1. Love Floats

2. Poorman’s Sunshine

3. Beat Café

4. Yin My Yang

5. Whirlwind

6. Two Lovers

7. The Question

8. Lord of the Universe

9. Lover O Lover

10. The Cuckoo

11. Do Not Go Gentle

12. Shambala

Way back in the mid-1960s, much of Donovan’s songwriting output had serious jazz overtones. The key changes and melodic line of songs like “Sunshine Superman” reflect one of the lesser-known trends of the time: acoustic jazz performed live in coffee bars.

After a prolonged absence from recording, Donovan returns to sparkling form with his album “Beat Café” — a perfectly formed echo of those old-time jazz leanings. The usual Donovan whimsical lyrics, incorporating images of mysticism and good-old hippie spirituality, are still to the fore. But the overall feel is loose and relaxed and devoid of any attendant angst posturings.

With Donovan’s own excellent guitar work and the foundation of the inimitable Danny Thompson on double bass and Jim Keltner on drums, this album suffuses a mellow wistfulness and laid-back feel so regrettably missing from much of contemporary music.

©  Straight Words, 2005