A Gift From A Flower To A Garden (studio album)
by Donovan

There was a time, between 1965 and 1968, that Donovan was spoken of in the same breath as the legendary Bob Dylan. He was briefly both the British and the Psychedelic version of one of his greatest musical masters.
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This typical album is typical of his overall work and showcases as well some of the classy Psychedelic Folk songs that kept Donovan at the height of his powers in the late nineteen sixties. After that he would lose his place in the sun but continued to release good, if commercially unsuccessful music for his fanbase.

1968 was the year, when the double-album concept really was beginning to break though. The Beatles released their "White Album", Jimi Hendrix released "Electric Ladyland" and Donovan this album, which with a playing time of about sixty minutes today plays easily on a single CD.
The original album was divided into two records which thematically were meant be to different in their approach. First record, which was released in some countries as a single album titled "Wear Your Love Like Heaven", was a continuation of Donovan's "new" electric style with Mickey Most as his producer. When Donovan in like Dylan turned electric in 1966 with "Sunshine Superman" Most was his producer and their partnership continued throughout the sixties.

Though record one is mostly with drums and electric backing it's really not a rock-record. And apart from "Wear Your Love Like Heaven", "Mad John's Escape" and a few other tracks most songs would not stick out on record two which was more or less a return to the pure acoustic folk-style which Donovan had left in 1965. Record two "For Little Ones" could thematically seem like a childrens' album, and while some songs would work fine as childrens' songs others lyrically probably would not really work. Most, of course, is also credited as the producer of this record.

As a whole the double album is a very pleasant and mostly quiet album featuring simply arranged melodic tunes among which only few stand out. On record one the before-mentioned "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" and "Mad John's Escape" are obvious favourites along with the quieter "Land of Doesn't Have to Be".

On record two it may be harder to bring forward particular songs, but "The Tinker and the Crab" and the beautiful closing track "Epistle to Derroll" are among my favourites.

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From mdbaxter 09/11/2020 15:54 | #258055

Donovan sounds fantastic on this album. His double-tracked vocals are a little weird at points on the first half but for the most part his voice is great. The first half is a really easy listen, full of catchy pop songs. I think what they did with "Under the Greenwood Tree" is so cool. The recording comes off awkward occasionally, being too sparse and the instruments sounding too isolated. The baby cries at the beginning of the second half throw off what would be a perfectly relaxing second half but once you're past them the rest of the record is bliss. Not too many songs stick out in my mind other than the opener and closer. The whole second half flows together for me in a stream of relaxation. I love starfishes and I love that they adhere to the universal standard of spokesmanship.

From StefanR10 07/21/2020 10:43 | #255929

A good album of the psychedelic era. I like the ocean sound and the nature. All song are good to hear good work. My favorite song is Wear your love like heaven. Really great.

Thoroughly enjoyed this album. It's a little psychedelic but a lot of folky too which I just love. It just put me in a happy mood and I can't wait to add it to my library and listen to it again.

From Repo 04/29/2017 03:45 | #189986

THE BETTER HALF

Remember way back when. Back on my first post. When I compared the first half of Donovan’s double LP as being some of the best folk rock EVER released. As good as The Byrd’s Mr. Tamborine Man. As good as Love’s Forever Changes. I meant it. I really did. I LOVE those ten songs with all my heart. But, you know what? The second half is even better! It’s just completely different. Gone are the catchy fun sing-a-long pop songs. Instead Donovan delves into something mystical. Something enchanted.

It casts a spell transporting you to a small fishing village on the craggy shore from a long, long time ago. From a land & culture that is no more and has been lost. When elves still had power and fairies ruled the woods. These are sea songs for a shire. It’s a bewitching listen when life was simple and better for it. When life was still tied to the land and the tides dictated chores. Not time. Not clocks. It’s as if Donovan feels not just born in the wrong decade, but the wrong era altogether. And the spell he casts with both the music & lyrics is seamless. Nothing breaks it. You can actually smell the salt of the sea. Feel the spray of the ocean mist. Nothing reminds you that these songs were written in the sixties. Because these songs don’t even know that radio exists.

Grade: A+. Simply one of the greatest double albums of all time. I would put this up against anything in the rock canon. Anything. That means you The White Album. That means you Blonde on Blonde. And Donovan shoots back to number one where he belongs.

From Repo 04/29/2017 02:32 | #189985

FOLK ROCK HEAVEN

Ok. So I'm essentially cheating on my very first post. This is not a proper album! But the US release (I think) of the first ten songs from Donovan's double album A Gift From A Flower to a Garden back in 1967.

BUT, every song is folk rock perfection. AND. If this had been released on it's own instead of part of that semi-sprawling double album, I'm pretty positive it would be mentioned in the same breath as Love's Forever Changes or The Byrds' Mr. Tamborine Man. I'm not kidding. But it wasn't and so it isn't.

Anyways these ten songs zip by in a very playful, poppy and colorful way as you'd expect from Donovan, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to put a quick smile on their face.

Grade: Well it's absolutely essential 60s folk-rock especially if you like your folk-rock on the poppy side of life so it gets an A.

This is a great record by my favorite psychedelic troubadour. Finely crafted this album is a classic.

From Norman Bates 09/10/2015 20:30 | #149452

Belle and Sebastian were born here.

From meccalecca 04/12/2013 14:35 | #72636

Donovan's transition from drugs to transcendental meditation. The first half is truly special. The second half trails off a bit. a perfect metaphor for the direction his career was taking.

I find it hard to rate this album. The first half is one of my favorite collections of songs I've ever heard. But second half can drag a bit. if it was only the first half, this would be 100/100