4 Donovan Essentials for Old and New Fans Alike

Donovan was nominated in 2010 for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the calendar year 2011, and there is not a more worthy nominee. Donovan is best remembered as a groundbreaking artist in the 1960, but he has maintained an extremely original artistic music presence through the present day. Whether you have been a Donovan fan since the beginning of his career or have only recently been introduced to the artist, there are a few key items that should be part of any Donovan collection.

Donovan - "Troubadour, The Definitive Collection 1964-1976"

This Donovan collection features the best of Donovan from his most prolific years on the music scene. The career changing "Hurdy Gurdy Man" that defined Donovan's popularity in the late sixties and early seventies opens up the second CD while the first CD contains the extreme classics "Colours," "Sunshine Superman," "Season of the Witch," "Catch the Wind" and " Mellow Yellow."

"Try for the Sun, The Journey of Donovan"

The four-CD box set Try for the Sun encompasses Donovan's career up until 2004. It includes all of the classics featured in "The Definitive Collection" as well as key Donovan's releases from 1976-2004. This set contains several key bonus features for the fan who already possess "Troubadour" including liner notes related to the material, digitally remastered sound and bonus video footage.

The Autobiography of Donovan, The Hurdy Gurdy Man

This autobiography was penned in 2007 and is a volume any fan should have in their collection. The book chronicles Donovan's journey through the music industry through the bulk of his career. It is an easy read, but a must read.

"Sunshine Superman, the Journey of Donovan"

The DVD documentary "Sunshine Superman" offers something that Donovan's autobiography does not, personal reflections directly from the mouth of the artist himself. Sunshine Superman contains more than just personal interviews though, there are there are clips of previously unseen videos and hard to find Donovan performances. It also contains five songs previously unreleased to the public coupled with appearances by other music mainstays such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Rick Rubin. A detailed, yet small in size, 40-page booklet offers a bit of supplemental information and rounds out a very nice presentation.

The two CD collections, book and DVD featured in this article provide the Donovan fan with three different forms of media to help them better connect with and understand this artist who did so much for musical culture and culture in general. All of the items can be purchased through your local bookstore or through many prominent online retailers.

Sources:

Donovan Nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Donovan.ie.