The Hurdy Gurdy Man – DONOVAN****

Hurdy Gurdy Man/Peregrine/The Entertaining Of A Shy Girl/As I Recall It/Get Thy Bearings/Hi Its Been A Long Time/West Indian Lady/Jennifer Juniper/The River Song/Tangier/A Sunny Day/The Sun Is A Very Magic Fellow/ Teas

The Hurdy Gurdy Man was a US only release from Donovan now well into his psychedelic phase. The title track was a US No. 5 and UK No. 4, with Jennifer Juniper a UK No. 5. (US:20)

"Donovan crafts an endearing mixture of psych and folk on Hurdy Gurdy Man that lends warmth to the simple poetic beauty of his lyrics. The title track is of course a great psych number, and apart from a few non-event tracks, this is a very pleasant."

"Most of the songs are uplifting, accessible, pop-rock numbers with a splash of jazz or Caribbean flavour, rounding out an excellent album of the highest musicianship, lyric writing and song craft."

"This is Donovan at his most varied, the Celtic folk debuts with Jennifer Juniper, an insanely catchy chill song that stays with you thanks to Donovan's breezy vocals."

"Its a quite inspired mix of heavy psych rock such as the title track, fey pop Jennifer Juniper and Sunny Day, music hall influences As I Recall It. Celtic/North African ragas Peregrine and Tangier, as well as little detours into jazz and Latin music. Yet one of the finest tracks is also the ethereal folk of River Song. Donovan really could turn his hand to almost anything, the arrangements and session players in particular are strong, guiding him perfectly through all the different styles. Its quite brilliant."

"Like Donovan's other Mickey Most produced albums this one displays a variety of musical styles and instrumentations, with tasteful and original arrangements." "The title track is truly a classic. Very eerie, and leaves an imprint on you after listening. Get Thy Bearings, a jazzy tune, is also a highlight. Jennifer Juniper is a beautiful song, with great woodwind use to make a fine pop song."

"Donovan was really on fire in '67-68. Following the last great record with an album that's almost its equal. This one is little more even. The pop and folk numbers seem equally good. Truly a wonderful, cheery record."