Donovan - Beat Cafe
(Appleseed)
Forty years and two dozen albums after he burst onto the British music scene as number 45 in a continuing series of “Dylan wannabe’s,” Don returns with a refreshing approach to his craft—a semi-concept album that takes place on the stage of the titular hole in the wall, a 50s supper club where beat poets, cool daddy-os, hot women and assorted unkempt and slightly dazed denizens of the deep gathered to worship at the unwashed feet of their hero. Toe-tappin’, fingerpoppin’ ditties are on tonight’s musical menu, beginning with a snappy rewrite of “Barabajagal” (“Love Floats”). Danny Thompson’s upright bass and Jim Keltner’s brushstroke drumming sidle alongside producer John Chelew’s cheesy Hammond B3 punctuations on “Poorman’s Sunshine,” while the syncopated backbeat of the title track, with it’s “go man go” lyrics populated with “cool music and slow chicks” takes us back to kinder, gentler days. I expected Don to break into a rendition of “Fever” at any minute!
The Top Cat-Meets-Pink Panther musical accompaniment keeps things light and airy throughout. “Yin My Yang” is sunshiny, ‘60s French pop a la Serge Gainsbourg, as Don sings of “music in the air and flowers in your hair” over Chelew’s tasty period organ fills. “Whirlwind, “Lover O Lover” and closer “Shambhala” abandon the concept briefly as Don steps out of character to fall back on his still vibrant trademark vibrato.
Not everything is successful, however. The fairy tale for adults “Two Lovers” is pretty incomprehensible (I reread the lyrics three times and it still doesn’t make any sense), and “The Question” finds Don falling into a silly rap parody of Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs with nonsensical lyrics echoing his “goo goo barabajagal” droolings: “Holla ma gollo aholla” indeed! But the bluesy peacock strut of “Lord Of The Universe” returns Don to his senses with a ballsy swagger that Rod Stewart would die for and “The Cuckoo” features a softshoe shuffle that recalls Dylan’s “Lily, Rosemary and The Jack of Hearts” and’ll set a toe or two a-tappin’! Kudos once again to Keltner for his sprightly backbeat which keeps this little tale light on its feet.
Fresh off a fairly successful children’s album a couple of years ago (Pied Piper), it’s great to have Don singing to us adults once again after a nearly decade-long absence since Sutras back in 1996. Welcome back, stranger!
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