Donovan: 'Retrospective'

 

SUMMER DAY REFLECTION SONGS 

CD Review of: 

‘RETROSPECTIVE’ 

by DONOVAN 

(June 2015, Salvo Records SALVODCD226E) 

www.salvo-music.co.uk

 

There’s no darkness about Donovan Leitch. Rock prefers its heroes as elegantly-wasted martyrs, beautiful losers or doomed junk-pale corpses. While Don has certainly had his share of bad times, he’s still very much here, and this wealth of twenty-nine tracks collected on two beautifully flip-packaged CDs are radiant with light. No-one else writes ditties of such prettiness and gilded charm as Donovan. This latest what’s bin did opens the tale with “Catch The Wind” and “Colours” from his debut acoustic LPs, then covers the expected Mickie Most produced hits – you know the ones, which Donovan’s sleeve-notes point out ‘feature the talents of my session pals Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and John Paul Jones.’ He’s never shy about name-dropping, but Don’s got plenty of names to drop. Paul McCartney is a reveller voice on “Mellow Yellow”. There’s a ‘personal selection’ of album tracks too, and even one new song, a jaunty “One English Summer” with ‘toast, marmalade and crumpet everywhere.’ There are plenty of Donovan hits compilations out there. This one nicely renews the story, while making a perfect introduction to his bejewelled fantasia for those not already into it. No darkness required. 

CD1: 

(1) Sunshine Superman 

(2) Season Of The Witch 

(3) The Hurdy Gurdy Man 

(4) Lalena 

(5) There Is A Mountain 

(6) Barabajagal 

(7) Catch The Wind 

(8) Epistle To Dippy 

(9) Universal Soldier 

(10) The Susan On The West Coast Waiting 

(11) Colours 

(12) Jennifer Juniper 

(13) Wear Your Love Like Heaven 

(14) Mellow Yellow 

(15) Atlantis 

(16) One English Summer 

CD2: 

(1) Superlungs (My Super Girl) 

(2) Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness) 

(3) Summer Day Reflection Song 

(4) Sunny South Kensington 

(5) Ballad Of Geraldine 

(6) Three Kingfishers 

(7) Oh Deed I Do 

(8) Get Thy Bearings 

(9) Turquoise 

(10) Legend Of A Girl Child Linda 

(11) Sunny Goodge Street 

(12) Writer In The Sun 

(13) Hampstead Incident

 

Review published in: 

‘R2: ROCK ‘N’ REEL’ 

Vol.2 no.53 September-October 

(UK – September 2015)