territory: U.S.
release date: 1970 ???
label: Epic Records
catalogue number(s):

duration: 42.19 ???
producer(s): Donovan Leitch
comment: Donovan's 8th studio album

Side 1

1. Changes (2.53)
2. Song for John (2.50)
3. Curry Land (4.43)
4. Joe Bean's Theme (3.45)
5. People Used To (3.45)
6. Celtic Rock (3.45)

1. Riki Tiki Tavi (Version I) (2.50)
2. Clara Clairvoyant (2.43)
3. Roots of Oak (4.55)
4. Season of Farewell (3.22)
5. Poke at the Pope (2.45)
6. New Year's Resovolution (4.45)

Timings are from the U.K. issue record label and any subsequent observations may only be relevant to the U.K. issue of the album.

Commentary

The gatefold album cover opens up to show a long picture of Open Road: John Carr, Donovan Leitch and Mike Thomson from left to right. It's not the most flattering picture you could take. The names of the members are printed in orange typewriter face underneath each of them and a drawing of a sun rising (drawn by Donovan?) is positioned in the bottom right hand corner of the front cover.

The back has the title of the album fancifully drawn in brown and the track listing appears below this. The inside of the gatefold cover is a dark green and the lyrics to the songs are typed, with some pictures of additional players and session information on the far right hand side.

Littered throughout the lyrics to this album, are little messages, probably from Donovan himself. They appear after the song titles, so presumably are meant to be notes to accompany the songs.

• Before the song Changes, an introduction:

  we did not know what to expect
  upon the open road but we began here

Maybe this is Donovan saying that he doesn't know if the band is going to work out or not, but he was willing to give it a go anyway.

• Before the song Celtic Rock, a little poem:

  ye sons of britain
  who once were free
  ye now are slaves to factory
  those who walk the path of mole
  expect in time to kill thy soul

See the song listing for Ye Sons of Britain.

• After the song Celtic Rock, a question:

  creative intelligence has been crushed
  by industrial uniformity?

• Before the song Roots of Oak:

  driving across the highlands
  of scotland in our land rover

Does this explain when the inspiration came to Donovan to write this song?

The photography is by David Mills, and the art and design by Sid Maurer. Curiously, the U.K. record labels bear the credit `An Open Road Production' and on the inside cover - `Open Road Production'.

Errors

• on the U.K. record label, Joe Bean's Theme is listed as Joe Bean's Song

Details for Collectors

Gatefold sleeve
Red-orange label with black text
Dawn Records logo

Record: DNLS 3009
Side 1: DNLS.3009-A
  runout groove on my copy: DNLS 3009 - A1   and   A   and   1
  (with the second two diametrically opposite each other)
Side 2: DNLS.3009-B
  runout groove on my copy: DNLS 3009 - B1   and   A   and   1
  (with the second two diametrically opposite each other)