Fairytale

RELEASE
October 22, 1965
LABEL
Castle Music Ltd.
GENRES
Pop/Rock, British Folk, British Invasion, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Folk Revival, Singer/Songwriter

Album Review

Donovan's second album found the Scottish folkie in possession of his own voice, a style of earnest, occasionally mystical musings indebted neither to Woody Guthrie nor Bob Dylan. True, Fairytale's highlights -- "Sunny Goodge Street," "Jersey Thursday," and "The Summer Day Reflection Song" -- use a sense of impressionism pioneered by Dylan, but Donovan flipped Dylan's weariness on its head. His persona is the wistful hippie poet, continually moving on down the road, but never bitter about the past. The folkie "Colours," already a hit before the album's release, is also here (though without Donovan's harmonica). A few of his songs are inconsequential and tossed-off ("Oh Deed I Do," "Circus of Sour"), but a few of these ("Candy Man" especially) succeed too, thanks to Donovan's effervescent delivery.
John Bush, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Colours
  2. I'll Try for the Sun
  3. Sunny Goodge Street
  4. Oh Deed I Do
  5. Circus of Sour
  6. The Summer Day Reflection Song
  7. Candy Man
  8. Jersey Thursday
  9. Belated Forgiveness Plea
  10. Ballad of a Crystal Man
  11. The Little Tin Soldier
  12. Ballad of Geraldine