Reviews (page 7 of 8)
This is a fine album, with some fun instrumentation and a few interesting compositions, though not necessarily my favorite of the 1960s folk rock sounds.
Not for me. Found it a bit dull. Maybe someone more interesting could make a few of the songs more enjoyable.
Wasn’t really giving to this, some OK songs
Pretty slow, annoying voice, discordant vocals and instruments at times. If someone put it on I wouldn't complain but I wouldn't enjoy it.
Enjoyable, nice guitar sound
2 stars. donovan is a mid artist except for happiness runs.
Just listen to the 3 really good songs
Pop. Folk. Rock.
The author's review listed their favourite song as Ferris Wheel, my personal lowlight of a song. I did not like Donovan as a singer, and for an album built upon slow, lilting spoken poetry, there was no chance I'd like the album as a result. Objectively, I think this music is alright, but for me personally it's nothing.
That was fun! I thought I'd like this more than I actually did– I'm biased toward Donovan. He's the kind of slightly campy, off-kilter, a little inscrutable edge to the 60's flower power thing that I think is fun. I really started paying attention to him with Mellow Yellow, which was a centerpiece record for me for discovering a whole lot of new stuff. This one was... less exciting than Mellow Yellow, for me. Very 60's camp. The super sober, English fantasy songs are really funny. I just didn't connect with many of his songs, unlike his later records. I found his songwriting to be a little underdeveloped. I don't know whether this is the only Donovan record we get, which would be a shame, because he is a delightful counterpoint to the more *serious* rock and roll records we have here. Between a 2 and 3 for me, but rounded up for Season of the Witch which is great. 3/5
3.5+
Groovy, whimsical, elegant when it needs to be. What I really appreciate about Donovan is that he was one of the few singers in the "psychedelic folk" vein with a strong pop sensibility and who also seems to be having fun. This is an album full of diverse influences, but Donovan still manages to keep a balanced, cohesive sound. Every little flourish and detail adds depth and value without ever sounding heavy handed, which is frequently not the case in albums from this era. Donovan's vocal is earnestly sweet and always engaging. Fave Songs: Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch, Bert's Blues, Celeste, The Trip, Ferris Wheel, The Fat Angel
Plenty of Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch awareness but I've never listened to this album all the way through. It is what you might expect from hearing both of these songs except with the hippy dial turned up even more. The album sounds cliché now but I'm sure minds were absolutely blown at the time.
Meh album, pensei que seria melhor. A vibe nao me atrai de todo.
Pretty, very psych influenced. At certain points, leans into the psych a little too much to become dull and too spaced out. Solid songwriting otherwise. Favorite tracks: "Season Of the Witch", "Guinevere"
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.
Ei häirinnyt mutta en mä tiedä mikä tässä olis pitänyt olla niin cool 2/5
Jotain kovin viehättävää tässä oli, vaikkei sinänsä ihmeellistä.
Ei mikään lempparipsyke tää, vähän tylsä. 2/5
Yeah. Right. Keep wondering why is this the album to be listened to before die? Why?
A beautiful, mellow and dreamlike psychedelic and folk album from the mid 1960s. I love the arrangements on this album, particularly the sitar sound which was still wasn't really common in pop music at that time - Sunshine Superman was recorded at the same time as the Beatles' Revolver and before that, the first and only song in pop music which had sitar in it was Norwegian Wood by The Beatles. A great album overall that I really enjoyed listening to.
Fun ‘60s psychedelic record. Some songs are more memorable than others.
Absolutely spellbinding. I love this album, it’s a favourite! Beautiful, wistful and melodic folk pop.
It's not even that the songs are dated. The two songs that I knew from before I dig ("Season of the Witch" and "Sunshine Superman") when they were made, and that's not the problem. The other songs that weren't hits are just... hippie ramblings. I'm just like, wow what were you smoking, a banana perhaps? Just... no.
I don't know. Am I supposed to give this album more credit for its pioneering of psychedelia or use of sitar? It's a landmark album for sure, but it's just meh. The two hits are awesome (Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch) but the others are just kind of beatnik blase. Maybe Bert's Blues was ok. The rest I just can't get into.
So I can appreciate how this was groundbreaking at the time - one of the first psychedelic albums, early use of sitar on a rock album, etc. But man does it sound dated. Legend of a Girl Child Linda sounds like something that would cause John Belushi to grab Donovan's guitar and smash it ("I will bring you gold apples, and grapes made of rubies, that have shone in the eyes of a prince of the breeze - SMASH!! BANG!! TWANG!!!). Three King Fishers sounds like a parody - even though it was probably pretty unique at the time, it just sounds corny to today's ears. That said, there were plenty of great songs. Sunshine Superman has that dated sound, but is a pretty cool song anyway. I can totally see girls dancing in mini-skirts on Top of the Pops to this song (couldn't actually find a video of this - it just has that vibe). Ferris Wheel is a nice mellow song and Bert's Blues is a nice bluesy track, but both have cheesy lyrics. Season of the Witch is rightly a classic. Very cool song. The Trip is a good song to bop to - nice guitar riff - sounds like it could have been a good song by Bob Dylan. Even Guinevere had a nice vibe (the name made me cringe - I expected another cheesy song and the lyrics didn't disappoint from that perspective, but the music is not bad at all). The Fat Angel and Celeste both bring the album to a pleasant ending. Giving it a 4 as appreciation for its place in musical history, but can't go to a 5 given how poorly the lyrics and sound have aged.
Canciones extensas sin mucho contenido ni ritmo apegante o interesante. Los blues tienen co tenido y uno quiero escucharlos, pero la dxperiencia previa experimental saca todo de contexto. Por eso es que este disco suena interesante y lamentablemente queda en eso 5/10
It's very gentle, 60's hippy-folk. It all feels quite painfully sincere and nice. It's not necessarily bad, it's just quite boring in my opinion.
The litany of groups that have not yet graced this list are long, and yet I’m listening to the 199th best album of the 1960s. Uggggggghhh. Eff off with the tales of Guinevere and the harpsichord already.
The album features some fun bits here and there but many of the songs for me just fell flat in the songwriting and were a little bland. 6/10
Too weird for me. Even for this era.
Welp, album number 300. Honestly I was hoping for something a little more exciting. It was just an okay folk-rock album with a couple of faster and more exciting tracks, but it was mostly a bit too slow and boring so didn't draw my attention, and sometimes grew whimsical to the point of just being a bit unappealing on my ears. Not the worst album, by no means the best to me. Favourite: Sunshine Superman
A 20 year old from Scotland, but only the title track is worthwhile. Trippy lyrics.
Meh
I love the meandering flow of the album tracks, this album takes a few listens to get it and maybe some LSD. Great stuff.
Sunshine Superman is a good tune but has a weird fade-out, like someone just turned the knob down before the song was over. That said, a song should have an ending. Ferris Wheel, Bert’s Blues, Season,… The Trip sure had a lot of musical similarities to The Beat Goes On by Sonny and Cher, no? I’m really surprised how much I liked this record (with only a couple exceptions).
Man i love "Season of the Witch". The rest of the album was fine.
It has two great songs. And the rest is very very meh. I want to rate this a 2.5 but I guess I'll bump to 3 just because I like Season of the Witch so much.
Beautifully dreamlike, though a bit vague at times.
Nice and chill… maybe a little too chill for its own good, tbh.
Excellent early Psychedelia, I think this was important enough and also unheard of for me (a layman) to consider it vital.
So... Much ... Sitar
1966 seems like a good year for sitar players. Donovan comes back with one of the most-known albums in his career. Sunshine Superman digs a hole in the 60s psychedelic pop with eclectic lyrics, hypnotic harmonies, and mystic instrumentation. Some songs are dark and mysterious, others more introspective and self-reflective (and a few, mere filler). While Sunshine Superman is neither revolutionary nor transgressive, it's embedded in the 60s pop culture and still remains a solid example of how was o be young and free during those years
There were some surprise songs that I actually liked, and some that I had to skip. You can hear that it is an old album. The music is simple with a lot (or even too much) repetition of instruments and phrases. Opening song was the nicest. Not something I will listen to after this however.
You can smell the incense!
An early entry into the rise of psychadelic music for the 1960's. This album is best known for it's two singles: Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch. Coincidentally, these are the only two tracks on the album that are truly noteworthy. Other songs are slow and rarely develop into anything noteworthy. Mostly, they lack the memorable hooks of the singles. It's a fair listen. Nothing terribly lacking or bad.
Pretty great little psychedelic/baroque pop album. I only knew the title track from this guy (and it's probably still the best one on the album), but a pretty solid listen all the way through. 3.5/5
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
sounds very grainy, maybe that's part of the charm.. it's very 60's counter culture. 4
Another artist where I knew the big singles but not the album tracks. The stuff new to me was unexpected. More psychedelic and less poppy with certainly more sitar! I really enjoyed it. I can't quite believe I've not listened to it before because it's absolutely the sort of thing I love and by an artist I liked everything I've heard by. I'll definitely return to it again. I might even have scored it 5 if it wasn't for a couple of tracks which particularly outstayed their welcome (I'm looking at you, Guinivere)
I like Donovan but I really only enjoyed 1 or 2 tracks from the album. However I’m going to go for 3*
Couple of bangers but most of it was a bit dull.
Sunshine, check. Young girl, check. Wizard, check. Lute, check. Sitar, check. You shall ride, check. That’s Donovan Bingo!
what would clark kent say
Psychedelic '60s folk pop. Not something I'd listen to again
Running it back to the 60s again today- It's been a great week for harpsichords, along with "Face to Face" by the Kinks. Holy heck- do I actually like Donovan now? I heard "Sunshine Superman" all the time at my part-time job during high school and both the melody & his voice grated on me. But now I see that Donovan wasn't the problem, it was minimum-wage drudgery after all. Still not my FAVOURITE, but it's catchy HL: “Ferris Wheel”, “Celeste”, “Season of the Witch”, “Guinevere” June 3, 2023
Season of the Witch!
A few very cool sitar moments, and chill album, but for the most part was bored by this one.
2 really good songs, then a weird bunch of other stuff
Really enjoyed Donovan's chilly, hippy, psychedelic sounds. Familiar with Season of the Witch (my favourite) and Sunshine Superman.
Largely fine, couple of big hits....some predictable cheesy hippy tropes. Meh.
Vähän tylsähköä, mutta ihan letkeätä. Menis kesällä taustamusiikkina ehkä
Kind of like lots of Mellow Yellow just less mellow
Interesting. Folksy stuff. With some harpsichordy baroque stuff, and some sitar stuff.
cool
Donovan occupies a wierd niche in the whole 60s-70s counterculture/psychedelia vein for me. The inter-album swing between culturally relevant boho modernism as in the title track versus solidly neo-traditional (a genre I think is very difficult to get right) like Three King Fishers. Particularly interesting is the prominent strata of dark strangeness running through it, most prominent in the difficult to classify Season of the Witch. Whatever it is I'm on board for all of it.
Ég er hrifinn af Donovan, finnst hann oft ansi skemmtilegur, en þessi plata er lítið meira en fín. Titillagið er frábært sem og Nornarlagið, en hitt er ekki eins eftirminnilegt. Vantar meira beat.
Meh. I enjoyed Season of the Witch and Mellow Yellow, however, didn't take care for this album. 2/5
Fikk lyst på lys øl i en varm park
It was ok.
I love a bit of Donovan. This isn't quite up there with Barabajagal in his canon, and doesn't contain anything as beautiful as Catch the Wind, but is a great outline of whatade Donovan alternately so fun and so moving.
Encore un nouvel album de psychédéliqueries publié par un parfait inconnu dans les années 60. Ne sont pas les Beau Brummels qui veulent.
Je suis en train de confectionner un arsenal militaire de haute technologie, qui devrait me permettre de supprimer pour de bon les années 60 du paysage musical mondial. Je vous tiendrai au courant lors de la mise en action de cet acte terroriste de premier ordre.
far out maaaan. i once saw donovan at glastonbury. that makes me sound like i'm as old as the hills and was there in the 60s but i'm not, i saw him about 40 years later in 2002 (which also makes me old) when starsailor wheeled him out to do an absolutely forgettable duet. upon listening to this album, apart from sunshine superman and season of the witch, that is probably because his music is nice enough but fairly forgettable.
A syrupy shit splashed across the back of the toilet bowl, that resembles a Jackson Pollock masterpiece, but doesn't get the acclaim. Where's the justice?
Better than his later work with Kylie Minogue
I like this, it’s interesting. Lots of styles and influences but I don’t love it and it became a bit of a challenge to get to the end.
Mira que me gusta el folk y la psicodelia de esos años pero el disco no termina de romper excepto por "Season of the witch". Entiendo que hay que escucharlo alguna vez en la vida pero no creo que sea algo imprescindible.
Decent only a couple of standout tracks
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
Overall it's pretty dull and not that nice to listen to, however it has two good tracks on it and Bob Dylan has a petty jealousy of Donovan, so we can give it 3 stars for that.
This really bores me. Standard 60 psych pop with a healthy splattering of sitars and Indian aesthetics. Not for me
A bit too hippie for me
3-4
Boring, weird, problematic at points. Not quite bad enough for 1 ⭐, but just barely scrapes a second one.
If it’s time
3.5
a classic,
A few really good psych-rock songs but they were overshadowed by too many bland songs and medieval-style ballads
Relaxing with a good feel. Nothing really stood out from other albums in the same time period.
This was fine, nothing really stood out from the generic 60s sound that started with the Beatles. I liked the organ in there though.
I only knew "Sunshine Superman" and "Seasons of the witch" prior to this suggestion and I have to say: very cool, laid-back, chill album.
Psychedelic, chill and a fun listen overall.
Hippy. I dig. Peace man.
Fine background, probably a lot of people’s favorite album and certainly would have been for the time
Pretty forgettable. Do love the eastern influences though
oh genieten!
Had ik al eens beluisterd...zeer hard genieten
Classic record from a classic artist. Great lazy Sunday listening, listened to this on repeat all afternoon.
если честно, скучновато тут вроде очень неплохая лирика, но музыкально жутко затянуто есть отдельные интересные моменты, но нудность убивает всё
Довольно неплохая лирика, но иногда звучит все слишком нудно + гудеж постоянный у гитарки надоедает
Буквально совсем недавно слушали Дона МакЛина. Кажется, это его предтеча. Очень душевные и атмосферные песни, понравится всем любителям песен у костра, вот в каком-то таком вайбе альбом. И классно обыграны разные этнические штуки: африканская перкуссия, где-то по-моему играет ситар (кажется, так называется этот индийский инструмент, типа как огромная лютня с миллионом струн). Почитал дополнительно - он оказывается был мега популярен в конце 60-х, сродни Beatles. Получается, запрос на грустненьких мальчиков с гитарой тоже был? Вообще наверное единственный минус этого альбома: то, что он вышел в 60х. Запись оставляет желать лучшего, частоты все куда-то подевались, вокал какой-то "глухой", вот если верхов поднять чуть-чуть - будет идеально.
groovy
Awesome band, I like this kind of music
Only a couple of songs that were popular.
I'm familiar with a few of these tracks. I really love "Season Of The Witch" -- that one clicks in well with me. The rest mostly sound too much like the time to me. I do get the importance of this album and some of his other work, but overall it doesn't do much for me.
Tough one to rate, this album has some really high highs but also a few pretty underwhelming tracks (that second track just goes on and on). Season of the Witch is such a banger though and is so well placed that it honestly elevates the whole thing. Overall I like the relaxing nostalgic psych vibes on this, so 4 stars
Not as good as hurdy gurdy man but still a solid record
It would be excellent if listening in the 60s during autumn while on LSD.
Second time with this album, and there's just not much interesting here still. The titular single is a Trojan horse for the rest of the album, as it sounds nothing like anything else on here at all. Favorite track: The Trip
I'm glad I didn't listen to this driving home; I might have fallen asleep and killed somebody.
Good album. I know the singles, but hadn't heard the album. I liked it. 3.75/5
I like Donovan, but I’ll admit, a lot of the deeper cuts test my patience for hippie music, as it’s usually not my thing. Still, he has a good voice and a way with lyrics, enough so to make it a solid experience. B
A classic sound, but the title track and season of the witch were the only songs I really liked. The rest was too quiet for me.
Hippy nonsense
So very 60s. Sound was mellow for the timeframe. Fondly remembered when it first came out
No
Nice! Not my cup of tea, a little too bard/eastern/medieval, but still nice.
I have very few rules in life, but a hard and fast one is to never trust anyone who happily admits to being called Mellow Yellow, unless they're a cat, which Donovan certainly could be for all I know. That song isn't even on this album, so consider me skeptical. Apparently John Mellencamp is a fan. This has to mean that when little Johnny Mellencamp went down to the Tastee Freeze to enjoy a chili dog, he asked if they had Mello Yello as a soft drink. No way that Tastee Freeze had Mello Yello. They likely countered by asking if Fresca was OK. That's probably when Johnny Mellencamp went all in on Mountain Dew to wash down that chili dog and polished it off with three Marlboro Reds. But I'll give Mellow Yellow (Donovan, not the soft drink) his props. Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch are all-time bangers. I may think more of Season of the Witch ever since it was used in Gus Van Sant's movie "To Die For" because it's the perfect song to play while Illeana Douglas ice skates over Nicole Kidman's dead body. Oh, spoiler alert. The movie is damn near 30 years old. Get over it. Don't even get me started on Hurdy Gurdy Man being used in the movie Zodiac. That song isn't on this album either. But props to Donovan for allowing David Fincher to use that song for THAT scene. Nice move, Donovan. They call him Mellow Yellow. Superman and Green Lantern ain't got nothing on him. I don't make the rules here.
Pretty good, not great but more interesting than I expected.
Wrote a longer review on the tube in to work but it seemingly didn’t save. Psuedo-cosmic drivel with a couple of the tunes having a bit more oomph (Season & Supergirl). I bet he wowed the ‘crowds’ at parties. At least he chose guitar rather than bongos.
Christ, this was fucking awful. It started quite promising with Sunshine Superman. But then it became rambling hippy shit. I'm pleased I didn't live through the late 60's and early 70's if this was the music of rebellion. It's about as dangerous as a cold cup of tea.
Bah, rollo. Cantautor, folk, 60's. Sin más.
Foppish fake flower power. With two decent hits.
Donovan is a great storyteller and calms me with his voice. True, original and genuine musician. 5 stars
Decent
svag för donovan ändå
I love the two singles on this album, Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch. I’ve put both of them on multiple playlists over the years. They are solid 60s tunes that I always enjoy hearing. The rest though, I’m sad to say was just bland filler. But it’s still listenable and pleasant enough.
I was ready to dismiss this album as boring after listening to the biggest hit, which is a self-titled track "Sunshine Superman". I have to be honest, I'm not sure what's the appeal of this track, it was rather unattractive and simply boring. Fortunately, I gave it another go and listened to whole record carefully, and I'll admit, the rest of the album is much better! "Season of the Witch" is simply amazing. Combination of the blues and rock, with soft voices by Donovan, I fell in love instantly. Other songs weren't as catchy as this one, but still very entertaining and in line of the general feeling of the album. Very positive surprise!
Poor
*sigh* This album is another one of those pretentious mid 60's hippie folk/pop albums that take themselves way too seriously. It's not a total trainwreck, but there is nothing making me want to listen for more than a few minutes. That some of the songs are rooted in the while-men-playing-the-blues traditon doesn't help. 2/5
60-luku soittelee taas. Tuntuu, että tää vois olla mielenkiintonen albumi, jos kuuntelis tarkemmin. Kirkko-teemaa? Ainakin hidasta on
Hippeilyä + yhden hipin fantasia keskiajasta. Mitä seuraavaksi? Kosminen tanssi, jossa miekka vain sattuu lävistämään sydämen? Tai sormi ajautuu sulkemaan Spotifyn?
It's good. Maybe a bit too sappy sometimes, but I'm OK with it.
There are some interesting arrangements and instruments used, though the majority of this is monumentally boring. I don't particularly care for the hits from this album, and there's little for me to want to listen to again.
Enjoyable but kinda boring. Production could be better, sounds a bit thin to me.
Favorites: Sunshine Superman, Bert's Blues, Season of the Witch
It's just another "sounds-like-the-Beatles-but-not-as-good" album. It was alright, I guess.
23rd November 2022 Listened in the morning while doing little work from home. Ben and Nilisha round in the evening. Didn’t know he made this album at 19, which is impressive. Psychedelic folk and its tilting60s best. 3.5 if I could.
Very tidy but nothing mind blowing
I love psychedelic rock and this album is quite a cool mix of that and other genres. Good stuff Saved tracks: Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch, The Trip, The Fat Angel
Enjoyed it
I liked this, in a gentle and interested way. Not by any means stand out but certainly worth a listen.
One hit wonder. Not deserving of this list
When I was think of 60s hippies, Donovan is typically the first to come to mind. And in his landmark album, he showcases his acoustic-driven psychedelic sound in a variety of settings. Some songs like "Sunshine Superman" and "Season of the Witch" entice pop and rock fans with a hard catchy sound, while other songs put listeners in a trance. I think the transitions can be quite harsh. For example, I'm sure many listeners who know the titular song are quite shocked that the very next song "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" is the exact opposite. It's a good song, whimsical, trippy, and beautiful with the moody classical arrangements, but soft and story-driven (reminds me Leonard Cohen). There seems to be a dynamic between these two styles throughout the album that could push listeners away. Moving songs like "Season of the Witch" and "The Trip" toward the front would help alleviate this, but I can how having slow songs back-to-back could also get people to turn it off. I found most of the songs to be peaceful, groovy, and memorable. "Guinevere" and "The Fat Angel" were boring, but at least the sitar and lyrics kept me engaged if I were paying attention. My favorite thing about the album is how the instruments are used to illustrate the stories told (it's like they're talking or creating sound effects), and since there are so many of them, it makes a very colorful experience fun to trip to.
Decent 60s album, but I've never been a big Donovan fan. I don't feel like he really stands out from his contemporaries. Best Songs: Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch, Celeste Worst Songs: Legend of a Girl Child Linda, Three King Fishers,
This wasn't bad but it's not much more than generic 60s music to me
Hippy dippy, trippy. This is OK psychedelic pop folk, but there are much better examples of this genre. Sunshine Superman and Season of the Which are classic tracks. The rest of the album meanders a tad. It must have worked well for the stoned listeners at the time, but it does not hold up well.
I know this is “psychedelic” but most of the lyrics are just too silly. I do thin Jimmy Page guitar work on Season of the Witch (definitely the standout song on the album) is excellent
This was nice and gentle, but nothing really wowed me. It was cool to hear the psychadelic/folk fusion. Donavan went to India with the Beatles and taught them fingerpicked and His influence on the White Album is clear. The hits were the true highlights and while not every song Is my taste this album definitely deserves a spot here.
This is a pretty trippy album and you can hear he has influenced many artists
Donovan has some really sick songs. A couple of his super-hits are on this album and they're great. But unfortunately, a lot of the fill in between is a bunch of annoying mid-60s hippy shit with flutes and sitars. Not that it's all bad, just not great. I wanted to give this album a higher score.
Not a big fan.
Pleasant enough but not very snazzy
I love love love the instrumentation on this, and songs like the title track and Season of the Witch are just fantastic
Highlights = Sunshine Superman, Ferris Wheel, Bert’s Blues, and of course the ever popular and timeless “Season of the Witch”.
Suprisingly good, me enjoy a bit
Has a vibe, but not my bop. It was a bit hard to listen throuh
Legend of a girl child Linda Three king fishers Sunshine superman
This CD is fine, but it's very poorly produced. He's straight-up getting audio clipping on the vocals on "Sunshine Superman", where it damn near ruins the song, and then slightly less distractingly on "Bert's Blues". It doesn't seem like an intentional choice - certainly it doesn't suit or improve those songs - and if so, that's a total novice mistake. The mix is also super-inconsistent from track-to-track - I'm gonna leave "Sunshine Superman" out of this because I think it's so totally botched, but compare how loud the vocals and orchestral instruments are in the mix on "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" against how quiet they are in the mix on "Ferris Wheel" (an otherwise similar light ballad) and "The Trip". Again, I don't think this is an intentional artistic decision, I think it's a mistake. And you could say, that's just how it is, but as a listening experience it's jarring, distracting, and unpleasant - you want to get lost in the music, not be jolted awake and then two minutes later have to struggle to hear. They also get pretty crummy instrumental sound on a few tracks - like seriously what is making that crackle in the background of "Season of the Witch"? That noise appears throughout the song in the background on the 2- and 3-and beats, and I think it's a really shitty-sounding guitar, but I honestly don't know. The guitar and drum sound is weak and thin on a couple other tracks as well. And on several songs here's super-heavy electric bass with no kick drum behind it - e.g. "Ferris Wheel", where's there's no kit at all, or "Season of the Witch" and "The Trip" where there's a kit but either he's not using the kick or it's been totally mixed out - maybe they were going for that, and they kind of get in the pocket on "The Trip", but overall it just sounds thin and out-of-sync. This isn't necessarily Donovan's fault, and this was recorded in 1966 - technology was worse back then, and that's some excuse. But overall this CD sounds more like The Troggs than e.g. contemporary Beatles recordings. Much of that is the actual production, but Donovan is pretty limited as a composer as well - "Bert's Blues" and "The Trip" are basic and kind of weak, and I'm not a huge fan of the vaguely-Eastern stuff either ("Three King Fishers" / "The Fat Angel") - the Beatles at least had the decency to limit the vaguely-Eastern tracks to one per album. And Donovan's got a nice voice, partly limited by the production, but there's just a curious lack of backing vocals anywhere on the record - there's basically none anywhere, and he's not really making up for it with instrumental depth. I didn't outright dislike it though, I'm more just frustrated at how poorly put together it is.
Two hits are alright but again too much hippy bullshit for me
Nice, but by Guinevere I was pretty bored Album cover: 4/5 very nice
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.
The first real surprise since I started to do this, I had never listened to Donovan properly, being put off my his image and only really knew Mellow Yellow. I'd been missing out. There is some hippy bollocks on here but it's enjoyable and some great harder edged psychedelic stuff like Season of the Witch. Sunshine Superman just pips that as best song. Really good.
Really liked it. Nice and clean easy listen
Season of the Witch is great. Rest of album is good
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
Maybe with acid?
Groovy.
Overwhelmingly dull and pointless apart from a couple tracks. Favorite track: Bert's Blues
Love this album, great psych sound and Indian influence. Fav track: Sunshine Superman
Some great songs, but not a cover to cover album.
Definitely enjoyable and a nice change of pace from Cohen
I recognized a couple songs on here.
This was so outrageously sixties... Mostly in a good way but sometimes a little too ridiculous
Not my favourite Donovan, but still enjoyable.
I really enjoyed the world music elements and sunshine superman is a classic (didn’t know it was his until now), but overall the songwriting is not anything that would make the album something remarkable, especially at a time when many experimented and came up with better songs.
Decent folk album, one of the first ones to use a Sitar
I’ve listened to enough psychedelia at this point that I’ve grown quite tired of it. However, this album manages to bring an earnestness that doesn’t get lost in the weirdness for weirdness’s sake. Donovan employs fairly basic folk/blues/psychedelic instrumentation including some eastern sounds but he manages to center his voice at all times which grounds the album. Though the lyrics are at times a bit overkill replete with vaguely druggish and new age imagery, the overall effect is pleasant and enjoyable.
Really did not enjoy this one. 1.5 bc jimmy page is on track one, but I’m not a fan of anything mickie most produced. Almost every song is about King Arthur or something and they all sound like medieval folk songs. Too much harpsichord for my taste
I liked the music for the first few songs but his voice is rough. Reminds me of a church singer. I got tired of it by the end but it was a short album. Favorite song was season of the witch
Mediocre
Season of the Witch is one of my favorite 60s songs. The rest of the album is either way too flower children or just sort of sounds like slowed down early Beatles.
I didn't love it but kind of funny that so many 60s tropes and parodies came from this album and general vibe. 2 stars for me, 1 pity star for poor Donovan being the butt of the joke.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 2/5
🤙
Bland
es como los bitles cuando fueron a la india pero sin la salsa
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
People in 1966 hearing a sitar for the first time: "holy shit hoLY SHIT WHAT THE FU-"
Donovan. 60's real time plagiarizer of the 60's. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and never quite as good as the copied.
Love this sound. 3.5
2 great songs.
a lot of sitar this dude did acid for sure ohh season of the witch is a banger
Like his voice of course and the melancholy, so a 4 for that. Music is bit too cheesy for me, leads to the average of 3,
Fun sitar on the tracks, season of the witch is great.
If you put aside the fact that Donovan was suppose to be the "new" Dylan when he began his career as a acoustic folk singer, Sunshine Superman, as well as his other albums from the late 60's, really reflected the time period. He shifted his style to a psychedelic, folk rock sound and wore long flowery shirts, which of course, wasn't anything new as the Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Byrds etc, experimented with the sound and concept. I must admit, I like Donovan's attempt, most of it was listenable and it sure beats his folky troubadour sound. It gets overindulgent at times and it wears thin after a while, but this album is a good positive time-capsule of his career.
Too. Much. Folk.
This feels like an artist in transition, whose footing in both folk and psychedelia is somewhat unsure as they find their new place. I feel like 'Ferris Wheel' shows what a really good balance would sound like, which also carries with it aspects of what I enjoyed from Nick Drake's work. On the whole though, I wasn't all that into 'Sunshine Superman'.
Top 3 Songs: 1 - The Trip (7) 2 - Sunshine Superman (1) 3 - Season of the Witch (6)
great album ,very chill.
Initial thoughts: pretty slow and boring, psychedelic rock doesn’t do it for me. It picks up occasionally but the production is hit or miss. Amazing vocals though. Final thoughts: really picked up in the 2nd half, with great production and the slower songs being more interesting. Main complaint is that the songs are poorly paced, they never change throughout and feel like they’re missing proper endings or bridges. Best song: Season of the Witch Worst song: Legend of a Girl Named Linda
Great sound, but post-Beatles it just didn’t feel the best at things it was doing
Two thumbs up!
First song was an absolute banger. Second song too long, but the rest of the album was really solid. I like the psychedelic rock vibe.
Mí favorita es The season of the witch pero me gustaron todas las canciones. Discazo!
I have a friend named Donovan
Pretty alright
Interesting album and had some gems. Overall nice to have on in the background.
me re gustó!! fue bastante slay le doy 8/10 mis temas favs: season of the witch, berts blues y celeste
weird brit psychodelia. Its fun to listen to but ultimately missable.
Really enjoyed this mix of folk and psychedelic music, lots of brilliant catchy songs. Though a few forgettable songs stops this getting a 5.
New version of pop I’ve never heard before
Meh
Really great. Encapsulates so much of what was so great about the 60s :) Will return
Het begon wel lekker relaxed, maar ik vind het op een gegeven moment ook wel een beetje saai worden.
A bit dated for my liking but an enjoyable album. Nothing I found I felt like skipping. Don't think I'll return to it soon though.
(3.5) Psychedelic!
3, groovy
Har hørt litt på da tidligare, uten å bli hekta. Men heilt adekvat chillemusikk ein torsdags kveld (eller morgen)
2 classic tracks and some mixed bag hippie junk. I will gladly listen to the title track and Season of The Witch many more times. A generous 3 just for those gems.
Delicious, chill jams. Upbeat vibes all over. Very easy to listen to.
great songwriting
Sometimes psychedelic, sometimes medieval folk-ish, sometimes both. I dug most of it. Best track: Sunshine Superman
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.
Didn't recognize the name. But knew the first song. Folky with some early psychedelic/eastern sound. Easy to listen to. Didnt love the 2nd track.
aggressively psychedelic. not my vibe at all
Good album, love the sitar. Seems to be a real staple in 60s tunes.
An okay album that has heavy 60s psychedelic pop sound. The lead song on the album is pretty good but the rest of the album is much different. It’s pretty simple pop music besides the psychedelic stuff. Nothing too exciting. 5.1/10
Best Song: Season of the Witch. I like songs that slowly build like his one does. Plus it has a cool title. Worst Song: Legend of a Girl Named Linda. I'm sure there's a delightful little story hidden in this ballad, just as I'm sure the lead singer had a +1 with girls named "Linda" for the rest of his life. Doesn't mean I want to hear it though. Overall: Going in, I knew only two of the songs, although I didn't know who had performed them. Coming out, I understand why I knew only those two, as the remainder were a bunch of dry duds. I do respect the audacity of having a song called "Guinevere" be immediately followed by "Fat Angel".
I got into Donovan 'late' so to speak, that is to say I almost didn't hear of his music whilst searching for new bands in my youth. It took a couple of listens to get fully into the album, the standout track for me being 'season of the witch', but overall the album is a great listen if you immerse yourself in it
Good. I liked it. 5\5
60s pop with a couple of above average songs. Title track, Season of the Witch and The Trip all above average. Below a three, but I’m rounding up for the classic cover art.
forgettable early psychedelia
Melodies were ok but I didn't find it super interesting. The sitar was cool but seemed out of place. But I can feel very strong 60s and psych influences from this album.
Every song sounded the same. One went on forever. Nothing added to a playlist, title track came close but didn't.
Early psychedelia tinged with sitars and tablas. You can practically smell the daffodils, marigolds, weed, and unwashed hippy feet.
Nice. Another artist I'd only heard of, but really dig his music.
I’ve never heard mideval psychedelic music like this but it’s really good
A classic. More bluesy than I remembered but not a bad thing. I love Robert Plant’s voice. Organ on your time is gonna come…why so much organ in the late 60s/early 70s? It’s ok though. This album definitely has its moments.
I didn't think I knew anything going into this album, but the opening track was a hot that I knew. It drops significantly as the second track screeches to a bore that continues through the end of the album.
The album gives a positive vibe, a spur in humaneness. I like the harpsichord and sitar sounds. I read Jimmy Page played on this pre Led Zeppelin
With one foot in the psychedelic soil and one foot out the folksy door, Sunshine Superman showcases Donovan coming into the potential of his musical strengths. While of its time in some respects, it comes armored with fanciful tales and a song that would come to define him more or less; yet it doesn't mean it isn't a good collection of material. More would come from Donovan soon and he'll get better. Favorites: Sunshine Superman, Legend of a Girl Child Linda, Bert's Blues, Season of the Witch, The Fat Angel, Celeste.
I could not help but think that this is the type of album that Kevin Murphy on the show F is for Family would churn out with his band to try and capitalize on some sort of medieval music trend. I didn't hate it and really enjoyed a small handful of songs, but this is a bit boring and feels very derivative.
I feel like this is the sound of the 60s. He encompassed it and then influenced others. When the other guys (Who, LZ, Stones, Et al.) were trying to break out of doing ripped off blues Donovan was creating the sound of the summer of love.
There’s something very wholesome about Donovan - an integrity and honesty that shines through his work with some lovely arrangements for sitar and guitar. I fear, though, that listening to an albums worth has the listener feeling his work leans towards whimsy. Perhaps better enjoyed occasionally rather than 10 tracks at a time.
meh... Bert's Blues was cool
Pretty good, very 60s british which is no surprise
Very enjoyable.
Starts well then fades quickly and becomes very dull
Alright but wouldn't listen again
As a student, I once spent a summer working in a purgatorial tourist trap shop in a seaside town, selling dinghies and pornographic playing cards to apathetic tourists. The music the shop played was from a 5-cd compilation; the staff (mainly 16-yr-olds) had been prevented from putting on their own music after the boss walked in to the sound of Eminem rapping about raping his own mother. Anyway, the best songs on that CD were one of the few reasons I didn't open my own wrists whilst working there. These included I Am The Resurrection, Ghost Town, The Model and Sunshine Superman (the worst included Bette Davis Eyes: who would want Bette Davis' wonky eyes anyway? They looked like Ygor's from Young Frankenstein). So, I have quite some fondness for Donovan from the outset. That the Happy Mondays paid homage to him on Pills 'N Thrills and Bellyaches also works in his favour. But I had not sat down and properly listened to an album of his before. This was no purposful evasion; I just hadn't. I probably would have given this a bash at some juncture in the future, but other acts have piqued my curiosity more over the years: Gary Numan has seemed more overtly intriguing to me than this trippy folk-rock troubadour. Listening to this album inevitably conjures the image of you-know-who. Yes, him. This causes a doubt as to whether Donovan is truly worthwhile, or just a capable xeroxing in lieu of the real deal. I'd like to dispel that scepticism. Although of course he was an influence on Donovan, it's unfair and reductive to dismiss Donovan as mere karaoke, and also you'd be missing out. You see, it turns out Sunshine Superman is highly enjoyable. Part of this pleasure comes from his distinction to Dylan; contempt might not be in Donovan's bag, but Dylan can hardly manage Donovan's feyness. Indeed, one can discern how this influenced Marc Bolan, particularly in the lightness and clarity of Donovan's voice. However, the best songs on this album (Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch, Bert's Blues, that sort) are, perhaps counterintuitively given Donovan's reputation, rather fierce rockers. The gentler, folksier numbers unfortunately tend to drag a touch, but not disqualifyingly so. As such, this album isn't perfect, but a great time should result anyway.
Gave me an experience I wasn't expecting. A little all over the place. The first song is good psychedelic rock, and then it feels like the album shifts. The second song onward are mostly these comfy, soft compositions. This isn't a bad thing, and I enjoyed the style of music played with here. Unfortunately it shifts again with 'Season of the Witch,' which is a good song, but again, it just felt a little all over the place.
Dylan wannabe and the man who seems to have written all The Beatles music - according to himself. It's a pot luck of folk rock, folk and basic sixties cod-psychedelia. It's a pot luck of tunes as well. Best Tracks: Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch; The Trip
I just found this one a bit too slow
It's more interesting than enjoyable. I really like the title track and 'Season of the Witch' but the other songs baffle me veering off at musical tangents it's difficult to classify. Certainly not boring but more cultural history.
Annoying... For anyone who knows the mighty boosh, this sounds like the logical conclusion of retro, but unironically. Put down the sitar, man...
Klasyczny album od pana Donovana z 65, jeden z moich ulubionych folkowo psychodelicznych materialow, calosc zamyka sie w 43 minutach na 10 trakach, jedna z unikalnych stron tego nagrania jest to jak laczy muzycke wyspiarska, gdzie czerpie glownie lirycznie nawiazaniami folklorowymi, z psychodelicznymi eksperymentami hameryki, gdzie nie tylko substancje psychoaktywne mialy pewnie wplyw na brzmienie tego albumu, ale sama egzotycznosc styli muzycznych jakie byly grane w stanach tamtych czasow no i rewolucja spirytualistyczna ktora z niej wynikla i powstanie ruchow pro wschodnich, ktore slychac rowniez w muzyce tamtych czasow, jest to takze pierwszy popowo rokowy album feaczurujacy sitarki, ktore kilka lat pozniej zostana sprzedane swiatu przez beatlesow, ale nie samymi sitarkami stoi album, bo pojawiaja sie komozycje bardziej rokowe z elektrykiem, czy kawalki pisane na organy, plyta byla nagrywana zarowno w hameryce jak i na wyspach, wiec poszczegolne traki maja rozne sklady, ale jednak jest to raczej minimalistyczne podejscie do tworzenia, czterech glownych czlonkow, gdzie pan Donovan gra na organach i gitarce, a Shawn Phillips od sitara, chociaz jeszcze ciekawe nazwisko pojawia sie wsrod muzykow z nagran na wyspach, bo jest tam pan Jimmy Page z Zeppelinow, ktorego mozna uslyszec chocby na epickiej solowce otwierajacego tytulowego traka sunshinowego supermana, tak w ogole najbardziej sprzedane traki prezentuja rokowa strone tworczosci Donovana, natomiast folkowe kawalki maja o wiele mniejsze spotifajowe czy lastfmowe odsluchy, wiec troche artysta zamkniety w definicji danego gatunku, a ten krazek swietnie pokazuje jak mozna syntezowac brzmienie folka z rokowa psychodelia, ktora slychac jeszcze lepiej na jego kolejnych plytach, ktore mam nadzieje, ze rowniez sie pojawia na liscie, a przynajmniej chocby hurdy gurdy man musi byc, na plejke dodam jedynie tripowy utwor, ktory jak sama nazwa wskazuje bedzie opowiadal o tripie po hamerykansku
Vibes, man. Opening track is a banger. Other than that, nothing off the charts here, but just a solid vibe-y sixties album. Could def imagine owning this on vinyl and mellowing out on a Sunday.
Liked the rock songs, didn't like the folk songs. Not a huge fan of his voice if I'm honest. Celeste was the only fun song I didn't know already.
This album starts off so promising but then doesn't really do anything for me until Season of the Witch (what a cracker) and then fades away again.
Didn't know this record on the whole, only a few of the hits, and so was skeptical of his reputation. Pop music distorts our perspective but going back years/decades later can redeem. It's really very good overall. The distinctive voice and delivery. Authentically psychedelic, with some madrigal vibes here and there, but much less cliched-seeming or caricature-like than many other records of this era sound today. Glad. to discover 50+ years on.
Not too bad.
Hippies! Was ok, 15 songs was about 10 too many though
psychodelic
Nice album. Season of the Witch is a 5 🌟 song and there are a few others that caught my ear. A few more listens and it might get to 4 but for 3.5 🌟
I like Donovan, some of the songs were hard to listen to though
Outside of Sunshine Superman, I wasn't terribly impressed with this album. Very 60's sounding, but somewhat mediocre. 3
its good i guess? 3 or 4 somewhere in there. nice guy but the songs make me a little sleepy.
More hippy shit
pastoral hippy and shots of lsd - title track is magic like a mushroom
Enjoyable but get the feeling he’s a wannabe Bob Dylan.
I can see how this was likely pretty influential but I didn’t find it the most listenable. Some cool sounds and songs though. Liked ‘season of the witch’
3.5
Great album, a couple of stone cold classic songs in Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch, but the album as a whole was quality.
A little boring.
La première pièce est excellente. Le reste n'est pas mauvais, mais j'aurais préféré la vibe de la première.
Folk-rock psicodélico. Un 4.
Bah, rollo. Cantautor, folk, 60's. Sin más.
Flott lög í plötu sem heldur ekki nægilega vel. Ágætis hlustun í feðraorlofinu en dóttir mín varð pirruð í mestu sækódelíunni.
Ágætis stöff. Rosa misjöfn plata. Lögin sem maður þekkir eru mjög góð en svo er talsvert óeftirminnilegra stöff inná milli.
Skemmtileg, fjölbreytt. Season of the Witch er náttúrulega geggjað. Svolítið líkur Ingó Veðurguð (útlitslega)
Some ok, but many too long and boring
The title song and Season of the Witch are really great. It's a shame the rest of the album is so boring.
A bit hippy dippy but not all bad. Could possible like this after a couple more listens.
This is the first time I've listened to a whole album from Donovan, and I've only heard a few tracks in total. For me Donovan falls somewhere in the middle of folk, psychodelia and Van Morrison. "Sunshine Superman", "Season of the Witch" and "The Trip" were familiar tracks. "Sunshien Superman" was the best track,and the album was okay overall.
"Sunshine Superman" is psychedelic folk at his finest, from the title to the last note of the last track on the album. Donovan crafted a great album that still sounds fresh after 55 years. "Season of the Witch" is a masterpiece and the title track is also worth noting.
This is a pretty good album. Psychedelic-Folk is a calmer launching point into Psych music than I really got. This is especially true as a large 60s and 70s folk fan. I've been trying to get into more psych and really enjoyed this album. And "Season of the Witch" is a classic psych track that everybody should know. Even though I enjoyed it thoroughly I have fewer thoughts than I expected to.
I enjoy this, nice and groovy. I kind of stopped paying attention, but solid, nice background music
No
blurs into all the other weird 60s albums on this list.
Nice. 3/5
so. huge fan of psychadelia. come to find out, this was some of the OG shit. love it!
Couple classic songs. The rest just OK.
Yeah baaaby Fantastic psychedelic folk. Can't complain
Sunshine Superman and Season of the Witch are great. Thr rest is kind of droning
Eh
60s in a bottle. I LOVED IT!
Not really a fan of this. Thought it was a bit boring.
Even just looking at this album cover makes me annoyed. Look at his ugly fucken elfin head. Look at the stupid renaissance-fair-on-LSD aesthetic. Oh good, it's 1966. Fancy that: the boomers who compiled this shitty book have added yet another album from the late 60s. And big fucking surprise, it sounds exactly as horrendous as it looks. Waify, cringey late 60s psychedelic garbage. I'll give it a point for not pretending to be anything that it isn't... but I have to give it at least 1 point anyway. So there's it's point. 1/5.