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Rating: "Minstrel" is a somewhat overused term these days: apart from the original meaning of a medieval singer-jester, in current language it generally refers to a composer of acoustic ballads making extensive use of unconventional instruments for modern music, associated with the very traditional use of the common guitar. But then by extension, it has become synonymous with anyone who started from folk roots, and in this way even someone like Bob Dylan, who had already decisively veered toward rock in 1965, ended up being forever labeled as a minstrel. A perfect specimen, in full rule, perhaps the very first to boast this title, was Philip Donovan Leitch, simply known as Donovan, who in the second half of the '60s managed to impose on a wide audience his somewhat naive sound, made of pastel colors, bucolic scenes drawn with classical instruments like violins, flutes, and harpsichords, but also exotic ones like the sitar.
A much richer and more flamboyant bloom of spectacular sounds with an ancient flavor would explode starting from the early '70s with the great progressive groups, but this Scottish singer-songwriter's undeniable merit remains that of having sparked this trend with his simple intuition, a trend that continued with ups and downs until the '90s, with the rediscovery of Celtic music and its contamination with modern electronic sounds.
The rich collection "The Very Best Of Donovan" covers a period starting from 1965, in the midst of the Beatles era, the prehistory of modern light music, and ending precisely in the '70s. From the start, Donovan was oriented towards this type of folk, almost always based on a masterful use of acoustic guitars. In this, he was a precursor to Cat Stevens, who a few years later would bring the genre of acoustic ballad "à l'anglaise" to its peak. Among these delicate and relaxing songs stand out "Catch The Wind" and "Atlantis," great hits of the time, but much more interesting are some of the lesser-known ones, like the enchanting "Guinevere," where a peaceful pastoral bliss miraculously coexists with an Indian sitar, the almost equally poignant "Sailing Homeward," where Donovan's shy, soft, and slightly weak voice is supported by sublime acoustic guitar arpeggios, as well as in the sweet and dreamy "Lalena," where angelic flutes join in. "Celeste" is a deep dive into a remote time marked by the trill of the harpsichord, and other successful visions of enchanted and now lost worlds are "Colours" and "Jennifer Juniper," the latter with such a rustic flavor that someone deemed it suitable to accompany the picturesque but fake images of a Mulino Bianco commercial. Fairy tales and dreams are undoubtedly Donovan's ideal habitat: nothing could be further from the tangible and concrete anguish of Bob Dylan, who precisely in those years had almost definitively left the old folk path behind.
Conversations with fairies, gnomes, and elves can often reach celestial heights, but there is a risk of slipping disastrously towards nursery rhymes: it's the Achilles' heel of minstrels, including our own Branduardi. Thus, things like "Maria Magenta," "Barabajagal," and "Riki Tiki Tavi" emerge: for the latter two, the titles speak for themselves, and at the end even what remains his greatest hit, "Sunshine Superman," is saved only thanks to its asymmetric and original rhythm. "Hurdy Gurdy Man" stands apart a bit: here the soft colors are somewhat muddied, to the point that even a distorted electric guitar appears, grafted onto a rich acoustic base. "Mellow Yellow," another great success, is another "unicum" of the Scottish singer-songwriter, with its fusion of Beatlesque liveliness and vaguely jazzy cadences. Nevertheless, overall this collection is excellent for those who want to visit the visionary world of Donovan, with its peaks and its slips.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Jennifer Juniper (02:19)
Jennifer Juniper lives upon the hill,
Jennifer Juniper, sitting very still.
Is she sleeping ? I don't think so.
Is she breathing ? Yes, very low.
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love ?
Jennifer Juniper, rides a dappled mare,
Jennifer Juniper, lilacs in her hair.
Is she dreaming ? Yes, I think so.
Is she pretty ? Yes, ever so.
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love ?
I'm thinking of what it would be like if she loved me.
You know just lately this happy song it came along
And I like to somehow try and tell you.
Jennifer Juniper, hair of golden flax.
Jennifer Juniper longs for what she lacks.
Do you like her ? Yes, I do, Sir.
Would you love her ? Yes, I would, Sir.
Whatcha doing Jennifer, my love ?
Jennifer Juniper, Jennifer Juniper, Jennifer Juniper.
Jennifer Juniper vit sur la colline,
Jennifer Juniper assise très tranquille.
Dort-elle ? Je ne crois pas.
Respire-t-elle ? Oui, mais tout bas.
Qu'est-ce que tu fais, Jenny mon amour ?
Jennifer Juniper, Jennifer Juniper, Jennifer Juniper.
02 Catch the Wind (01:34)
In the chilly hours and minutes
Of uncertainty I want to be
In the warm hold of your loving mind
To feel you all around me
And to take your hand along the sand,
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind
When sundown pales the sky
I want to hide a while behind your smile
And everywhere I'd look your eyes I'd find
For me to love you now
Would be the sweetest thing 'twould make me sing
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind.
When rain has hung the leaves with tears
I want you near to kill my fears
To help me to leave all my blues behind
For standin' in your heart
Is where I want to be and I long to be
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind
03 Hurdy Gurdy Man (03:54)
Thrown like a star in my vast sleep
I opened my eyes to take a peek
To find that I was by the sea
Gazing with tranquility
'Twas then when the hurdy gurdy man
Came singing songs of love
Then when the hurdy gurdy man
Came singing songs of love
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang
Histories of ages past
Hung in light and shadows cast
Down through all eternity
The crying of humanity
'Tis then when the hurdy gurdy man
Comes singing songs of love
Then when the hurdy gurdy man
Comes singing songs of love
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurd
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang
Here comes the roly poly man
He's singing songs of love
Roly poly, roly poly, holy holy poly, he sang
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy gurdy, he sang
Roly poly, roly poly
04 Sunshine Superman (03:59)
Sunshine came softly through my a-window today
Could've tripped out easy a-but I've a-changed my ways
It'll take time, I know it but in a while
You're gonna be mine, I know it, we'll do it in style
'Cause I made my mind up you're going to be mine
I'll tell you right now
Any trick in the book now, baby, all that I can find
Everybody's hustlin' just to have a little scene
When I say we'll be cool I think that you know what I mean
We stood on a beach at sunset, do you remember when?
I know a beach where, baby, a-it never ends
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
I'll pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind
'Cause I made my mind up you're going to be mine
I'll tell you right now
Any trick in the book now, baby, all that I can find
Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me
I can make like a turtle and dive for your pearls in the sea, yeah!
A you-you-you can just sit there a-thinking on your velvet throne
'bout all the rainbows a-you can a-have for your own
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine
I'll pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine
I'll pick up your hand
I'll pick up your hand
05 Sadness (02:55)
Sadness is in your eye
Who could have made you cry?
My lullaby
Roll along the sleepy dream, deep
Roll along the sleepy dream, deep
Salty tear down your cheek
Drowning the words you speak.
My lullaby can dry your every care
Roll along the sleepy dream, deep
Roll along the sleepy dream, deep
Sweet dream, my baby lie
Here in my arms tonight
Don’t cry I’ll hold you tight,
And soothe all your worriy away.
My lullaby can fly you out of there
Roll along the sleepy dream, deep
Roll along the sleepy dream -
Sweet dream, my baby lie
Here in my arms tonight
Don’t cry I’ll hold you tight,
And soothe all your worries away.
Sadness is in your eye
Who could have made you cry?
Sadness is in your eye
Sadness
06 Universal Soldier (02:51)
He's five foot-two, and he's six feet-four,
He fights with missiles and with spears.
He's all of thirty-one, and he's only seventeen,
Been a soldier for a thousand years.
He'a a Catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a Jain,
A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew.
And he knows he shouldn't kill,
And he knows he always will,
Kill you for me my friend and me for you.
And he's fighting for Canada,
He's fighting for France,
He's fighting for the USA,
And he's fighting for the Russians,
And he's fighting for Japan,
And he thinks we'll put an end to war this way.
And he's fighting for Democracy,
He's fighting for the Reds,
He says it's for the peace of all.
He's the one who must decide,
Who's to live and who's to die,
And he never sees the writing on the wall.
But without him,
How would Hitler have condemned them at Dachau?
Without him Caesar would have stood alone,
He's the one who gives his body
As a weapon of the war,
And without him all this killing can't go on.
He's the Universal Soldier and he really is to blame,
His orders come from far away no more,
They come from here and there and you and me,
And brothers can't you see,
This is not the way we put the end to war.
Chords:- F,G7,C,Am Dm,Em
07 Cosmic Wheels (04:13)
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
08 Atlantis (02:59)
The continent of Atlantis was an island
Which lay before the great flood
In the area we now call the Atlantic Ocean.
So great an area of land,
That from her western shores
Those beautiful sailors journeyed
To the South and the North Americas with ease,
In their ships with painted sails.
To the East Africa was a neighbour,
Across a short strait of sea miles.
The great Egyptian age is
But a remnant of The Atlantian culture.
The antediluvian kings colonised the world
All the Gods who play in the mythological dramas
In all legends from all lands were from far Atlantis.
Knowing her fate,
Atlantis sent out ships to all corners of the Earth.
On board were the Twelve:
The poet, the physician, The farmer, the scientist,
The magician and the other so-called Gods of our legends.
Though Gods they were -
And as the elders of our time choose to remain blind
Let us rejoice
And let us sing
And dance and ring in the new Hail Atlantis!
Way down below the ocean where I wanna be she may be,
Way down below the ocean where I wanna be she may be,
Way down below the ocean where I wanna be she may be.
Way down below the ocean where I wanna be she may be,
Way down below the ocean where I wanna be she may be.
My antediluvian baby, oh yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah,
I wanna see you some day
My antediluvian baby, oh yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah,
My antediluvian baby,
My antediluvian baby, I love you, girl,
Girl, I wanna see you some day.
My antediluvian baby, oh yeah
I wanna see you some day, oh My antediluvian baby.
My antediluvian baby, I wanna see you
My antediluvian baby, gotta tell me where she gone
I wanna see you some day Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up,
oh yeah Oh club club, down down, yeah
My antediluvian baby, oh yeah yeah yeah yeah
09 Wear Your Love Like Heaven (00:34)
Color in sky prussian blue
Scarlet fleece changes hue
Crimson ball sinks from view
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love like)
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love like)
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love)
Lord, kiss me once more
Fill me with song
Allah, kiss me once more
That I may, that I may
Wear my love like heaven (wear my love like)
Wear my love like heaven (wear my love)
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Color sky havana lake
Color sky rose carmethene
Alizarin crimson
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love like)
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love like)
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love)
Lord, kiss me once more
Fill me with song
Allah, kiss me once more
That I may, that I may
Wear my love like heaven (wear my love like)
Wear my love like heaven (wear my love)
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Cannot believe what I see
All I have wished for will be
All our race proud and free
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love like)
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love like)
Wear your love like heaven (wear your love)
Lord, kiss me once more
Fill me with song
Allah, kiss me once more
That I may, that I may
Wear my love like heaven (wear my love like)
Wear my love like heaven (wear my love)
11 Colours (02:30)
Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair,
In the morning, when we rise,
In the morning, when we rise.
That's the time, that's the time,
I love the best.
Green's the colour of the sparklin' corn,
In the morning, when we rise,
In the morning, when we rise.
That's the time, that's the time,
I love the best.
Blue's the colour of the sky-y,
In the morning, when we rise,
In the morning, when we rise.
That's the time, that's the time,
I love the best.
Mellow is the feeling that I get,
When I see her, m-hmm,
When I see her, oh yeah.
That's the time, that's the time,
I love the best.
Freedom is a word I rarely use,
Without thinking, oh yeah,
Without thinking, m-hmm.
Of the time, of the time,
When I've been loved.
Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair,
In the morning, when we rise,
In the morning, when we rise.
That's the time, that's the time,
I love the best.
12 Young Girl Blues (05:02)
A Saturday night
It feels like a Sunday in some ways
If you had any sense
You'd maybe go ‘way for a few days
Be that as it may
You can't only say you were lonely
You are but a young girl
Working your way thru the phoneys
Café on, milk gone
Such a sad light unfading
Yourself you touch
But not too much
You hear it's degrading
The flowers on your stockings
Wilting away in the midnight
The book you are reading
Is one man’s opinion of moonlight
Your skin is so white
You’d like maybe to go to bed soon
Just closing your eyes
If you're to rise up before noon
High heels, car wheels
All the losers are groovin'
Your dream, strange scene
Images are movin’
Your friends they are all making
A pop star or two every evening
And you know that scene backwards,
They can't see the patterns they're weaving
Your friends they’re all models
But you soon got over that one
You sit in your one room
A little brought down in London
Café on, milk gone
Such a sad light unfading
Yourself you touch
But not too much
You’ve heard it's degrading
A Saturday night
It feels like a Sunday in some ways
If you had any sense
You'd maybe go ‘way for a few days
Be that as it may
You can't only say you were lonely
You are but a young girl
And you’re working your way thru the phoneys
14 Stealing (04:10)
Put your arms around me
Like a circle 'round the sun
I want you love me mama
Like my easy rider done
You don't believe I love ya
Look what a fool I've been
You don't believe I'm sinking
Look what a hole I'm in
I'm stealin', I'm stealin'
Pretty mama don't you tell on me
I'm stealin' back my
My same old used to be
So put your arms around me
Like a circle 'round the sun
I want you love me mama
Like my easy rider done
You don't believe I love ya
Well look what a fool I've been
You don't believe I'm sinking mama
Well look what a hole I'm in
I'm stealin', yes I'm stealin'
Pretty mama don't you tell on me-ee
'Cause I'm stealing back my
My same old used to be
Okay - Hooh - Wooh mama
So plea-ease put your arms around me
Like that old circle 'round the sun
I want you love me mama
Like my easy rider done
You don't believe I love ya
Look what a fool I've been
You don't believe I'm sinkin' mama
But look what a hole I'm in
Stealin', yes I'm stealing
Pretty mama don't you tell on me
Yes I'm stealing back my
My same old used to be
Pretty mama don't you tell on me-ee
'Cause I'm stealin' back to my
My same old used to be-ee...
Wooh! - Thank you, yeah - That was Stealin'
Thanks very much, thank you
15 Sailing Homeward (03:04)
From the album essence to essence
Sailing homeward, it's time to go home,
Over the ocean of life we must roam.
And when you get there, say hello for me,
For I've a long, long way to go.
There may be stormy days, there will be fires
There will be valleys with mountains to climb.
And when you get there, say hello for me,
For I've a long, long way to go.
Whenever I wander weary, I'll reach for you,
I know you'll be there for to see me through.
Da da da da da da da da da
Da da da da da da da da da da
And when you get there, say hello for me,
For I've a long, long way to go.
17 Lalena (03:17)
When the sun goes to bed
That's the time you raise your head,
That's your lot in life, Lalea
Can't blame ya, Lalea.
Arty tart, ladeda,
Can your part get much sadder ?
That's your lot in life, Lalea.
Can't blame ya, Lalea.
Run your hand through your hair,
Paint your face with despair.
That's your lot in life, Lalea
Can't blame ya, Lalea.
When the sun goes to bed
That's the time you raise your head.
That's your lot in life, Lalea
I can't blame ya, Lalea.
Arty tart, oh so ladeda,
Can your part ever get, ever get much sadder ?
That's your lot in life, Lalea.
I can't blame ya, Lalea, no, no, no, Lalea,
Oh, Lalea.
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