Record Reviews

DONOVAN ~ BREEZES OF PATCHOULI – HIS STUDIO RECORDINGS: 1966-1969 PARLOPHONE 5099992860520 (Barcode: 5099992860520) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1966 - 1969 Released: 2013 This marvelous Box Set collects all the studio recordings by the great British troubadour DonovanFind albums by this artist, recorded during his explosive years, which changed the shape of Pop and Rock music as we know it. It includes the five extraordinary studio albums: "Sunshine SupermanFind albums with this title", "Mellow YellowFind albums with this title", "The Hurdy Gurdy ManFind albums with this title", "BarabajagalFind albums with this title" and finally "A Gift From A Flower To A GardenFind albums with this title" which was originally a double LP. All these albums were released by EpicFind albums on this label in the USA and PyeFind albums on this label in UK, often out of sync and with different track lists, as a result of the usual music business BS that prevailed at the time. These albums feature all original songs written by Donovan and were produced by the British producer Mickie MostFind albums by this artist. Some of the arrangements were written by the great John CameronFind albums by this artist and the list of supporting musicians reads like a who´s who of the British Jazz and Rock scene at the time: pianist John Cameron, flautist Harold McNairFind albums by this artist, guitarists Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist and Jimmy PageFind albums by this artist, bassist Danny ThompsonFind albums by this artist, John Paul JonesFind albums by this artist and Jack BruceFind albums by this artist, drummers Phil SeamenFind albums by this artist and Tony CarrFind albums by this artist and many others. In addition to the five original albums on three CDs, this set includes a fourth CD full of bonus material, which wonderfully fills in and expands the picture of Donovan´s creativity. A well researched booklet with overview of Donovan´s career during those years is also included. Donovan´s brilliant mixture of Celtic roots, Psychedelia, Jazz and Rock, spiced with his incredibly poetic lyrics, was an absolutely unique phenomenon in the Pop / Rock history and no other artist managed to create such a massive body of brilliant songs within such short period of time. His music is as much relevant today as it was at the time it was created and lost nothing of its beauty, vitality or artistic power over time. They certainly don´t make music like that any more! The only regret, as far as this Box Set is concerned, is the fact that it does not include the brilliant live album "In Concert (The Complete 1967 Anaheim Show)Find albums with this title", which would have made this set even more perfect. This is an absolutely essential piece of music history, which deserves an honorable place in any serious music collection!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: 08/11/2016

CD 4 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

DONOVAN ~ OPEN ROAD REPERTOIRE 4880 (Barcode: 4009910488027) ~ UK ~ Classic Pop Recorded: 1970 Released: 2000 This is a reissue of the eighth studio album by the legendary British bard / singer / songwriter DonovanFind albums by this artist, recorded in 1970 with the short-lived band Open RoadFind albums by this artist, which included also bassist / vocalist Mike ThomsonFind albums by this artist and drummer / vocalist John CarrFind albums by this artist. Pianist Mike O`NeillFind albums by this artist plays on some of the songs. The album presents twelve songs, all by Donovan. This was the first album Donovan recorded after parting ways with the producer Mickie MostFind albums by this artist, who had a strong influence on Donovan’s albums up to the seventh album “BarabajagalFind albums with this title”. The song’s subject matter returns to protest themes against industrialization and other social / political issues. Musically, in addition to the Psychedelic influences, the album also has some World Music and Jazz influences. Musically, the album is full of the absolutely beautiful tunes, that no one but Donovan could weave, and his mellow / yellow voice is still absolutely unique, something to long for. Sadly, Donovan and Open Road parted ways and the band continued as a separate musical entity for some years, but Carr and Thomson did take part in recording of the next Donovan album called “HMS DonovanFind albums with this title”. Overall, this is a classic Pop / Rock album, which lost absolutely nothing of its charm and beauty over time. The heartbreaking naiveté, which kept us floating in the air even without getting “stoned”, is still alive and kicking, with bittersweet memories pushing the ticker to beat faster while the music plays. A superb trip down the memory lane!

Updated: 13/06/2023Posted: 13/06/2023

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

TERRY REID ~ ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES RHINO 825646163960 (Barcode: 825646163960) ~ UK ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1968 - 1991 Released: 2015 This Box Set collects five of the six albums by the British vocalist / guitarist / songwriter Terry ReidFind albums by this artist released between 1968 and 1991. They are: his debut album "Bang, Bang You`re Terry ReidFind albums with this title" from 1968, this eponymous second album "Terry ReidFind albums with this title" from 1969 (both produced by Mickie MostFind albums by this artist), the third album "RiverFind albums with this title" from 1973, the fifth album "Rogue WavesFind albums with this title" from 1978 and finally the sixth album "DriverFind albums with this title" from 1991. The fourth album "Seed Of MemoryFind albums with this title" from 1976 was sadly left out simply since there is no place for six albums in a five albums box; how stupid is that? Reid is sadly almost completely unknown to Rock fans, probably due to the fact that he refused several times offers that can´t be refused, like fronting Led ZeppelinFind albums by this artist (he recommended Robert PlantFind albums by this artist for the job) or fronting Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist as their lead singer. His solo albums never achieved commercial success, despite the fact that they were all excellent, which is a great pity. Reid´s completely original timbre of voice is one of the most unique in Rock history and his sensitivity and intelligence as a musicians were truly above most of his contemporaries. Reid incorporated in his music Blues and Soul influences, creating a long string of memorable performances over the years. He also cooperated with many first-rate musicians over time, like Graham NashFind albums by this artist, with whom he co-wrote songs and who produced his fourth album. When listening to these albums in retrospect it becomes obvious that success is blind as a bat, and in countless cases it prefers worthless twits to hidden geniuses. At least this music is now available again for future generations and hopefully it will be discovered by some and even properly appreciated. This is, after all, a great chapter in Rock´s history. Side Note: The "Original Album SeriesFind albums with this title" by Warner Bros.Find albums on this label and the "Original Album ClassicsFind albums with this title" by SonyFind albums on this label are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases have been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. The Box Sets produced under these monikers have no discographical information whatsoever about the lineups, musician names, composers, lyricists, dates and places of recording, original release data and even basic copyright data (the last is strictly illegal BTW). Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, they are often edited and information (which would be in most cases too small to be readable) is removed. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap. Considering the fact how many times this music has been sold over and over again by the labels, this is a crying shame!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend