Reviews (page 6 of 8)
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
Couple good songs. Was originally thinking a 2, but giving it a 3
J'avais entendu du Donovan dans les années 80 ('Mee Mee I Love you' passait à la radio souvent à l'époque, je trouvais ce morceau marrant - mes gouts ont évolué depuis !). Cet album est bien différent, mais n'a rien de bien marquant, si ce n'est quelques parties de sitar. => 2/5
Ok, but not very memorable
Bit boring
this was just not it for me. I did enjoy the instrumentals in Three King Fishers, and Season of the Witch seemed a lot more cohesive than the rest, but overall it just seemed too melancholy and too psychadelic for me.
The title track and Season of the Witch are both great songs. The rest of the album is a lot of fantasy nonsense that while enjoyable … doesn’t give me any desire to return to it.
It was just normal 70s rocky, bluesy music, but then they added the sitars and lost me…
3.5
60/100 At times incredibly creative and enchanting. Other times awfully boring. The quality of singing also isn't very consistent throughout the project. Overall the positives definitely outweigh the negatives a fair bit
Another miss
I'd never heard of Donovan before, so I was going into this blind. I'll quote what I actually said out loud after finishing the album - "That was pretty good!" I really like the different 60s elements that were comingled on this recording. You have the singer/songwriter stylings of a Paul Simon mixed with a little more psychedelic vibe like The Doors. It leaned a little too far onto The Doors' side of the spectrum for my liking at times, but all in all there was plenty in this album to like from my POV. I may not actively seek out Donavan much going forward, but I wouldn't skip these tracks if they came up again! Notable Tracks: - Legend of a Girl Child Linda - Season of the Witch - Guinevere - Celesete 6/10
is ok, aber war schon zu viel was so ähnlich is dabei
Meine Englischlehrerin in der Mittelstufe hat gerne Platten in den Unterricht mitgebracht und die Texte verteilt. Es gab z.B. die Beatles (The fool on the hill) oder Peter, Paul and Mary (Puff the magic dragon) oder The Animals (House of...) und - Donovan. The Universal Soldier ist bis heute bei mir unvergessen. Und wird immer aktuell bleiben. Ok, ich schweife ab. 3 Sympathiepunkte.
This has one good song on it
I think if I took enough drugs I would love this, but I didn’t and I don’t
Enjoyed the first song, rest of the album was very boring.
There was a couple of ok songs on here , but the rest was just boring
2 good songs surrounded by okay songs
For some reason I didn't hate it like I wanted to.
This was an unexpectedly good album. I can see very clearly how it influenced all the psychedelic rock of the 60s. It feels innovative and fresh, but still with that distinct 1960s sound.
Rating: 6/10 Decent psychedelic album with a few decent songs and melodies.
Nice psychedelic folk album with plenty of interesting elements from a Scottish singer songwriter. Very 1960s. A little slow in places but generally enjoyable in its embellished simplicity. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Season of the Witch Date listened: 02/07/24
Sunshine superman Three kingfishers Season of the witch
Funny how I knew a lot of these songs without knowing who they were by. Fun album. Super retro and hippie vibes.
I'd heard a bunch of these tracks but never internalized the name Donovan before. The popular songs are kinda fun. The rest is pretty hippy dippy meh.
Thoughts before listening: 60s psychedelic folk rock. Or something like that. I know that Donovan gets mentioned a lot but I don't really know much about him. Review: "Season of the Witch" is an amazing song and is pretty much the blueprint for 60s psychedelic rock. I found the rest of the album to be a bit boring though. Even the title track, which is one that I've always thought of as a big famous 60s hit, was too repetitive to really draw my attention. I was surprised that I didn't actually recognize the song, so maybe it's title is more iconic of the era than the actual song. 2-stars
It took me a long time to enjoy Donovan but now I like him very much. It's playful psychedelic folk songs are often discreet to the point of passing for a filler or a dud. But repeated listens reveal its true charm. He's a bit underrated, I think.
Great album that I appreciate more and more after every listen.
A classic for the lovers of psychedelic folk like me. It's also kind of avant-garde, as it was released in 1966. Beautiful fantasy mood, a listen of Sunshine Superman is always a peaceful and mellow moment.
Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch are total bops. However, a huge part of this album is just 60s weirdness.
I liked this okay! I like Season of the Witch.
Some of the greatest songs of the 60s!!
i’m a sucker for this stuff sometimes tbh
Oh, a 60s psychedelic album? You shouldn't have! Seriously, you shouldn't have. I've gotten enough of these already. Oh well, at least the album's good and the artist's important enough to be referenced in JoJo. This album's alright. Is it my favorite psychedelic album? No, but it's also not my least favorite. I actually enjoyed it. I might enjoy it more if it wasn't my 38th psychedelic rock album, but whatever. Is it special? No, but it's good enough. The singing is solid. The writing is pretty decent. The sound is good. The sitar usage is respectable. There's some pretty good songs on here. None of them are particularly bad. I think "Season of the Witch" is probably my favorite. Overall, this is a perfectly fine psychedelic album. Nothing crazy, but nothing bad either. High 3/5.
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.
energy gets a little too low at points but will always be a killer album
Hippy dippy acoustic folk music can puff my magic dragon.
This is a nice enough album, but where it sits among the great albums I'm not sure, given it was released nearly 60 years ago. There appear to be two versions of this album that were released - I listened to some expanded version at over an hour.
Nice and smooth.
Wistful, layered psychedelia. Perfect for a summer day.
Nice! I don't think the sitar really works, but it's very pleasant pop psychedelia
There's no good reason why Donovan should have known what Green Lantern was in 1965. It feels like an anachronism. I don't like it. As for the rest of it: a little underwhelming! Those two mammoth singles dwarf everything except "Bert's Blues"
60's psychedelia with some indian/eastern influences. knew some of the highlights on here, but never given it a full listen.
Pretty decent, but a lot of songs are forgettable.
songs are like they are composed by Ilayaraaja :D Favorite Track: Legend of a Girl Child Linda other picks: sunshine superman, three king fishers (sitar), Bert's blues
Wow. Really not for me. Too Austin Powers to take seriously
Definitely a revolutionary album for it's time and I'm sure it was a great addition to psychedelic landscape. However, it doesn't hold up very well. By no means is it a bad album, just kind of blase besides for a couple of hits. 5/10 (2.5/5)
Ég bjóst við algjöru psækadelísku rokki sem ég myndi ekki fíla þegar ég sá plötuumslagið en svo var þetta bara fínasta plata sem ég gat alveg hlustað á. Ég ætti að reyna að muna eftir henni til að reyna að spila aftur síðar en ef ég á að vera alveg hreinskilinn eru ekki miklar líkur á því.
Perfectly fine. Nothing more than that. 3.5/5
great one!
mellow and touching on magical at times (girl child linda for example). slightly too laid back to deliver something timeless or cathartic (such as astral weeks) but enjoyable nonetheless. the orchestral arrangements are often the highlights of sunshine superman and they compliment donovans own excellent ear for melody. girl child linda and celeste are highlights
Enjoyed this one a lot. Season of The Witch was the only song I knew coming in so I was excited to get more Donovan. It felt like he had a concept and executed it the way he wanted to. Easy to listen to and one I will come back to.
Idk just not for me. Found it boring
Donovan has dated for sure, but this was better than I thought it might be. Three King Fishers was my favourite track
2.5
Ok
This album feels pretty uneven to me. There are a couple of really awesome songs, but I find most of them a bit dull. It's hard for the songs I enjoy like Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch to overcome the sag I experience during Guinevere. The dumb face that he made on the cover of this album is the same dumb face I was making while listening to much of this album 3/5
Good example how old is not the same as classic. This is just old. It's not bad, but nothing about this record feels essential to me. Favorite song: sunshine superman.
First ever listen: season of the witch cool bluesy song with Jimmy Page riffs…
Caressant et berçant, s’écoute comme des ballades qui interrogent la spiritualité humaine
Sunshine Superman (the song) is like the go to '60s psychedelic meme song and I never knew the name of it despite hearing it a zillion times. This was a cool album, I especially liked the jazzy breakdown at the end of Bert's Blues.
Goed album, lekker psychedelisch, maar niet over de top. Prachtige arrangementen. Typisch voor de tijd, maar niet gedateerd.
decent listen. very medieval (?) feel to it
Some weird 60s mid evil shit
Nothing to spectacular here. It leans neither to the folk or the psychadelic side of the spectrum. It just hangs out kind of in the middle, and leaves you wishing he would have just picked one of the two genres and did it really well instead of this mish mash of average musicianship. I've noticed that dude loves singing about birds. I've counted at least 3 unrelated instances so far of nods to seagulls. Plus there is a song about Kingfishers, and he sings about ravens. Dude is a closet ornithologist. He's one species away from bird bingo, lol. Overall, aside from Season of the Witch, there isn't really much worth writing home about on this album. Favourite songs: Season of the Witch, Sunshine Superman, Three King Fishers, Guinevere Least favourite songs: Bert's Blues 3/5
Sunshine Superman Season Of The Witch
It has a bit of an Indian touch but it's not for me.
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.
Excellent album both in the quiet, gentle mode (Guinevere) and in the more rocking mode (Season of the Witch).
I've heard a couple of these tracks individually, but never the entirety of the album. Didn't know he was Scottish, gets more jazzy than I would have expected.
A well known pop album with folk undertones. Too soft and sweet for my taste but props for longevity and popularity.
A bit poppy, but I enjoyed a few songs
Not an artist I was that familiar with, but I liked this album. Reminded me of late-stage Beatles with a bit of Dylan sprinkled in.
Couple of genuinely good songs on here, but it's mostly really dated and kinda boring.
Medieval stylings, that I didn't necessarily hate
This is my style exactly. Everyone in the store looked exactly like me. The sales person said I was the only person they had ever seen pull it off.
Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" is a psychedelic folk masterpiece that captures the essence of the 1960s with its dreamy melodies and introspective lyrics. Released in 1966, the album showcases Donovan's unique blend of folk, rock, and jazz influences, creating a sound that was ahead of its time. The title track, "Sunshine Superman," is a standout, with its infectious groove and catchy chorus. Other highlights include the mystical "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" and the introspective "Season of the Witch." While some tracks may feel dated to modern ears, "Sunshine Superman" remains a classic of the psychedelic era, showcasing Donovan's songwriting prowess and musical innovation. Overall, it's a must-listen for fans of 1960s music, earning it a solid 3 out of 5 rating.
When I say I dislike psychedelia, this is what I’m talking about. It’s not expansive experimentation with depth and good songwriting, it’s just overcrowded kitsch. Rambling nonsense lyrics, ~unique~ instrumentation (who knew a sitar could sound so obnoxious?), and just a general “everything plus the kitchen sink” energy to each arrangement here. Even the best songs suffer because of it. And yes, the best songs are the singles — “Sunshine Superman” and “Season of the Witch” — which suggests a bigger critique, that Donovan is a singles artist, maybe even a would-be one-hit-wonder who happened to hit a lucky streak thanks to right place/right time. And yeah, that’s what I expect from “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” It’s not the worst thing ever, but tolerable is not a compliment. Easily my least favorite psychedelic record so far, and very obviously inessential unless you adore this era of music.
While I enjoyed most this album's very surreal, psychedelic, and mostly tranquil presentation, I do wish it was more varied in its overall presentation. Donovan was an artist whom I was quite unfamiliar with but I effectively got what I expected given the scattered album art and genre descriptors attached to this album. With hypnotic sounds and Eastern influences in quite a few of its songs, it all feels very much like an LSD trip which was something Donovan was all too familiar with around this time. His writing is as abstract as it could get, with fantastical imagery populating most of the lyrics on the tracks here. It's a neat effect, especially early on, but it was also lulling in a way, and without many strong nor evident lyrical concepts to latch onto, I felt almost lost. Maybe this was the artistic intention, but it didn't work wonders for me. There were a few exceptions to this. For one, I love the opening title track. Reading into it more, it seems the song is about his future wife and it's really sweet in its depiction of love, if a bit forward. I enjoyed "Bert's Blues" only because of how punchy it was after the series of much slower tracks. It's the most musically ambitious track here, even exploding into a jazz classical piece near the end. The closer "Celeste" is one of the most immaculately produced songs here, with gorgeous synths and a sonic space that's filled to the brim with these atmospheric noises. I read it as another love song, possibly directed at the same person from the first song, bookending this album nicely. Donovan's LSD-filled Los Angeles trip which supposedly inspired the record certainly gives a lot of weight to the themes and ideas presented here. And while I appreciate that, I couldn't fully enjoy the aimlessness of some of the slower tracks here. It's a record that requires some digesting, and considering this is only a first listen, I expect my opinions would change on subsequent listens. But for now, I'm only lukewarm on this.
Very groovy. Lots of excellent bops on here.
Oye, oye, a pesar de la horrible carátula este disco está muy bien, de hecho. Qué sorpresa.
not bad but supremely boringggg
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.
This was okay. I had heard the first song "Sunshine Superman" before and didn't know who sang it. I really thought "Season of the Witch" was a great song. Which, I don't think I had ever heard before. I have since found out that it's really well known. All in all, not bad, some of the slower story telling songs aren't my cup of tea.
I enjoyed many of the tracks on this album. However, it suffers from the dreaded recording style of so many albums of the era—tinny and high-pitched. If this was recorded in a more full-bodied way, I think i would be more into it. And don't tell me they couldn't: other albums we've heard from this project sound amazing and are from earlier than this. Including the sitar in the instrumentation is a lovely, unique touch.
More like "SuperMEH" amiright?
I enjoyed this record a lot more than I expected. A mention of Green Lantern is almost enough to bump this to 5.
Quite solid sixties rock album. Was not expecting this when I started the album. A couple tracks I recognized. Pretty catchy and a little psychadelic.
A load of tree hugging hippy crap.
1966 Genre: Psychedelia, folk, psychedelic folk, raga rock Standouts: Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch, Others: Legend of a Girl Child Linda, Bert's Blues. 3.75
There's a couple songs on here I'm familiar with. I like those. I was never able to give my full attention to this, but did listen several times with it in the background. It never grabbed my attention, but if the strength in this is really clever lyrics and word play then I missed it.
Yeah, Hippies
Great
Stijltje sitars en akoestische gitaar, psychedelisch
Sunshine Superman is the third album by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It's a psychedelic folk rock album featuring the titular hit single that took the US by storm in 1966. This is Donovan's most successful album and it was a chart-topper in the US and the UK. If you enjoy the folksy, trippy, hippy songs from the 60's, than this is the album for you. It contains great pop melodies along with some folk songs and the beginnings of Donovan's psychedelia experimentation. This was a well produced album and I'd recommend it.
I gotta say, this was pretty good. Sure, there are a couple of duds: ‘Legend Of A Girl Child Linda’, and ‘Guinevere’ are just that little bit bland and musically uninteresting, but the rest is pretty great. ‘Season Of The Witch’, ‘Sunshine Superman’, ‘The Trip’, ‘The Fat Angel’, and ‘Three King Fishers’ are the highlights here on what is one of the better psychedelic albums from the 1001 Albums book and the era in general.
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
favourite song: season of the witch fantastic album. donovan is great.
It has one radio friendly single and the rest is a stoner album.
This album is fairly pleasant. Nothing particularly special from my ears but I can see why some would like it. Fav songs: - Sunshine Superman - Season of the Witch
Bit medieval panto for my liking
Over the years I've become more accepting of alternative philosophies and can see value in considering ancient mystic mythologies. But I still hate Donovan.
Hmmm never been a fan and I'm not converted, but I am quite impressed how early he got his psychedelic touchstones in a row. 1966 does seem early for sitar, and the use of gloomy cellos and and the like seem to pre-figure Led Zep and the British Folk Rock Scene. I still find him somewhat patronising in tone and it's all pretty lightweight. Inoffensive and faintly interesting. Very much of it's times.
great example of 60's psychedelia, would be perfect if not for a couple of filler songs.
A calm and in itself resting, well balanced work which luckily doesn’t feature too much of the 60‘s time colorit.
This album seems so far ahead of its creation. The Beatles influence is there, but there is more. Pretty amazing.
Yeah yeah now go play The Age of Aggression or something
incredibly pretty Legend of a Child Girl Linda made me feel comforted, like I was being held and sung asleep just like when I was a baby
Title track and Season of the Witch are stone cold classics but the rest is mostly forgettable Donovan.
An enchanting album
Very 60s drug hippie sounding. Influences of Indian music, jazz on one track, and green sleeves type music. Did not catch my interest though.
Solid 3.
Doesn't really break ground. Every song sounds oddly familiar. Took a walk and had bird song mixed in to make it better. Orchestral elements also elevated.
Too weird for me
I've always liked Donovan. "Mellow Yellow" is a track I remember my dad and I singing together when I was a little kid. This album has that same groovy feel. It definitely brings to mind images of flower power. The psychedelic nostalgia is lovely, and while a few of these songs sort of came and went with minimal fanfare, the overall sentiment it left behind is a positive one indeed.
This album reeks of 60s. Some good stuff. I’ve only heard the hits before this.
Um folk 'zinho' que me agradou bem com o uso de instrumentos hindus.
This is a great one. I wore out my LP by playing it over and over. Good to listen to the songs again.
When looking back on Donovan in his heyday, its easy to draw comparisons between all of his contemporaries, and how they often rose above his output, to the point where his biggest namesake in the current day is a soda "probably" named after one of his songs, which to be fair, not many musicians can say, but you get what I mean. However, if you separate his work into its own bubble, there is quite a bit to enjoy. He's got an unconventional yet pretty voice, amateur-ish enough to feel genuine on most tracks, and his guitar playing is simple yet sweet, giving to a relaxing album to put on and enjoy in the background. I'll personally say that the hits here actually do very little for me, but the deep cuts are exactly what I'd want out of this era of folk, with great pop-production to make it feel mainstream without pulling out the roots, and a just solid theming throughout. It may be a tad stereotypical, but its still a nice time. Obviously this is no Bob Dylan, Tim Buckley, etc. etc, but on its own merits, this is a worthwhile addition to anyone's collection.
groovy maaaaaan
LP
The 2 songs I'd heard before are good. No eye-openers otherwise. Not a fan of the minstrel songs. Very dated.
This album actually aged pretty well. It's certainly a product of the time, but Donovan has an interesting vocal delivery, and the music and songwriting are interesting.
I was disappointed by this one. The two famous songs (Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch) are clear standouts. Of the deep cuts there wasn't really anything I'm excited to return to. A lot of fart-y sitar-sounding whatever songs. Love Donovan, but this album was too sleepy for me.
started ok. then trying to share an insider's view on the 60s pop scene by... singing about medieval times. buddy. get it together. parts of this without harpsichord sound are quite good, all driven by the bass. nearly all of it also has something obnoxious. the lyrics and vocal phrasing on Season of the Witch are bad, and bad enough to detract from a song about nothing. just when you think Donovan might have got the renaissance fair out of his system & moved on, "Guinevere of the royal court of Arthurrrr". buddy. fuck off. there could have been a 60s pop album by Donovan that was alright. it's not this one. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Maybe it’s because I’ve heard two dozen albums by his peers so far, but I was listening thinking “I thought I liked Donovan!” Season of the Witch a great song at least.
First track of each side good, the rest a bit middling
first listen wow this is great and also he looks like kristen stewart
Mostly a bit boring but the starts to both sides of the album (“Sunshine Superman” and “Season of the Witch”) are both great. It’s also very exemplary of mid-60s psych-rock.
Every artist has their inspirations that they either subconsciously or purposely take ideas from. But to influence someone into a new artistic direction is probably more of an honour than the aforementioned. Donovan achieved this fear with the Beatles. He is the reason for George Harrison to pick up the sitar and for the Beatles to approach Sgt. Pepper's in a way that they did. Needless to say, Donovan is the real deal. His song writing is really interesting. Lyrics are great and composition is fantastic. This record screams psychedelia. I get that this genre isn't for anyone. But I dont think anyone would be in right frame of mind to say that this record isnt good. It isn't perfect. But there is a lot to appreciate. Music of the 60s is hit and miss for this genre, but when it hits, it's fantastic. That being said, if you're sleepy.... This album will play to that. If you don't appreciate a non traditional band set up, and don't give a heck about pushing boundaries and trying new things... This album may bore you. But in the end, you'd be wrong. Not perfect, but purposeful.
Couple of massive bangers, for their time, but the rest of it is both a bit mental and quite dull and similar. He doesn't have the best voice.
Pretty dull 60s psychadelic rock. This list seems to be a bit saturated in this stuff now, I've lost count at how many times I've written that first sentence. 1 or 2 good tracks, the rest utterly skippable. 2.5*
absolutely serviceable
The hits (first song on each side) are decent enough, but the filler is too Kum-ba-yah folky for me.
An interesting album from start to finish as it transitions in style and instrument use and not all is for me. The best part about the later album is that by the time I got to The Fat Angel I found myself compelled to go and listen to the Prince of Parties by Flight of the Conchords.
This was a bit of a surprise! I had heard of Donovan but never listened to an album. As cheesy and whimsical as it was, it reminded me of very early Bowie and Syd Barret. He sings with such conviction that it's hard not to go along with his journey. Some songs were like listening to a fantasy audio book. I am not saying it will be on high rotation, but I will definitely have a poke around his work.
This was just ok - I can’t see myself coming bank to it. Just a bit forgettable
This was nice! A little sleepy, but I wasn’t mad about it
I don’t totally love the sitar sounds on this album, but the middle 3 songs (Bert’s Blues through The Trip) are soooo good.
After a few songs I started to think about that Shankar. A lot of use of the Sitar. I ripped on that guy a long time ago, but his name always pops in my head whenever I hear the Sitar. Anyway, very familiar with Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch. I think about Sis whenever I hear Season of the Witch because I was stunned she was a fan of the song. Both good tunes and I did enjoy The Trip as well. Otherwise, I found this album to be kinda boring and a little slow. Nothing terrible, just not sure this would be the kind of album I would seek out or have interest in playing again, except Season of the Witch for Ash. This falls into that 2.5-3 range for me. Scoreboard will show 3 for the thoughts of Ash and Shankar. 3
3 Supposedly this album was among the very first psychedelia albums ever created and was heavily influential on the genre, and while I can definitely hear that, it also very much feels more like the work of a folk musician who just discovered the sitar, probably because of the Beatles incorporating the instrument on Rubber Soul a year prior. He definitely makes better use of it here than The Beatles do though - I mean, this album may very well be the reason the sound of the instrument is now associated with psychedelia. So, I’m willing to give credit to Donovan for laying the framework, though I've said it before, and I’ll say it again - just because you did it first doesn’t necessarily mean you did it the best, and I’m not here to grade solely based on influence. Don’t get me wrong, this album is fine, but whereas releases like Dark Side of the Moon, Maggot Brain, Are You Experienced?, and a Wizard/A True Star feel like enchanting, psychedelic trips even to a sober mind, this feels like it never quite left the station. Maybe it’s not fair to compare Donovan to his successors, and maybe that’s not even what he was going for, but even if you just want to consider this a folk album with psychedelic touches, there still isn’t quite enough charm to it to make me want to come back for more. The only really good song here is Season of a Witch (especially when heard around the spooky season), though I will also say Legend of a Girl Child Linda grew on me a bit across my listenings - it’s a bit long, but it’s also probably the best balance of folk and psychedelia on the album and probably the best exemplification of what Donovan set out to do with this. There weren’t really any other standouts besides those two tracks, though I did appreciate his shoutout to then up-and-coming Jefferson Airplane - whom I would consider a better psychedelic group - on The Fat Angel (though I guess its title is supposed to refer to Mama Cass, which is… kinda mean). Decent listen, but not the kind of thing to leave me with a lasting impression.
Very 60s, much psychedelic, so hippy! Is this the first album to name check Green Lantern?
It smells like the 60s, it has this simple and enjoyable taste of a time when everything seemed brighter and simpler. It's not a masterpiece but it's genuine, and I'd be actually quite happy if today's pop has this sort of qualities. On top of that, it seems that the guy stayed true to himself through the years.
Again, a new discovery for me. I like the blend of folk, rock and psychedelic.
It was alright!! Title track was my favourite.
Another sixties pop record with a couple of standout singles. The remainder of the collection is pretty good. Not Byrds good, but it passes the vibe check.
3.7/5 Best Track: Season of the Witch
This is why I wanted to embark on this music challenge! Loved discovering Donovan’s music, especially gems like Season of the Witch and Sunshine Superman. I’m not usually a folk music fan, but Sunshine Superman has enough psychedelic rock elements to create a very interesting album and some killer songs.
Such a quintessential 60s rock sound in the US. Very easy on the ears and melodic throughout.
Some songs were great, others not so much
Interesting lyrics and vibes
Influenced the start of Psych rock and set the stage for the Beatles. I think it is underrated by others. But It doesn't quite reach my 5star
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.
An album representative of the decade. A blend of psychedelic, folk and eastern-influenced music. Includes one of Donovan major hits "Sunshine Superman".
The first track was a fun blend of psychedelic rock and folk. Then the second track started the streak of pretentious folk songs. The Trip was a nice style shift to something more like the opening track and then the album closed out with more pretentious folk.
I like the first song, Sunshine Superman. I found the variety of song styles refreshing. I also really liked Season of the Witch and Guinevere.
Boring, like a wannabe acid trip. Very dated 60’s.
MORE SITAR
One of the most intensely 60s albums I’ve ever heard. It even came before the Summer of Love, so you could argue this was pretty forward-thinking towards that era. Not a lot of great songs here and the sound is pretty thin, but there’s a charm to it that I can’t really put aside. Best song: Sunshine Superman
Yeah nope
Had higher hopes for this record. It seems like I haven't got a record that's punched me in the face in a while. Everything is so slow and sleepy. I guess I can't expect anything too crazy from 1964 but I mean c'mon. I guess I can't hold this lull in records against this album specifically, but I don't know. How many singer songwriters does 1001 need? I feel like 500 of these records are just that...
a bit too jangly and like quirky for me? Idk
Great album. Obviously, Sunshine Superman is a classic tune - granted I never actually knew the name of it or who the artist was. I heard (and loved) Season of the Witch for the first time when watching "The Other Guys" - again, loved the song but never knew the artist. The rest of the album didn't disappoint. It has a "psychedelic folk" vibe. I also read that there is a shot of this album spinning in one of the recent Beatles "found footage" documentaries. It's easy to see why this album would have caught there attention.
Season of the Witch is one of my top favorite songs. Donovan is classic, 5/5
It was really good. I think I only disliked one song!
a classic of psych rock, Season of the witch MVP
Pretty decent actually
could i write poetry to this? n
Outside of "Sunshine Superman" and "Season of the Witch", this album is pretty much a "Meh..." for me.
Boooooo
Donovan is definitely a "greatest hits" artist for me. He's got a bunch of great songs, but the non hits are pretty much all misses.
A few killer tracks A few more head scratching tracks Songs YES album NO
It was alright, but maybe just by today’s standards. Some of the songs were just too long. If this didn’t somehow influence Sgt. Pepper I’d be surprised.
Donovan McNabb
2 good songs 2 good stars
One classic, a solid starter, and some other stuff that says "60s."
Bah, rollo. Cantautor, folk, 60's. Sin más.
Listened Before? N Like... far ouuuut, man! This was a good album, for real. Total sixites bomb and it was awesome. Peace and love, man. I love that this was basically dedicated to a woman whom he was pining for and actually ended up marrying.. and they're still married. Donovan just killing it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch
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
Sunshine Superman & Season of the Witch completely carry this album, the rest is decent listening too.
Pleasant album yet one that i won’t ever go - ‘I’d like to put on that Donovan record…’ - I think I’ve already gotten the most out of it
It was ok
Really cool take on folk/paychedelic. Love his voice.
I didn't care for this that much. Not much to say
Meh, just 60s hippy stuff. Good and all but quite forgettable
I went in having mostly only heard Season of the Witch- which is a great track. The album was overall better than I was expecting, but a full album of psychedelia is a bit much for me.
This list is full of such a specific type of psychedelic hippy folk stuff from the 60s, where they're like deliberately aiming for sparse medieval-sounding instrumentation. I've mostly found these extremely bad and boring, this included, and I've been hunting for a good articulation of what exactly's not working for me. Because back in the Pandora days, I was being served up a lot of stuff like Celtic Woman and Loreena McKennitt, both of which I liked a lot, and both of which I'd use similar terms to describe. So I think there's basically two things going on: 1. Acoustic is totally fine, but I like the arrangements to be on the busier side 2. singer-songwriter stuff puts a lot of onus on the singer to be able to deliver, and I don't think Donovan's all that impressive of a vocalist* (I think I also probably got a bit of bias against being impressed by men's singing. Like idk if I could name a man's singing that I'd call like Conventionally very good. Most of what's memorable to me is like Robert Plant, Bob Dylan, or Tom Waits etc where their voice is just extremely weird and they lean into it. Much to unpack some other time.)
60’s psychadellic! And we get Season of the Witch! A classic.
Wow, what an unexpected treat. I know Donovan only for the hit "Season of the Witch," which is on here, so we're off to a great start. The title track sounds familiar, but I can't be sure when or where I may have heard it. Regardless, there's an impressive degree of variety to this album, lots of great psychedelic departures and eclectic instruments. This released in the same month as Revolver! Obviously not as highly regarded but damn, it's pretty dope. Definitely comes out ahead of a lot of the '60s albums we've had that get repetetive, this one was excellent and refreshing. Favorite tracks: Season of the Witch, Sunshine Superman, Three King Fishers, Ferris Wheel, Bert's Blues, Guinevere, The Fat Angel. Album art: Absolutely love this design, the text and framing is really cool, great use of color too. This picture of I assume Donovan....looks EXACTLY like Kristen Stewart. Does anyone else see that? 4.5/5
very interesting. liked it a lot
Soooooooooooo oooooooooooold
estuvo graciosete sin más.no creo que lo vuelva a escuchar. 6/10. canción fav: celeste
A solid 60s psychedelic-folk romp.
Not a big fan of Donavan so do not appreciate his work sorry
C'était correct, Season of the witch est géniale mais le reste m'a pas tant allumé.
beat, s.s., 1966 -> 2
I listened to this album while walking through the woods and it was a nice enhancement to the wintery scenery I had in front of me. The calm and melodic songs were really nice to listen to. I've added this to my collection
It was fine-
Good lord so twee!
Donovan is clearly quite clever and versatile. Sitar, harpsichord, variety of styles are all appreciated. His voice is not his strong suit Sunshine Superman - solid Legend of girl child Linda- very long, gets old Three King Fishers- groovy, sitar,
4/5
Some real classics on here!
Psychedelic sounds with a dreamy fantastical string of songs. Stories of jesters, and queens. It’s easy to tell how much passion was put into the articulate world building. Beautiful paintings of wonder and silk thrones, velvet linings and hills with trees, which are lined with crows and birds.
Maybe the most late-60s thing I’ve heard.
The songs were okay but it didnt really hook me. I found his style of writing sometimes to be a little Syd-Barretish, which is fun but not always my favorite style.
Blue's Grandpa
Granted I find a lot of these songs generic. But the title song and “Season of the Witch” are so strong that I have to give it an extra star. 3/5
2,5
I have always been a fan of Donovan going back to the early-mid 60's when I first started developing my own tastes in music. Donovan is first and foremost a poet that used folk-pop music as a vehicle to share his poetry to the masses. This is a lovely album to listen to and it bridges a lot of musical genres (folk-pop, psychedelic rock, blues). The sprinkling of sitar and harpsicord add really cool flourishes throughout. From psychedelic (Sunshine Superman) to dark and trippy (Season of the Witch) there are a lot of great songs to choose from. Favorite Songs: Sunshine Superman, The Trip, Legend of a Girl Child Linda, Season of the Witch
I was surprised at how vibrant this record sounded. Donovan really pours himself into these songs, as Sunshine Superman oozes personality, whimsy and somber psychedelic folk. I really enjoyed getting lost in the tales of Arthurian Knights and Merlin (as Donovan continuously "looks out my window" to see what he sees). I also kind of love the style of the album artwork. 3.5/5 Fav tracks: Legend of the Girl Child Linda, Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch Fav tracks:
I feel like Donovan gets slighted in critical reviews of the 60s, but it's a real shame to write him off. There's some really lovely, gentle psychedelic folk here. While a few tracks don't quite hold up to the test of time ("Three King Fishers" and "The Fat Angel"), this is a confident and understated exploration of the softer side of the peace and love era. And amid that softness, you get Season of the Witch, which just absolutely rips. Favourites: Season of the Witch, Legend of a Girl Child Linda, The Trip
All my adult life I thought I’d listened to this a lot when I was a 19/20, but turns out it was Donovan’s greatest hits, not this. This is still class, peak 60s drug folk. Mightve just made that genre up but I think it sums this up well. It does go on a while, and some songs couldve done with being shorter in my opinion, particularly at the start, but when its good it is excellent. Reminds me of being young in the Summer. Highlights obviously the excellent Season of the Witch and Sunshine Superman, as well as The Trip, and Berts Blues. Still blows my mind he is Scottish and not American.
There definitely seems to be a sub genre of 60s singer songwriters with trippy album covers that have their face in the middle. Pretty sure they all vaguely sound like this with varying levels of psychedelia. This one was a bit more straightforward and bland compared to the others. It has the sort of hippy sound youd expect but it didn't really take it to any interesting places. Alright background music but wouldn't want to hear more, I stopped after the original tracklisting.
Super psychedelic. Some of the tracks are extremely bland, some pretty special (Season of the Witch, Sunshine Superman, and Legend of a Girl Child Linda). Seemingly off his face when recording. Am verering towards a 3.5, but will round up as it was on the whole refreshing.
This album has held up pretty well from the 60s. It can get a bit too folky/psychadelic for my tastes but overall I liked it. Highlights: Superman Sunshine Season of the Witch
I thought this was going to be some terrible 60s pop album.... Was not at all! Really quite good. Old Donovan must've dabbled in psychedelics back in the day. Much better than I expected, but not sure if I'll be back. Glad I've heard it though. Sunshine superman I recognised and was the best track. 3.5
Listened Before? No I'm not usually huge into 60s folk-psych, but this one is better than most of that era. Also reading a little history on it, it appears to be considered among the first true "psychedelia" released. I found the title track to be one of the strongest on here. Cool period elements and psych vibes. There was another later in the album that reminded me a lot of a Beatles song in the way it progressed, but can't remember which. All said, this is a very enjoyable album that teeters between folk and psych. Amazing given the cleanliness that this was produced in the mid 60s. Beautiful mixing and vocals, more mature than would be expected for a 19 year old. This is a 4 / 5 in my eye. Added to Library? No
This album was fine. Pretty middle of the road 3.
Pretty trippy to start but then mellows out a bit I thought into more traditional rock. He's got a good singing voice though. Wish it was more psychedelic like I thought it was going to be from his Wikipedia
Definitely have heard Sunshine Superman the song a ton of times but would never be able to tell you it was Donovan. Great tune. This is really good psychedelic folk. Three King Fishers really shows the sitar. Noah Kahan totally ripped off Season of the Witch. Like this one better anyway. Was thinking The Fat Angel sounded like Jefferson Airplane then they said Jefferson Airplane which was weird. JA also covered the song later on so maybe I've heard that before. Random guitar parts in Celeste remind me of House of Cards by Radiohead. Sounds like the coin trick. This was an extremely pleasant listen. Donovan nailed down the psychedelic folk angle which is not usually my favorite but he does it so well.
Sunshine Superman is a triple jump backward at this point. The record babyfaced, psych hardly denoting modernity any more, and a healthy Scottish dose of medievality. The openers on each side stand out, as does the sitar, early-sounding though I'm not sure how the instrument's history in Western music actually goes.
Very enjoyable album. Doesn't have Donovan's best work on it, but there's so much good here, that can be overlooked.
Some songs were a vibe but others were so monotonous that, overall, the record is unexceptional. [0095/1001]
Miam miam miam on mange bien
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.
Strong debut. Really enjoyed most of these songs and Season of the Witch is a knock out
Is it just me or does Donovan look like he could be related to Harry Styles? Such a fun psychedelic album that feels very flower power like (i.e. drugs), and wouldn't be a 60s psychedelic album without the use of a sitar somewhere across the track-list. Best: Season of the Witch Worst: The Fat Angel
"So that's who wrote that song!" - me after hearing Sunshine Superman here for the first time. I was ready to write this album off after track two or three thinking it was some protentious run of the mill 60's folk nonsense - it kind of is, but I can hear the origins of Beck, Mica P Hinson, and other prog-post-folk artits in Donovan's work. Bert's Blues makes me wonder what the relationship between The Beatles and Donovan was - it could of been an influence on the The Beatles, but I might be mistaken. This album does bang on about wizards and crows and silence and Camelot and jesters in a way that only a stinky hippy in the late 60's could possibly connect with, yet it does explore and drift in directions than those you wouldn't initially expect. I doubt I'll relisten often (or at all) but its a curious and interesting album.
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.
As an opener, Sunshine Superman epitomises that 60s sound. Mellow Yellow - overplayed pop song. But, Catch the Wind was a really good track. After that, I liked 'There is a mountain'. Colours was quite decent. Jennifer Juniper was one of those 'pure pop' songs aimed at the Top 30. However, things bounced back with a brilliant track "The Trip". Never heard it before and really liked it. Another few decent songs: Hurdy Hurdy man and Superlungs My Supergirl By the end of the album I realised this was a lot more layered and complex than I had assumed to give Donovan credit for. The fact that I know I want to listen to this album a few more times makes it a very deserved 4
I wanna smoke opium to this
2/5. Someone who is really trying their best to be a Paul Simon, but just doesn’t have the pipes for it. I did like the Jefferson Airplane reference and figure I’d rather listen to them.
I remember dad listening to Donovan when I was a kid so I was expecting some nostalgic feels, but I didn't dig Sunshine Superman as much as I thought I would.
Sentí influencia de Norwegian Wood (un año antes) y me recuerda a las vibras brujosas de Stevie Nicks.
66/100
Mixed. Heady mid/late 80's fare - you hear a lot of other influences from and in these songs. Enough with the medieval minstral tones!!!
Du bon rock bien années 60 Season of the witch et the trip sont bien 3.5
sounds straight out of the 70s. Love the cover art. I like the style.
not for me
definitely will be listening
Good
Favorite Track: Ferris Wheel I did not find the appeal for this album. The one song I did find some enjoyment out of was the fourth track on the album titled 'Ferris Wheel' It is not the worst album I have heard by any means, but I still can't say I enjoyed it sadly. 2.0/5.0
I've heard better of this style.
Definitely not a hit with me...
I liked it. Couple of classics I was surprised to hear. Would like to listen again, makes for a nice summer album
Decent folk effort from old (young) Donovan, but nothing that really grabs me.
A pleasant visit into the realm of Donovan. Pleasant, but not that special.
"The trip by Donovan" was quite good!! "Three King Fishers" also this one, I felt like I went on a trip "Bert's Blues" true 60s vibes "Superlungs my supergirl" (banned version) was written for flower childs "Superlungs my supergirl" (og version) was quite good!! An easy listen but not for every day. (Would consider getting it in LP though so I could enjoy the full Mono aspect of it)
A couple of songs were pretty good and fun, but this was mostly too slow and boring, and I am not on nearly enough acid to enjoy it.
Kinda nice
George Harrison - ass album. Very impressive that he made this at 19 though, serious musicality. Hard working 3 out of 5 from me
Pretty good
There is something that hits so right with all those Psychedelic Rock albums from those times. From the esthetics to the instruments and topics. It all sends you to a different dimension which I guess is what good art is about. Raw recordings of instruments and usage of classic music makes this extra lovely experience.
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
Dreadful. I hate this hippie music.
Add this to the pile of 60s psychedelic folk rock that I don't like. He is horrifically out of tune on "Ferris Wheel" . And you can't sing the word "foreboding" and put the stress on the last syllable (Guinevere).
Highlights: Season of the Witch, The Trip, The Fat Angel. Part folk rock, part psychedelia, light touch of baroque pop. It’s music you immediately identify with the cliched care-free part of the 60’s. Donovan was dismissed by critics as “a Dylan clone”. They’re wrong. There is a crossover but no ripoffs here. Many folk musicians- including Donovan and Dylan- would cite Martin Carthy, Woodie Guthrie, Rumblin’ Jack Elliott, Joan Baez, blues and British/Irish folk music in general as their forerunner influences. Donovan even taught John Lennon a different way to finger-pick a guitar and it was incorporated into ‘Dear Prudence’. Overall: 5/10
Mm funky trippy and soulful
Sounded surprisingly modern in places.
Sunshine came softly, ah to my, ah window today.
Very cool use of instrumentals. I enjoyed Berts Blues and Season of the Witch. A groovy psychedelic rollercoaster, but just not the kind of music I would go out of my way to always listen to.
This playlist wasn’t anything too special to me, it was decent music, but just a little weird. Probably wouldn’t listen to most of the songs on here, I’ll give it some slack because it’s an older album that might not be my type.
Don't know any songs by Donovan, never actually heard of him. Nice album cover. What a great introduction to the album with sunshine superman. Love the sound he achieves throughout the album, especially the guitarist. The whole album start to finish feels like a psychedelic journey. Great vocals, use and diversity of instrumental sound is impressive for the 1960s, definitely ahead of its time. Very satisfying Personal Favorites: Sunshine Superman, Bert's Blues, Season of the witch
good
Bob Dylan meets Simon & Garfunkel meets The Beatles. Plus it has Season of the Witch on there. Pretty great.
Impressions: For easy listening yet enjoyable. Genuinely enjoyed this. Favorite tracks: Sunshine Superman, Ferris Wheel, Bert’s Blues, Rating: 3/5
I think the people that created Dungeons and Dragons were definitely reading Tolkien, getting high as balls on weed and LSD, and listening to Donovan. This is one of the weirdest albums I've ever listened to. Half the songs are like LSD-soaked medieval ballads, the other half are hazy, experimental 60s pop tunes. It's not my jam but...it's not bad!
Boring
Boring
It was just ok, a couple nice tracks.
Psychedelic pop classic
Chill men vilka usla lyrics
So close to a 4. Two great songs and another couple notable tunes. The arrangements are interesting on thier own but the record did drag on a bit
3/10, 30%
Peaks at the first track but the first track also happens to be one of the greatest songs of the 60s (also how do you follow up a track that features half of Led Zeppelin) The psychedelic and folky soundscapes also give this album a beautiful autumnal feeling Favourite tracks: Sunshine Superman, Bert’s Blues, Season of the Witch, Celeste
Nothing about this is pleasing. The title track is boring. The only song when the singing is tolerable is Berts Blues which is admittedly an Ok song. The instruments give it any life it has but outside of that its very uninteresting. How is this psychedelic in anyway? Becuase theres some sintar? This would ruin my trip instantly. I cant end this review without saying how dreadful his singing voice can be especially on the title track
I enjoyed this album up to Season of the Witch - everything after that wasn't great.
Season of the Witch!!!
This was fine.
Kind of boring, typical mid-60s uber psychedelic summer of love type stuff. Some of it is definitely decent.
Not my cup of tea…
Initial Thoughts: Oh brother, another album from the 60's... Gonna try not to think about the era and listen with no bias. Final Thoughts: Do I just not like this era? I'm really starting to think that. I mean, the album was OKAY. Season of the Witch was hands down the best song, but even then it was my favorite. I'm usually a fan a psychedelic, but I think I realized that I like synth psychadelic. Either way, I can appreciate the talent, but this wasnt for me.
"Sunshine Superman" & Season Of The Witch" are excellent. The rest follow the trippy, hippy thing with diminishing results.
3-- seasson of the witch
I like some Donovan songs, but not enough to enjoy a whole album of them. There are a few standouts to me, the song about Linda and the song after that, but overall this didn't click for me. Sometimes the way he sings and pronounces things bothers me, it's a strange affectation that takes me out of it a bit. Probably won't be re-listening to this one.
It's pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a '60s Donovan album. Full of folksy guitar and a dash of psychedelia. I don't think it's a masterpiece, but it's a solid album and worth a listen.
Trippy album, solid 60’s folksy rock. Title track was good, probably won’t listen to the album as a whole again
Sweet
Sunshine Superman is a classic. I always liked season of the witch, too. I never had listened to the rest of the album before. Huge eastern influence, which was popular at the time. Honestly, it’s not really my thing. Probably written mostly for 60s kids trying out LSD for the first time.
This is just not my kind of music. Feels very monotonous and boring, nothing to hold me one for the ride
Donovan strikes me as a guy capable of turning you into a newt, so I don't want to anger him by giving his album anything lower than a 3/5. I can excuse some late 60s psychedelic pop. Especially if it vaguely sounds like weird Renaissance fair music. Shoutouts to my man Tim Buckley.
It was a chill hippie album.
60s alleged dreamboat music
Sunshine Superman // Bert’s Blues // Season of the Witch // Celeste 2/5
Amei o bruxo.
Sunshine superman is opens both sides strong with the title track and the stand out The Season of the Witch, in between it floats along with stories about medieval times with acoustic guitar, sitar, tablas and strings. It’s a pretty album 6.5/10
A couple of good tunes, but some were the kind of sappy, folksy love songs that I find boring.
1st song good rest very meh