The Full Cannonball
Lefty O'doul | 08/07/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While "For Little Ones" is an intimate journey through the child-like looking glass of Donovan's Scottish Isles, "HMS" is painted with a broader brush. This is more the loving stumble into childhood via an attic of musicboxes and half-crumbled story books with turn-o'-the-century color leafs. Some things we've outgrown and some things we should never forget. Some unparalleled, great stuff here: "Seller of Stars", "Queen Mab", and "Henry Martin" - lovely melodies w/ haunting guitar accompaniment somewhere between Bert Jansch and Ramblin' Jack. The guitar throughout this recording is particularly crystalline and as full as harps in ancient halls. "The Voyage of the Moon" - who else, i ask you, possesses the musical legerdemain to make you feel the slight pause of the moon with her sail of gauze? "Song of the Wandering Aengus" - an ending that fades seamlessly into Yeats' celtic Twilight and your heart skips a beat. After hearing Donovan's version it will probably remain the only famous poem I can recite at will. Donovan is the undisputed master when it comes to reviving the vague stirring children have that there IS another world just past the trees and under the hills. (Am I completely nuts on this?) I respectfully differ with Markmatts opinion of "The Walrus and the Carpenter". For those uninclined towards "folk"-type material, I play this cut first as bait by establishing our man as a visionary in sound. The response is invariably amazement. I find it endearingly Felliniesque - the song of the oysters is a gem and you'll not forget their little legs trotting on..."
Brilliant, Brillant voyage into one's childhood past
greenpiece | 10/12/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Like fine wine, this album gets better and better with age. The first listen, don't know what to think. 2nd listen, "hey this is good". 3rd listen. "Wow". 4th listen, "this is a classic". It's simply too bad that the United States/England has not put out an album this good during the 80's, 90's and present. This is my favorite Donovan album. You will find no radio hits. Rather, you will find an album piece-mealed with aggregated with stories, stellar melodies, incredible accoustical guitar playing, and whimsically told (with touches of humor "The Pee Song", "Owl and the Pussycat", etc..) with a wee-bit of Scottish-flavor all joining together to create a masterpiece. I am also blown away with the amount of creativity that Donovan possesses. Many talk about Donovan being Britain's answer to Bob Dylan. Well hogwash on that. Donovan's much, much better than Bob Dylan was (or will ever be). I just don't understand the "superiority" of Dylan over Donovan. There is no way that Bob Dylan could remotely come close to achieving the inner drive/creativity to put out an album like this. I am not saying Dylan is bad. He's a legend. I just don't agree with anyone who claims Donovan to be a Dylan-wanna-be. In-fact, it should be the other way around. This album (along with many of Donovan's others like "Gift to a Flower" speaks as proof to that statement. This album is perfect for folks in their 30's, 40's, and 50's that want to break away from their busy stressful lives and return back to their innocent days of their childhood. I guarantee you that this album will take you on a journey and will allow you to escape your modern day duldrums and return to a place in your heart where you keep your fondest of childhood memories (Let "Mr. Wind" take you there). And it goes without saying that tracks like "Voyage of the Moon", "Celia of the Seals", "Henry Martin", etc.. are some of Donovan's best tracks ever.For those who may listen to the opening track "The Walrus and the Carpenter" or "The Owl and the PussyCat" or "The Pee Song" and roll their eyes back, all I have to say is "You're not in the right frame of mind to allow the power of this album to take you away to a land filled with childhood fairy-tale dreams and such". Don't give up. Keep listening. Sooner or later, the power of the album will take you there.If ever an album deserved to be considered an "unknown" or "lost" masterpiece, it's this album. Right up there with the best of the Beatles. Listen to "Seargent Pepper" and this album and ask yourself if you don't agree that this album may in-fact be better. If you love accoustical guitars, incredible melodies, wonderful lyrics, you're missing out if you don't get this album. Definitely a desert island album (ie, which few albums would you take with you if you were to be stranded on a desert island). Donovan, with this album, you're a legend and a genious. This album may be on the low-end of the totem pole in terms of Amazon sales but I think it deserves to be in the upper 5% of the best all-time albums that are listed in Amazon's amazing collection of cd's."
Double album stroke of genius
SteveZ | United States | 12/03/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've played my vinyl copy until I can hear both sides at once. First released only in the UK in the early 70s, this is the best Donovan I've ever heard. He does the mystical Celtic/rock/folk sound perfectly for an entire double-length album, and does the best Walrus and the Carpenter ever recorded anywhere by anyone.It's mostly children's songs, and adult songs that sound like children's songs.If you like folk/folk rock, you'll probably like this one."
Track Listings (28) - Disc #1