Donovan is my all time fave musical personage !!!

He always picks me up so much that I can almost reach out and touch the stars.

He does it for me.

Check him out: http://www.donovan.ie/




Who do you like (fave musician) ?

I'm a pretty big fan of John Frusciante... both his solo work and the music he's done with the Red Hot Chili Peppers... the guy is truely talented!

The rest of the stuff i listen to is mainly bands so I cant really pick a particular artist/musician...

although I guess I really love Joe Satriani too because he's godlike on the guitar, definitly up there with Hendrix in my eyes...

Vivian Stanshall (1943-1995)
Possibly one of the most ridiculous and eccentric men ever to live. Hated americans, especially for their lack of good manners and always turned out properly dressed in a victorian suit and spats.
Reported to have attended school with a mouse in one pocket and a harmonica in the other, later wrote such classics as

My Pink Half Of The Drainpipe, Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
Sir Henry at Rawlinson end ,Cool Brittania ( Later Plagarised By Tony Blair Uk President )

Poet, Musician, Comedian, Radio Presenter, Singer, Author, Actor, Playwright and Drinker, Viv was a tortured genius whose lifestyle led to a stifling of his incredible imagination, and later to his early death.
Viv was the founder and main voice behind the Bonzo dog band, and turned up to the first rehearsal immaculately attired in a sharp suit, and with the addition of a euphonium under one arm and huge plastic ears.
Despite being very difficult to work with, because of his side splitting humour, and his unreliability, he was held in great regard by many famous and great musicians of the age and worked with, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Mike Oldfield and many others.

Vivian was the posessor of a rich and sonourous speaking voice, and had the accent of a well spoken english gentleman, and he was regularly heard on his spot on radio1 where he kept listeners wrapped with a ridiculous serial which he wrote and presented. He also was a voiceover on advertisments.

Described by Stephen Fry as thus :-
The late, majestic and remarkable Vivian Stanshall, one of the most talented profligate, bizarre, absurd, infuriating, unfathomable, and magnificent Englishmen ever to draw breath.

Described by John Peel :-
Even the most suscessful and big headed among us are aware when we are in the presence of a greater being, and Viv was that greater being.

Originally posted by muddycoffee
Vivian Stanshall (1943-1995)

My Pink Half Of The Drainpipe, Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
Sir Henry at Rawlinson end ,Cool Brittania ( Later Plagarised By Tony Blair Uk President )

Described by John Peel :-
Even the most suscessful and big headed among us are aware when we are in the presence of a greater being, and Viv was that greater being.

I remember listening to "Sir Henry at Rawlinson End" on John Peel's show, and being absolutely entranced by it. Marvellous stuff.

I remember Viv too. Didn't he die in a fire?

Yes Bloomdido

Due to his raging alcoholism, he let himself get into a state.

He used to fall asleep in his bed while drinking vodka. And smoking. He had a window put into the ceiling of his flat so that he could watch the stars as he lay in bed.

Anyway he used to smoke nasty rollups and drink vodka to get him off to sleep and he used to balance the ashtray on his chest. And several of his friends found him with burns on his chest where the smokes had fallen off the ashtray, or he's been too comatose to stub it out. One of the other Bonzos has visited and found him on fire and put him out, and tried to talk to him about the dangers. But it didn't stop him burning the house down. At least it must have been painless.

If you want to vote for Vivian as the greatest englishman ever, follow this link >>
http://www.rocknroll.f9.co.uk/faceHair/englishmen.html#viv

If you want to visit a website dedicated to the memory of Vivian, which is maintained by his wife family and friends, where you can buy his CDs, Books and Videos >>

http://www.gingergeezer.net/

Jimmy Page is by far my favourite musician.

He is my God :D

Listen to Stairway to Heaven or Achilles Last Stand and you'll know what I mean.

Ian, you and I are huge Zeppelin fans. However, I would rate John McLaughlin [especially his guitar work with Mahavishnu Orchestra in 70s] as better than Page. Have a listen to Birds of Fire [title track], and Meeting of the Spirit on Inner Mounting Flame, and see what I mean. Maybe you will still love Page more [who could not love Page ?], but knowing your taste I feel you will be very impressed with McLaughlin. He goes beyond where Page, Hendrix, Beck, Fripp etc could possibly go re technique whilst still retaining "feeling". Check him out.

You can hear Most of the above regularly on Phanfm (see link in sig) including the bonzos, led zep, jimi hendrix, and the mahavishnu orchestra and king crimson (the really good stuff) and of course the platonic ideal of guitarmanship - Frank Zappa Himself.

Try it, you may be surprised. On the other hand, it is quite likely you will be offended, bored or insulted, maybe even all 3

Oh Donovan too!

Originally posted by timo
Ian, you and I are huge Zeppelin fans. However, I would rate John McLaughlin [especially his guitar work with Mahavishnu Orchestra in 70s] as better than Page. Have a listen to Birds of Fire [title track], and Meeting of the Spirit on Inner Mounting Flame, and see what I mean. Maybe you will still love Page more [who could not love Page ?], but knowing your taste I feel you will be very impressed with McLaughlin. He goes beyond where Page, Hendrix, Beck, Fripp etc could possibly go re technique whilst still retaining "feeling". Check him out.

Timo I am very very VERY impressed with Mahavishnu Orchestra :D They make me want to put my guitar in my cupboard and never get it out. :P

You've just given me an early christmas present by introducing me to them ;)

I like some of Donovan's music from the 60s and his songs from the film Brother Sun, Sister Moon. :thumbsup:

I didn't much like his duet with Kylie though ;)

Originally posted by IanMitchell
Timo I am very very VERY impressed with Mahavishnu Orchestra :D They make me want to put my guitar in my cupboard and never get it out. :P

You've just given me an early christmas present by introducing me to them ;)

Have you got the lost trident tapes? milestone in prog rock - Jan Hammer on keyboards too!

Jamie turned me on to Donovan a year ago. "Happiness" runs is possibly one of the better songs in the universe at large.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Have you got the lost trident tapes? milestone in prog rock - Jan Hammer on keyboards too!

Jamie turned me on to Donovan a year ago. "Happiness" runs is possibly one of the better songs in the universe at large.

Really? Now there you surprise me. Much as I like "Pebble & The Man/Happiness Runs", I always thought it was one of Don's more lightweight, throwaway songs.

Especially when compared to, say, the electric half of A Gift From A Flower To A Garden, or the epic double whammy of the Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow US LPs which together are probably the finest examples of psych folk you'll ever hear.

Catch the Wind has to be his best.

Although it sounding very much like Bob.

Good choice Jamie - Donovan is great

If you get time watch a film called "Dont look back" Bob Dylan film feat. Donovan

Originally posted by mojoworking
Really? Now there you surprise me. Much as I like "Pebble & The Man/Happiness Runs", I always thought it was one of Don's more lightweight, throwaway songs.

Especially when compared to, say, the electric half of A Gift From A Flower To A Garden, or the epic double whammy of the Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow US LPs which together are probably the finest examples of psych folk you'll ever hear.

Hapiness Runs is just colossally simple and mantra like: Good for singing to yourself either out loud or mentally at times of stress. I'm not a connosieur of Donovan, and in truth I had always had him pegged as a stereotypical plastic hippy bandwagoneer. How wrong I was...

If I'm honest, it's his songs of observed naivete that I like the best, Mellow Yellow, Universal Soldier, etc.

Has anyone mentioned Steve Hillage yet?

I have many favourites but i think ottis redding is my most favourite.
I love soul.
- come to me , dreams, mr pitiful.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
Hapiness Runs is just colossally simple and mantra like: Good for singing to yourself either out loud or mentally at times of stress. I'm not a connosieur of Donovan, and in truth I had always had him pegged as a stereotypical plastic hippy bandwagoneer. How wrong I was...

If I'm honest, it's his songs of observed naivete that I like the best, Mellow Yellow, Universal Soldier, etc.

Has anyone mentioned Steve Hillage yet?

Universal Soldier was a cover of a Buffy Sainte-Marie song, but Donovan's version was probably better than hers.
If you get the chance, listen to some of his early electric albums from '67/68 (especially those I mentioned previously). I think you'll like them.

Hillage of course did a great cover of Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man, but I lost track of him when he went techno.

Ian,
I am absolutely delighted that you like Mahavishnu! I agree with you re putting away the guitar [of course, DON'T do that!] in the face of McLaughlin's peerless brilliance. Robert Fripp is surely one of the finest guitarists ever, and he rates McLaughlin as GOD. I knew you would be really impressed. McLaughlin is influenced above all by the Saxophone of the late John Coltrane [or so he once claimed in an interview], and Indian classical music. Check out anything by Coltrane [you'll hear his modal technique echoed in McLaughlin's searing guitar work], and the records McLaughlin did with the Indian musicians, Shakti. Not half....

Originally posted by Dolouz
Catch the Wind has to be his best.

If you get time watch a film called "Dont look back" Bob Dylan film feat. Donovan

Yeah ... Catch the wind is a classic (even my sis loves it) ... I have a tendency to favour his more obscure stuff.

I believe I have seen "Don't look back" ... is it the one with Joan Baez !?

Its the one where Bob Dylan comes over to the uk and the don plays him a song that is a complete rip off of a dylan track and Bob says " play me another one , I've heard that before'
( I think)

Originally posted by carcrash
Its the one where Bob Dylan comes over to the uk and the don plays him a song that is a complete rip off of a dylan track and Bob says " play me another one , I've heard that before'
( I think)

The scene in question was filmed in Dylan's hotel room at the Savoy* in London. Donovan sings a number of songs (including, supposedly, one with the same tune as Mr Tambourine Man which he wrote especially for the occasion!). But the one we hear most of in the film is To Sing for You, which was the B-Side of Colours. Donovan sings it virtually all the way through.

Dylan then counters this by singing It's All Over Now Baby Blue, a much better song and it's game set and match to Bob.

There's another great scene in Don't Look Back where Bob is speaking to an obviously inebriated Alan Price, who had then just left the Animals. Price is trying to describe the stage act of our very own Dave Berry to a clearly bemused Dylan!

*The famous "video" of Dylan flipping through the cue cards for Subterranean Homesick Blues was filmed in the alleyway at the side of the Savoy Hotel just off The Strand.