Slow Down World

Album Review

Slow Down World marked the end of Donovan's ten-year relationship with Columbia Records. A somewhat more downbeat album than the preceding 7-Tease, interweaving the influences of world music ("The Mountain," a gorgeous reprise/follow-up to "There Is a Mountain," that's worth the price of the album), traces of some lingering idealism ("Children of the World"), and romantic balladry "My Love Is True" (Love Song)," interspersed with some bitter reflections on the state of his image and role in the world ("A Well-Known Has-Been"). The title song and a handful of others are a bit too introverted for popular consumption, though they're very successful personal songwriting, dealing with the darker side of the psyche. But the album ends on a delightful high-note with "The Liberation Rag," as upbeat a song as Donovan had generated since "There Is a Mountain," and utilizing an arrangement that deliberately recalls his original, Bob Dylan-influenced sound.