10 Trippy Albums You MUST Hear Before You Die
3. Donovan - Sunshine Superman (1966)
Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan’s third album is regarded as one of the earliest collections of psychedelic music, with its fusion of classic folksy sounds, heavy use of keys, and inclusion of exotic instrumentation (specifically the use of the Indian sitar).
Reaching the top ten in both the UK and US, the album’s groovy lead single, "Sunshine Superman", makes no effort to conceal its chemical influences in lines so blatant as "Could've tripped out easy a-but I've a-changed my ways". This theme continues in the bizarrely titled "The Fat Angel", which tells of "happiness in a pipe", and urges us to "fly Translove Airways", presumably piloted by the song’s protagonist "Captain High".
In contrast to the rest of the album’s sunny, transcendental feel, "Season of the Witch" provides a heavy dose of paranoia. When Donovan sang "Summer kept looking over his shoulder at me", he was, in real life, being watched by the police, who arrested him shortly after the song's recording for possession of cannabis. With its bewitching guitar riff, the song remains a fan favourite, and has since been featured on numerous film and television soundtracks, as well as being covered by countless artists.