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Rating: "Cosmic Wheels" from 1973: Donovan's evolution proceeds swiftly and smoothly, and this album is an important and obligatory milestone; its predecessor, "Open Road" from 1970, did not garner particular enthusiasm despite its overall excellent quality. Then there was the "childlike" parenthesis of "HMS Donovan," but a prompt return to "mainstream" music was urgently needed: after all, time passes inexorably, and the fame that Donovan had deservedly acquired during the '60s was beginning to wobble perilously. Thus, the Scottish artist recalls his trusted producer Mickie Most and releases what was meant to be the album of the great comeback; confirming this, "Cosmic Wheels" flirts with glam rock, which was at its peak at the time, much like "Open Road." However, whereas in the 1970 album, it was perfectly blended with Donovan's folk/psychedelic trademark, here it is predominant and central.
"Cosmic Wheels" is a distinctly electric but not aggressive album: the guitars outline sly and suggestive melodies, the arrangements are meticulously crafted and original, and the album as a whole is imbued with a remarkable expressive elegance: the songs that best express these themes are the biting "Wild Witch Lady" and a captivating "The Music Maker" where a vaguely oriental atmosphere marries a powerful and almost danceable groove; the use of synthesizers and backing vocals is simply perfect. This album expresses its full potential in the first three episodes: "Cosmic Wheels", rich with spatial suggestions dear to David Bowie, starts like a ballad but transforms into an elegant and evocative midtempo, enriched by sumptuous and imposing orchestrations, "Sleep" sounds wonderfully glam: the singing turns into a piercing falsetto, a saturated and full-bodied guitar and a plush bass outline a feline and sensual rhythm, where a saxophone makes an appearance, being widely present in the more subdued and wonderful "Earth Sign Man", a piece, as the English would say, absolutely flawless, which progresses gracefully in an atmosphere with jazzy undertones, stylish and sensual, the perfect backdrop for a warm dandy night.
After this high-level glam concentration that ends with the opening track of side B of the original vinyl, namely "The Music Maker", the album's tones relax, causing, however, a certain loss of identity and stylistic cohesion for an album that had been impeccable up to this point. Nevertheless, there's "I Like You", a very sweet and whispered ballad, enriched with childlike voices alternating with accelerations well-supported by orchestral arrangements, forming a blend of exquisite and ingenious refinement, "The Intergalactic Laxative" is a hilarious acoustic nursery rhyme, amusing and commendable for its irony, a good divertissement, while the pop-folk of "Only The Blues", though pleasant in itself, is decidedly detached from the context, as is the concluding and rather lackluster "Appearances".
Unfortunately, "Cosmic Wheels" will not succeed in bringing Donovan's name back to prominence: following this initial attempt to recapture the general public, there will be others in the subsequent years, equally excellent and equally unsuccessful commercially. He will try everything, shedding the glam rock persona and consistently offering original, well-crafted, and organic albums, all products of an intelligent and thoughtful artist who leaves nothing to chance, but all in vain: the ostracism towards Donovan will continue unabated, ultimately managing to marginalize him completely and render him an almost invisible ghost; we are talking about a genius, one of the greatest melody creators in contemporary music; artists far less talented than he will take that place in the sun that was his, and this is profoundly unjust: Philip Donovan Leitch deserves a total and complete rehabilitation and reevaluation for everything he has produced in his long and prolific career and not just in his early years.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Cosmic Wheels (04:10)
God is playing marbles
With his planets and his stars
Creating havoc through my life
Through his influence on Mars
That's why I'm stumbling down the highway
On my boots of steel
I should be rolling down the skyway
On my cosmic wheels
In the present position of the planets
It's impossible for me to say
Just when I'll find my course again
With these boulders in my way
I should be rolling down the skyway
On my cosmic wheels
Instead of stumbling down this highway
On my boots of steel
I should be rolling down the skyway
On my cosmic wheels
03 Sleep (03:53)
From the album sutras
Sleep now sleep
And so fade sorrow
Sleep beloved sleep
Sleep now sleep
Afar tomorrow
Sleep beloved sleep
You are home this night
Home of winter
Your home of autumn
Summer and spring
You are home this night
Lasting home
Eternal home
Your eternal home
Sleep of seven lights upon you
Sleep of seven joys
Sleep of seven slumbers on you
In your easy poise
You are home this night
Home of stillness
Your home of spirit
Being and bliss
You are home this night
Abiding home
Forever home
Your forever home
04 Maria Magenta (02:20)
Maria Magenta
Scarlet OHara
Henna ma honey
You are the one
Ma silver moon lady
She like a choir boy
Hair all a-cloudy
And flying and real
A halo a sky gold
A moon on the water
A scuddy go cloud
Aroundy the sky bowl
Henna ma honey
You are the one
My copper go-go-girl
She like a show girl
Delightful Dolores
Ma Anna Belinda
Maggie yer reggae
You move me along
My copper go-go-girl
She like a show girl
Delightful Dolores
Ma Anna Belinda
Maggie yer reggae
You move me along
07 The Intergalactic Laxative (02:53)
The Intergalactic Laxative
Words & Music by: Donovan Leitch - 1973
Performed by: Donovan
Album: Cosmic Wheels - 1973
I was impressed like everyone,
When man began to fly,
Out of earthly regions,
To planets in the sky.
With total media coverage,
We watched the heros land,
As ceremoniously
They disturbed the cosmic sand.
In awe with admiration,
We listened to the talk.
Such pride felt they,
Such joy to be
Upon the moon to walk.
My romantic vision shattered,
When it was explained to me,
Spacemen wear old diapers
In which they shit and pee.
Oh, the intergalactic laxative,
Will get you from here to there.
Relieve you and believe me,
Without a worry or care.
If shitting is your problem,
When you're out there in the stars,
Oh, the intergalactic laxative
Will get you from here to Mars.
They don't partake like you and I,
Of beefy burger mush.
Their food is specially prepared
To dissolve into slush.
Absorbed by multi-fibers
In the super diaper suit,
Otherwise the slush would trickle
Down inside the boot.
Oh, the intergalactic laxative,
Will get you from here to there.
Relieve you and believe me,
Without a worry or care.
If shitting is your problem
When you're out there in the stars,
Oh, the intergalactic laxative
Will get you from here to Mars.
You may well ask now what becomes
Of liquid they consume.
A pipe is led from penis head
To a unit in the room.
The water is recirculated,
Filtered for re-use.
In case of anti-gravity -
Pee gets on the loose.
Oh, the intergalactic laxative,
Will get you from here to there.
Relieve you and believe me,
Without a worry or care.
If shitting is your problem
When you're out there in the stars,
Oh, the intergalactic laxative
Will get you from here to Mars.
Wherever man has conquered,
On the quest for frontiers new,
(Da da da da)
I'm glad that he's always had to do
The number one and two.
It makes it all so ordinary,
Just like you and me,
To know the greatest heroes,
They had to shit and pee.
The intergalactic laxative
Will get you from here to there,
For cosmic constipation
There's none that can compare.
If shitting is your problem
When you're out there in the stars,
Oh, the intergalactic laxative,
The intergalactic laxative,
The intergalactic laxative,
Will get you from here to Mars.
10 Appearances (03:43)
Can't get the shake together with the rock
Movin' her body before she can talk
People say you get nowhere till you walk
But you feel and you hurt and you love
Yes you feel and you hurt and you love
You got the legs to strut it on down
Parade your pretty self in the town
Won't be too long now and you'll get around
For to feel and to hurt and to love
For to feel and to hurt and to love
Don't let appearances fool you
Life's not what the rule book tells
Don't let appearances fool you
Feel the vibes as well
Feel the vibes as well
Now you're a woman, you must use it
Well
Shakin' your pills at the wedding bell
People say you get nowhere till you
Smell
But you feel and you hurt and you love
You do feel and do hurt you do love
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