Donovan

Donovan Leitch's instantly recognizable vibrato may not appear until track six, but the casual "Hurdy Gurdy Man" fan has no business picking up this four-disc/sixty-song collection of the Scottish troubadour's four decades of whimsical pop confections and beatnik balladry. Sony's Try for the Sun: The Journey of Donovan includes a previously unreleased documentary from 1970, a lovely book that chronicles the singer/songwriter's storied career, complete with quotes of praise from current hipster bards like Devendra Banhart and the Polyphonic Spree's Tim DeLaughter, and 15 B-sides, rare demos, and live recordings, all housed in the finest faux-purple velvet box one could imagine. While there are some suspicious omissions ("Roots of Oak," "Age of Treason," "Cosmic Wheels"), there's enough here to satiate even the most rabid Donovan fan for weeks. Those interested in a less time-consuming biographical experience would do well with 1992's slightly superior -- and infinitely more cohesive -- Troubadour. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide