very rich sound full of sunshine and charm.
A very low 4 for me, i’m a big donovan fan and have been for 15 or so years but he really doesn’t have any amazing albums, this is one of his great ones but he is a rare artist i prefer to listen to via compilation,
rated 79 on aoty july 17th 2025
Half of these are great and even iconic, the other half are a snooze fest that I struggle to get through. Not entirely true, but if the bangers weren’t spaced out like they are, I would have an incredibly difficult time with this. Anyways, I do enjoy it. 4/5
Glad this album doesn't include Mellow Yellow. Whew.. sorry UK. Anyway, this album is great. Cool. Funky. Folksy. I love the Beatles. 3.5
Season of the Witch is a banger, good retro rock n roll
Sunshine Superman by Donovan shines in parts, especially with standout tracks like the title track “Sunshine Superman” and the hauntingly groovy “Season of the Witch.” These songs capture the best of ‘60s psychedelic pop, complete with memorable guitar riffs and an effortlessly cool vibe. However, the album struggles with consistency. At 19 tracks, it's a long listen, and unfortunately, not all the material holds up. Several folk-inspired songs, such as “Three Kingfishers,” fall flat and lack the spark found in the album’s stronger moments. The filler dilutes the impact of the hits, making the album feel a lot more average than it could sound. Sunshine Superman has flashes of brilliance, but those highs are surrounded by too many forgettable tracks. A tighter tracklist would’ve made for a more compelling listening experience. Favourite Track: “Sunshine Superman” – effortlessly cool and catchy but Celeste runs it a very close second. Least Favourite: “Three Kingfishers” – meandering and underwhelming. Album Artwork: A vibrant, very '60s cover – bold, colorful, and totally of its time.
I'm a hoe for a good sitar. I listen to several covers of season of the witch regularly. Docked a star because I felt this was 75% bangers, 25% I was bored with and sounded the same.
I wasn't super optimistic going into this one but it had some sneaky highlights for me. I wasn't paying super close attention though as I was listening while driving.
UK + India = this. Trippy.
Boorderline 3, but if you listen actively it’s pleqsant enough
I’ll be honest: my first thought was of the school bully in the Inbetweeners. Now that we’re past that, this was a really pleasant listen. I’d heard of Donovan before, but would never have been able to tell you any of his songs (or even what genre he is). However, listening to this made me realise that I had actually heard some of his songs before after all. This is super chill, and super hippy. Nice album.
Some are really really good, and season of the witch has such a special place in my heart as the best song for fall, but... hmm
Relaxing, even though I didn't listen to the lyrics all that much. My favorite melody was Legend of a Girl Child Linda.
I really enjoyed this album. Loved hearing the guitar and percussion which transported me to the 1960s. I also leant into the tribal/world music vibe in some of the tracks. Three King Fishers expressed all of these elements and I would say it was my favourite track. Elements of Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones were felt during this listening experience. I give this album a 4.5 rating.
Thought this would be good from a novelty perspective but actually thoroughly enjoyed the album at face value.
“Donovan? Who is this Donovan? Yeah, right away I hate him!” I don’t actually think Dylan hated him, but the clip in Don’t Look Back where they’re playing songs in a hotel room does feel a bit petty and spiteful on Dylan’s part. Anyways, this is actually a wonderful album, but I’m usually pretty biased towards 60s psychedelic and folk music. This album actually has some of the best uses of sitar and tabla I’ve heard in western music; it doesn’t feel nearly as cliche or gimmicky as others. Favourite tracks: Sunshine Superman, Three King Fishers, Ferris Wheel, Bert’s Blues, Season of the Witch
Really good album. Season of the Witch is amazing.
A cannabis-tinged elixir of Bob Dylan and British folk, Raga, Ye Olde Fantasy imagery and proto-psychedelica. Complete with two all-time classics. Must have been a real mind blower.
Donavan is a great songwriter
Really enjoyed this album
Must say I really like the tone of this album. Definitely has those late 60's oriental rock music vibes, a feeling further enforced with some sitar in 'Threee King Fishers', and 'The Fat Angel'. Also hearing some The Beatles similarities in 'Sunshine Superman', but that's also where the similarities end for me. I prefer the more uptempo, or "rockier", songs of this album, like 'Sunshine Superman' and 'Season of the Witch'. But the calmer songs still deliver, 'Three King Fishers' is probably my favourite one of them. Overall I really liked this album. It has a lot of interesting elements and surprises, with songs containing rockier elements, more psychedelic tones, and even some old Victorian vibes in 'Legend of a Girl Child Linda'. Never heard of Donovan before, and though I think the last three songs are a bit of a letdown, the rest of the album was very fun to listen to!
Har svårt att placera detta riktigt, men i helhet känns det faktiskt jäkligt välgjort och himla intressant att lyssna på!
Äntligen något jag gillar! Kände inte till denna snubbe men känner igen Season of the Witch.
3.5 stars
Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch take me back to car rides with my parents, listening to the Columbus oldies station. I still love this kind of music. The pop psychedelia of the time is so much fun. That this came out right around the time of Pet Sounds and Revolver makes a lot of sense. It doesn't have as many classic songs as those, but I'd stack Season of the Witch right alongside Good Vibrations and Good Day Sunshine.
Yeah I liked this, I’ll mark it as a 4/5 because I want to relisten to it at another point
They aren't all bangers, but Season of the Witch and Sunshine Superman are both pretty great. I enjoyed this album more than I had expected.
Fav songs: 'Sunshine Superman' and 'Season of the Witch' obvious choices. The album is archival tape of the '60s. Or at least what artists like Donovan made later generations think the '60s were. The album is a bit everywhere which keeps it interesting. However all the songs with a woman's name in the title tries my patience. 'Legend of a Girl Child Named Linda'.... Wtf. Nearly 7 minutes of all the twee in the world smashed into one song. The sitar was good in 'Three King Fishers' and effective. Using it over multiple songs made it lose its punch. My favorite Donovan song ever is 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' (1968) - slightly edgy, cool drum fills, a little electric guitar, weird lyrics sang with a bit of the sinister. Good stuff! The '60s aesthetic got better the darker it got. SS is uncut Flower Power.
3.5ish
I really enjoyed this.
UK psych's stranglehold over 1001 Albums' sixties selections reigns supreme. at least this time we've got a Scottish take on the sound, and one that's actually pretty singular. Donovan's particular brand of surrealist poetry, paired with some exceedingly strange songs (with even stranger arrangements and orchestration), makes for an album that's pretty hard to mistake for any of his many psych contemporaries at the time. the bluesy title track was apparently a #1 hit here in the US, but I can't recall if I had ever heard it before. it's one of the more obvious highlights, with its sticky, chromatically descending melodic phrases and its variation on the three-chord blues form. it's hard not to think of the psych era of the Beatles in the face of some of this material, but remember that Sunshine Superman hit store shelves a full 9 months before Sgt. Pepper's! it's easy to forget that this was a collective of artists all trying to achieve a similar aesthetic. there's also "Season of the Witch" which feels like a more polite version of what bands like Led Zeppelin would go on to do just a few years later. (incidentally, a pre-LZ John Paul Jones plays bass on the title track.) beyond that, the rest of the material can be a little bit hit-or-miss, but I really enjoy a lot of the sounds this album presents despite that. decent 7/10.
Really enjoyed. Slice of 60s peace & love.
A great piece of psychedelic rock
Dang, this is pretty good. Great folky-psychy-hippy vibes. I deny all rumors that my rating is due to name sharing bias.
Good music
First bit of news: Donovan is not American! That's news right? Someone should alert the authorities. Anyway, I really, really enjoyed this. There's a funk and a swagger alongside the more traditional folk stuff, and it all adds up nicely.
Enjoyed this album way more than I expected to. Maybe I thought Donovan was a different dude because of his Partridge Fam looks, but this album is really well done.
82% Best: Sunshine Superman; Ferris Wheel; Season of the Witch; The Trip Must-Hear? Sure
fw this one heavy. excellent vibes
Great
Very good
Another late-60s psychedelic album knocking it out of the park. Like with the Jefferson Airplane album, it had some sort of long weird detours I didn’t love as much as some of the more immediate stuff, but it was still beautiful and wondrous most of the way through. Must-listen #103!
I know some of Donovan's bigger singles (Catch the Wind, Mellow Yellow, etc.) but had never listened to any of his albums. It's kind of strange how Donovan was in the same orbit as the biggest acts in history — Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles , Led Zeppelin — but has ended up as more of a footnote in comparison. I'm sure accusations of his copying Dylan and his record releases being hamstrung by contract fights with his label didn't help, but it's still surprising that more of his catalogue isn't as well-known (or maybe that's just me?). In terms of the actual album, it was a pretty good listen. It's definitely eclectic, jumping from acoustic folk ballads to bluesy rock to psychedelic pop — it's part Van Morrison, part Nick Drake, part Rufus Wainwright. I didn't realize he did Season of the Witch, but I knew the song as soon as it came on — it's probably my favorite track off the album. He has a good voice, though his phrasing is sometimes odd, and he does sound a little like Neil Diamond at times. Some of the folkier, medieval fairytale songs get a bit repetitive after a while. I did enjoy the album for the most part, and his influence on music history is clear. It's not one of my all-time favorites, but I'd listen to this again. 4/5
pretty solid psychedelic album. Enjoyed it very much, probably 4.5. Had some folk sounds.
Wasn't sure I was going to like this album outside of the famous hits, but I really enjoyed it.
Season of the Witch is such a banger
The ass production made it sound like i was listening on vinyl instead of digital, otherwise good folk music.
"Sunshine Superman" is the third studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. Psychedelia, folk, psychedelic folk and raga rock are the Wiki-listed genres. Oh yeah, plus a few others. Donovan said that the lyrics portray "swinging London" and an insider's look to the mid-60's pop scene. Donovan was lead vocalist and played guitar and organ. Other bandmembers included Bobby Ray (bass), Eddie Hoh (drums), Shawn Phillips (sitar), Lenny Maitlin (Hammond organ), Cyrus Faryar (bouzouki), Peter Pilifian (electric violin), John Carr (bongos) and a few other surprises. The album was produced by Mickie Most and arranged by John Cameron. It was Donovan's most successful album hitting #11 in the US and #25 in the UK (the album in a slightly different version was released in the UK later in 1967 due to label issues). A bass, percussion and acoustic and electric guitar open "Sunshine Superman." A harpsichord also. Ah, yes pyschedelia! Sunshine was a nickname for LSD (maybe still is). "She going to be fine." Yes, she is. A nice pyschedelic guitar solo...and guess who was on guitar and bass, none other than Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. The bongos started on the third song and continue on "Ferris Wheel." Donovan has a nice tenor and delicate voice and he based this song on a tip to NYC where he met a girl who claimed her hair got stuck in the spokes of a Ferris wheel. The acid is kicking in now. A sitar gives this an Indian vibe. Of the course, the eagles are building nests in the Ferris wheel. The scratchy guitar, bass and drums start off the classic "Season of the Witch." A dark foreboding atmosphere and a tale of the paranormal. The song builds in the chorus. We are back in 1966. "The Fat Angel" was written about and to Mama Cass. Bongos and a sitar. He name checks the Jefferson Airplane and tells the story of getting drugs from a dealer on a motorcycle and finding happiness in a pipe. The album closely with "Celeste." All instruments are appropriately used here...guitar, drums, bass, bouzouki, sitar and electric violin. A lovely, dreamy and pyschedelic song. One of the Donovan best vocals and a great deep cut on this album. This album just oozes pyschedelia. I know Donovan was angry about the delayed release in the UK since he thought his music was ahead of the "pyschedelic" curve. Besides pyschedelia, the music covers a span of genres including folk, baroque, Indian, jazz and blues. The number of instruments has already been mentioned and I particularly liked the arrangement/production details on the placement of the instruments in songs. The lyrics are pyschedelic (drugs) and fantasy focused; Hades, fairy castles, witches, lucifer, queens, jesters, ravens, seagulls and stallions are all mentioned. If I had to pick one album to go back and experience pyschedelia this might be it. I quite enjoyed this album.
I enjoyed it.
I had a ton of fun listening to this psychedelic masterpiece and look forward to taking more trips with Donovan.
A very cool and colorful record. This was my first time hearing Sunshine Superman and I’ll definitely be returning to it. More people should be hip to this.
Gdyby Bob Dylan umiał śpiewać i pisał piosenki o średniowiecznych giermkach to chyba brzmiałby dość podobnie. Taka dość jesienna płyta z głębokim męskim wokalem. Zalała taka nostalgia i tęsknota za czymś czego nie pamiętam. Lekko naiwna, ale takie były lata 60. 8.5/10 równane w dół
Flavours of Dylan who came just before him and the Velvet Underground who came just after. The title track is the highlight for me.
Pleasant
Donovan is indeed often forgotten, unfortunately. A truly underrated artist, even more: a forgotten pioneer. And this is his best album. There is not a single weak song on it, every song is fantastic, with 'Sunshine Superman' and 'Season of the Witch' as standouts; Donovan's two best songs.
Flower power folk, almost painfully earnest in its presentation. Any discussion of 60s music would be incomplete without mentioning Donovan. For me, there's definitely a distinct sort of mood I have to be in to appreciate mellow folk like this... I had this album generated a couple weeks ago, actually, but I put it off until I finally entered one of those contemplative, under caffeinated states. It's a snow day, I've lost my voice, it's a good time to get a little wistful about the way the hippie dream got crushed by an avalanche of late stage capitalism.
Sunshine Superman was definitely on one of my parent's greatest hits of the 60's albums so I feel like I've been a fan of that song my whole life but I never realized this Scottish guy sang it. This is quite the collection of poetic 60's psychdelic rock without being too far off into weirdsville. Some of it has a bit of a renaissance fair vibe. Incense and peppermint. Good instrumentation and songwriting. I especially liked Sunshine Superman, Ferris Wheel, and Celeste, a tender song about love, life's changes, and the hope of togetherness. Good song to end the album.
Already knew the nice "Sunshine Superman" and the groovy and enticing "Season Of The Witch", of course, thanks to the iconic *Donovan's Greatest Hits* compilation released at the tail end of the sixties (also harboring essential cuts such as "Mellow Yellow" and "Hurdy Gurdy Man"). But I never had the occasion to listen to the album where those two songs were taken from (named after the first). I kind of expected the more folksy, less shaggadelic stuff I knew I would find there to be somewhat of a letdown, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Those deeper cuts are actually as good as their "Greatest Hits" equivalents. In that specific genre, I especially enjoyed the very charming "narrative" second track "Legend Of A Girl Child Linda", for instance. You can easily picture a poetic and colourful cartoon illustrating the song in your head... The rest of side one ("Three King Fishers", "Ferris Wheel", "Bert's Blues") is also ripe with all sorts of instrumentations and catchy arrangements that were obviously quite trendy by 1966 (sitar, harpsichord...), but if they're not a full surprise , they're nicely pulled off and bring what those particular songs need. After "Season Of The Witch", the album somewhat loses its momentum at times, but its closer "Celeste" is a thing of wonder thanks to its tight chord sequence and dreamy-albeit-effective-and-memorable vocal lines. I get why Donovan was this popular during the sixties. He could be a little sugary, sure, but he was also versatile enough to explore all sorts of turf with a certain flair and rather significant class. 4/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 9/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4) Number of albums left to review: around thirty or twenty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 461 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 273 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 334
## In-Depth Review of *Sunshine Superman* by Donovan Donovan's *Sunshine Superman*, released in 1966, stands as a landmark album in the evolution of psychedelic rock and folk music. It showcases a unique blend of influences, innovative production techniques, and lyrical depth that reflects the cultural zeitgeist of the 1960s. This review will explore the album's lyrics, music, production, themes, and its influence on subsequent musical movements, alongside a balanced assessment of its pros and cons. ### Lyrics The lyrics of *Sunshine Superman* are characterized by their whimsical imagery and romantic themes. Donovan's songwriting is deeply personal, often reflecting his feelings for Linda Lawrence, who would later become his wife. The title track opens with the line, "Sunshine came softly through my window today," setting a tone of optimism and warmth. - **Romantic Undertones**: The song expresses a yearning for love and connection. Lines such as "I made my mind up you're going to be mine" convey a sense of determination and hopefulness. - **Psychedelic Imagery**: Many lyrics incorporate surreal and fantastical elements, such as "I can make like a turtle and dive for your pearls in the sea," which evoke a dreamy quality typical of psychedelic music. - **Philosophical References**: Donovan infuses his work with philosophical allusions, notably referencing Nietzsche’s concept of the Übermensch (Superman) to suggest an evolution of consciousness beyond mere existence. However, not all critics view Donovan's lyrics favorably. Some argue that certain songs lack coherence or depth, describing them as self-indulgent or overly simplistic. For instance, "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" has been criticized for its lack of poetic discipline, with some lines described as nonsensical combinations of visual effects without clear meaning[3][4]. ### Music Musically, *Sunshine Superman* is groundbreaking for its time. It marks Donovan's transition from acoustic folk to a more electric sound that incorporates various genres. - **Instrumentation**: The album features an eclectic mix of instruments including sitars, harpsichords, violins, and electric guitars. This diverse instrumentation contributes to its rich sonic texture. - **Production Techniques**: Produced by Mickie Most at Columbia Studios in Hollywood, the album showcases innovative production techniques that were ahead of its time. The use of layering and effects creates a lush soundscape that complements Donovan's vocals. - **Notable Tracks**: - "Sunshine Superman" is driven by jangly guitar riffs and rhythmic bongos. - "Season of the Witch" stands out with its haunting groove and bluesy undertones. - "Bert’s Blues" adds a jazzy element but has been criticized for its awkward arrangement. Overall, the musical composition reflects a fusion of folk roots with burgeoning rock influences, creating a sound that was both accessible and adventurous. ### Themes Thematically, *Sunshine Superman* encapsulates several key ideas reflective of the 1960s: - **Love and Relationships**: At its core, the album expresses romantic longing and idealism. Many songs reflect Donovan's personal experiences and emotions regarding love. - **Psychedelia**: The album captures the essence of the psychedelic movement with its exploration of altered states of consciousness and mind-expanding experiences. References to LSD culture are present but often interpreted through a lens of broader existential exploration rather than mere drug references[2][5]. - **Nature and Mysticism**: Donovan frequently draws on imagery from nature and mysticism, weaving Celtic influences into his narratives. This connection to nature reflects a broader countercultural movement that sought harmony with the environment. ### Influence *Sunshine Superman* is often credited as one of the first psychedelic rock albums to achieve commercial success. Its influence can be seen across various musical genres: - **Psychedelic Rock**: The album paved the way for artists who would follow in Donovan’s footsteps, including Jefferson Airplane and The Doors. Its fusion of folk elements with rock set a precedent for future psychedelic artists. - **Folk Revival**: Donovan's work contributed to the folk revival movement by incorporating electric instrumentation while maintaining lyrical storytelling traditions. - **Cultural Impact**: The album resonated with the counterculture movement of the 1960s, encapsulating ideals of love, peace, and exploration that defined an era. ### Pros and Cons #### Pros - **Innovative Sound**: The blending of various musical styles creates a unique listening experience that remains influential today. - **Lyrical Depth**: While opinions vary on their coherence, many listeners appreciate the imaginative quality and emotional resonance found in Donovan's lyrics. - **Cultural Significance**: The album captures the spirit of its time and has left an indelible mark on both popular music and culture. #### Cons - **Lyrical Ambiguity**: Some tracks are criticized for lacking clarity or depth in their lyrical content, leading to perceptions of self-indulgence. - **Inconsistent Quality**: Not all songs achieve the same level of impact; some tracks are viewed as weaker or less engaging compared to standout hits like "Sunshine Superman" or "Season of the Witch." - **Overly Whimsical Elements**: Critics argue that certain whimsical aspects may detract from the overall seriousness or emotional weight intended by some songs. ### Conclusion In conclusion, *Sunshine Superman* by Donovan is an essential work that encapsulates a transformative period in music history. Its innovative blend of genres, rich lyrical imagery, and cultural significance make it a landmark album in both psychedelic rock and folk music. While it faces criticism for certain lyrical choices and inconsistencies in quality across tracks, its overall impact remains profound. As both a reflection of personal experience and broader cultural movements, *Sunshine Superman* continues to resonate with audiences today—celebrating love, exploration, and artistic expression in an era defined by change.
Classic hippies 60’s music
Pretty solid
COOL!!!! it's like if you took the eastern-influenced part of the Beatles' music and turned it into its own whole developed sound. the most famous song from this album is the worst one though.
smooth transition into psychedelica and jazz and RandB
3.5 Fave tracks: "Season of the witch" and "The trip"
I have heard for years and years about the great Donovan. The Beatles loved this guy. He was more influential than people give him credit for in the 60's. Plus, he recorded "Atlantis," so that earns him a lot of points in my book. Donovan went to India with the Beatles a couple of years after this album released, and his interest in Indian music shows here. Hell, there's elements of Indian influence, chamber pop and baroque pop, straight up rock, psychedelia, and folk. It's a eclectic mix of these genres, which at times even coexist within the same track. It's a really fun listen because you don't really know what you're going to get next. Did I love every track? No not at all. It has the feeling of an experimental album (despite the fact that it's performed with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what he's doing), and you're always going to have some misses when experimenting. But man was this a cool listen. I gotta have more. If we can have four Metallica albums or whatever on this list, we can give Donovan at least one more. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Sunshine Superman, Bert's Blues, Season of the Witch
I'm just mad about Saffron .... Donovan is the Ralph Steadman of music. His LSD infused madness created epic celebrated songs like Hurdy Gurdy and Season of the Witch, but lays down uninspired drivel [like] most of this album, without psychedelics. Still the few electrified bangers on this album are redeeming... https://www.ralphsteadman.com/collections/
Really nice.
this is the music that your grandpa probably got dangerously high on acid to
Glorious !
I've always liked Donovan and this album is no exception, especially the title track.
I would have loved to experienced what it must have been like to live when this album was charting!
Clearly an inspiration for both Nick Drake and Spinal Tap, so I’m thankful.
I started getting into Donovan's stuff after going down the Beatles White Album rabbit hole. I was familiar with Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch. The rest of the album was great and I could see myself putting this one on the rotator for a while.
I enjoyed the Renaissance vibes some of the tracks had on this! His vocals don't grab me like some others do but I would definitely listen again.
De första 3-4 låtarna är vassa. Sen blir det lite sämre innan albumet avslutar vasst igen.
The first half of this is really wonderful, the songs slink along beautifully and feel genuinely interested in exploring instrumentation and sound. After Season of the Witch it drops off a bit and does not retain what I loved about the first side.
I like this album alot. Groovy and relaxed Sunday sounds that is fantastically 60s/70s. Berts blues is probably the favourite track. Was also pleasantly surprised to hear season of the witch. I had not heard the original rendition before now.
Starts weak but ends strong. Hadn't heard of this guy before but reading up on him he is super influential and you can hear it in this album!
Sweet album, a little dated but still stands up