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THE REVIEW
If you match your step to the breath's whisper, you walk lightly and don’t even touch the grass. Then, in a weightless moment, the eye catches a dewdrop hidden in silence. This is an almost Donovan-like feeling. But to truly make it so, a minimal amount of wind needs to be added. Things wander, float, hover in the air...and we with them.
It’s not “the shadow’s corner” of Giovannino except sometimes, every now and then. Rather, it's the azure paths of Arturo or perhaps his dreamy wandering. And this without necessarily being poets, or if so, only a little bit.
The friend/enemy Zimmerman was right when he once said, “Who is this guy, Charlot?” Sure, the mustache needs to be replaced by a blaze of hair, but the smile and grace remain. Too little for our times, stuff for the dazed 60s? Maybe. But you see, even the crazy ones would like to dwell there. Good Vincent, for example: “outside, desperate work is done, it's a struggle, but then you add to your colors what grace and smile you have.”
Then, yes, to reach Donovan, one must rinse in abundant water. Donovan is simple, and being simple is the most difficult thing in the world. And if most people drown in the rinse, he stays afloat. Not to mention being luminous, too much light blinds, melts wings. But when light sings of light and the subject disappears into the object, what can you say? You touch the sky with a finger, and that’s it.
Here we are talking about songs made of the same substance they narrate. With everything being “strangely strange but quite normal in the end,” meaning that being out of this world is as easy as drinking a glass of water. You wake up and open the window, that’s it.
You feel foolish, smile for nothing, and get emotional for less, and the worst part is that you believe it. Poetry exists, the fact that we could even live exists. The gift of the flower to the garden is simply being there.
Transcendence voice and guitar, light gas, and the right thread of the incongruous for a celestial folk-pop where Syd is still happy...
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Summary by Bot
This review praises Donovan's album for its poetic simplicity and light, transcendent folk-pop style. It reflects on the 60s feel and the ease of connecting with the music's natural grace. The reviewer highlights the album’s ability to evoke emotional transcendence through minimalistic yet profound songs, describing it as a celestial experience. Overall, the album is seen as a timeless musical gift that combines beauty and depth with effortless charm.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Donovan
Donovan (born Philip Donovan Leitch) is a Scottish singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1960s, moving from acoustic folk into psychedelic pop and related styles. Reviews frequently describe him as an underrated peer of the era, often compared to Bob Dylan, with a reputation for strong melodies, poetic imagery, and stylistic flexibility across decades.24 Reviews
Other reviews
By Fagen85
Donovan finds his answer in this album; at the time of its release, it was considered one of his most successful works.
It is the only album that unites and reconciles the two souls of the Scottish songwriter, namely that of the melancholic minstrel emulating Dylan and that of the rocker capable of distilling pure psychedelia and acid-rock pills like few others.
