Donovan: Live in L.A. at the Kodak Theatre

I had heard about Donovan's LA concert on PBS, but missed the broadcast at the time, and I was therefore anxiously awaiting the package from Amazon when the DVD finally was released in January this year.Was it worth the wait? For me, the answer is a definite yes. Donovan's music is a pleasant memory of growing up for me, and I have always liked his simple style and of course his poetry - minimal fuss with a powerful message. This concert captures the essence of Donovan surprisingly well in my opinion, given the relatively simple stage setting and choreography. Just him, a bass player and a percussionist, creating excellent sounds throughout the evening. His voice sounds like it is still 1964, and his guitar playing throughout is a real highlight for me. The video and sound are both top quality.The set list contains mostly well-known hits, with a few lesser-known songs in the mix. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the appearances of his daughter and, in one instance, former Beach Boy Mike Love - nothing spectacular there. But for the most part, just the man, his guitar and backup musicians kept me and the audience in the Kodak theater spellbound, for sure. Personal favorites are Try for the Sun, Young Girl Blues and Lalena - wow, can this guy play guitar and sing!All in all, a great concert that I'll be sure to enjoy over and over.

I love Donovan-- going back to 1965, when my very first single that I bought was "Catch the Wind." I have also bought a number of his albums and "Greatest Hits" compilations. About two years ago, my friends and I went to Torrington's Warner Theatre to see him play live (on the same bill as Roger McGuinn of the Byrds!!!). Anyway,I received my copy of Donovan's DVD and ran to my DVD player to watch it. The concert was, on the whole, very good. BUT, I was a little disappointed in Donovan's VOICE. It may well be that he had some problems that one night in January, 2007. But, for the first time EVER, he had difficulty in reaching some of the higher notes. And, at times, he merely SPEAKS the words!!!!! Has anyone else noticed??? Also, I was hoping that he would perform "Atlantis." He did not. Still, the DVD is well worth the price. I was just surprised to see him struggling on the vocals.

Hi !I am a long time fan of Donovan and seeing him on stage, facing 3000 poeple of all different generations and making them smile and clap their hands like children, move me deeply.I am belgian, I live in the South of France, so I have few chances to see an artist like Donovan on stage. The last time was in 1997, in Paris.I know that for a lot of poeple of our "ever speed way of life" society, an artist like Donovan sounds like a "has been".No need to discuss our tastes, everyone has his own, and it is just all right like this.But for me, listening to Donovan is like a walk in my "secret garden", where I can connect again with my chilhood soul.So I enjoy this DVD like a precious moment of inner peace, and now I am longing fir his next album, "Ritual Groove", that seems to be in good progress.Thank you for reading my "poor" english, and enjoy Donovan or whatever music you like as often as possible !Best regards,Philippe Van Den Bergh(Montpellier - France)

This is a later performance by Donovan. His daughter appears on this DVD also. I enjoyed this but what I would rather have is one of his early performances. The aura, if you will, or ambience is just very different than early Donovan. Lets just say it is a bit too polished or modern.

This DVD is well made and features the best music ever produced by Donovan. He also has his daughter, David Lynch and one of the Beach Boys, (whose name I fail to remember), as guests. For those of you that loved the era of love and peace that attracted many of us to the hippy way of life this is a must have concert. He also talks about his friendship with the Beatles (mainly George Harrison) and their trip together with others to India. Hurdy Gurdy Men that came back singing songs of love.

This Dvd is well worth the price. Donovan still is a charismatic entertainer with some great stories to tell. It is refreshing to hear all of these wonderful songs played again. Donovan's guitar has never sounded better and while the years have deepened his voice he still maintains a high level of vocal delivery which all Donovan fans have come to expect.

Having enjoyed his concerts, I found this to be exactly like being there, but I get to sit in a more comfortable chair and put him on pause when needed.

Great to hear Donovan "live" OK the voice is not the best but remember the guy is getting on a bit. Great guitar work and dialog with the "Star Audience" Nice touch to see Neil Young in the best seats.

何か年をとったな。

For those who vaguely remember Donovan from the 60s, this concert DVD is likely to provide several surprises.First, if you weren't aware that he's "still around" on the music scene, you may be surprised to see a large auditorium (seating thousands) in LA filled to capacity with fans who not only came to the concert but gave Donovan a standing ovation just for coming out on stage! This might be explained by the fact that he's introduced by David Lynch, who's chosen Donovan as music director of his Foundation dedicated to the cause of Transcendental Meditation. (Considering the kind of films he's famous for, Lynch's TM connection may be surprising too, if you didn't know about it already.) The concert itself may have been a fundraiser; anyway it obviously draws upon an active TM community in California. Donovan's own connection with TM -- as he reveals between songs -- goes back to the Sixties, and the evident bliss which greets his performance is quite appropriate to this context.But the other main surprise is strictly musical. Donovan performs several of his big hits from the Sixties and several more recent songs, accompanied only by an acoustic bass and a percussionist (with a couple of other singers joining him occasionally). This works very well because his flawless and intricate guitar playing carries these songs very well, intimate and gentle as they are. His singing is also as good as ever, and makes the most of his well-crafted, poetic and thoughtful lyrics. Donovan fell out of favor with the mass public during the late 70s and 80s because people tended to associate him with the most "hippie" or "dippy" (if you'll pardon the expression) aspects of 60s music, but in hindsight this was both obtuse and unfair: he was always quite distinctive as both songwriter and singer, and (while not exactly prolific) he hasn't lost his touch. The sound and camera work are excellent too.Another surprise comes when the main program ends after only an hour; but the disc includes four more songs which are every bit as good, so the full concert consists of 17 songs and 78 minutes. This DVD is highly recommendable as an introduction to Donovan, who deserves to be better known, or a retrospective of his career. No doubt it's even better if you're into TM (which i'm not, despite my title for this review) -- but the appeal of this music and performance is universal.

A very quiet show but full of intensity, great songs too.

I've always been a fan of Hurdy Gurdy and a few more songs than that. After watching this show, I'm a huge fan now. Between songs he talks about his travels with other famous musicians and actually brings one onstage at the end. I'm happy that I've added this to my musical collection. A brilliant artist for sure.

Ce concert de 2007 révèle un excellent moment de Donovan sur scène avec une maturité certaine. Bien accompagné par deux musiciens, et très occasionnellement par sa fille, ils livrent un spectacle captivant en interprétant la plupart des succès du début de sa carrière devant des spectateurs comblés. On peut regretter de ne pas entendre des chansons plus récentes mais c’est surement un choix qui procure une homogénéité à la prestation. Sa voix a vieillie bien sur mais elle reste tout de même toujours aussi agréable en compagnie de sa guitare. Si l’on veut plus de jeunesse il faut se reporter au DVD « An intimate performance » de 1972 qui est aussi d’excellente qualité. Ces deux DVD sont complémentaires. N’hésitez pas. Quel artiste !