98. Donovan — Sunshine Superman (1967)

If Clark Kent were Scottish

1. An inconsistent and shaky start here gives way to an album that is quite excellent. Album opener and title track “Sunshine Superman” is a fantastic folk tune, groovy and energetic, but it leads into “Legend of a Girl Child Linda,” which is, frankly, a nearly seven minute mess of dreck. It was quite difficult to keep going from there.
2. Thankfully, that’s the low point, and the album steadily improves from there. “Ferris Wheel” calls to mind later Led Zeppelin tunes like “Tangerine” — unsurprising, considering both Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones from Zep were in Donovan’s band. “Bert’s Blues” is cool as hell; “Season of the Witch” grooves its way to a rocking sound.
3. The final portion of the album slides just a bit, but barely. “Guinevere” is a lovely tune, but after the energy that came before, it feels like a let down. Follow-up “The Fat Angel” features some nifty guitar and sitar work, but feels like a b-side from earlier tracks. That said, “Celeste” does exactly what it needs to in wrapping this album up; a bit melancholic, but with an energetic undercurrent, the kind of song that makes you nostalgic for the 9 songs you just finished listening to.
4. Listen to this album and skip the second track!

One Essential Song:

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