Being much too easily dismissed as airy-fairy flower power one hit wonder (or was it two) Donovan Leitch released a number of stunning psychedelic folk jazz tunes with sometimes a rocking edge up to the early 70s.
The high standard of his songwriting and the high esteem in which his contemporaries held his music is reflected by the various “heavy” psychedelic and/or progressive Donovan cover versions: Airplane’s “Fat Angel”, King Crimson’s version of “Get Thy Bearings” and Vanilla Fudge’s “season of the witch”, just to name a few.

Following the hippy drones of “Hurdy Gurdy Man” and the highly successful but rather weak “Babaragal”, “Open Road” stands out as a return to roots with a number of outstanding tunes. “Celtic Rock” is worth the reissue price (repertoire records) alone, being of the heavy psychedelic stuff one rather expexts from drowsy continental flyagarists the like of Amon Düül II or 666 period “Aphrodite’s Child”. Sounding like a “Yeti” outtake, the number boasts a stunning mixture of repetitive drumming/strumming and celtic/medieval singalong elements.

There’s a few weaker songs: “People Used To”, “Ricky Ticki Tavi”, “Joe Bean’s Theme”, “Season of Farewell”. But before and after Donovan shines as a worthy contemporary of Barrett and late-60s Beatles.
“Clara Clairvoyant” reminds of Tyrannosaurus Rex Bolan — leaves it behind, to be honest — and “Roots of oak” develops from a “Gift from a flower”-like quiet Donovan song into a gripping folk anthem, then melting into a stunning Popol Vuh/Amon Düül style ending. 

Probably one of his best — apart from his 1996 “Sutras” — no joke!