The Hurdy Gurdy Man

Wildly inventive and dazzlingly eclectic, this 1968 album not only offers some of the finest examples of Donovan’s gently psychedelic folk-pop—hear the merrily trippy title track, for starters—but it also finds him following his muse all over the map. From the hypnotic, raga-influenced "Peregrine" to the brassy music hall swing of "As I Recall It" and the summery sway of the Caribbean-flavoured "West Indian Lady," the Scottish troubadour's tender tones prove as surprisingly adaptable as his vision is wide-ranging.