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For more background on this album start by reading my review of Sunshine Superman first and then come back to this one. There was a contract dispute between Donovan's first small label Pye Records and Epic Records (CBS) which delayed the releases of both SUNSHINE SUPERMAN and MELLOW YELLOW eventually leading to distinctly different versions between UK and USA releases and the time of release for the albums. Both of these records were recorded and predated The Beatles REVOLVER and other "firsts" of the psychedelic era, however the delay was a mixed blessing as well, as it allowed Donovan to mix in with the San Francisco scene, with Cass Elliott and the LA music scene, with the flowering of Swinging London, and in spending some deeply meditative time on the island of Paros, Greece where he developed a distinctive melding of folk, rock, and jazz into a beatnik-centered "flower power" sound. The recording sessions which went on during this period resulted in what is now released as two wonderful remasters containing terrific demo's, alternate versions, and singles not released on studio albums. These two 2005 re-issues are perfect for those of us who owned or obtained the initial record albums and the 2011 re-issues have even remastered all of the songs only available in mono high-fidelity previously, as stereo remixes, as has been done with the early Beatles catalogue.MELLOW YELLOW was as close as you could get to an uninterrupted second half of SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, the two albums being almost one solid and tremendous body of work for the man who literally invented "hippy". Some of the songs on this set are needy of amplification in this review as they do truly dignify this work as being worthy of consideration in the canon of best albums ever, even though many critics who were (and still are) ignorant of the facts went about their merry way castigating Donovan as a hanger-on rather than the pioneer he actually was.The title track, Mellow Yellow opens up this album with the same general feel-good vibe as Sunshine Superman did for its own album. One remarkable fact check makes both similarly unique to those of us from the classic rock era. As Sunshine Superman featured a lead electric guitar from Jimmy Page himself, Mellow Yellow featured John Paul Jones on a walloping bass guitar line and Jones was arranger for the song as well, setting up the infectious brass that supplants the whole song. Also included in all the merry-makers heard in the background, Paul McCartney, good friend to Donovan, adds to the revelry with whoops and hollers and handclapping. Some say this reciprocated Donovan giving him the line "sky of blue and sea of green" for Yellow Submarine earlier in the year. McCartney also played bass guitar, uncredited throughout the album.MELLOW YELLOW has its moments of deep introspection, bordering on guitar-voice folk, the chief highlights of these being the solo Young Girl Blues and the incredibly ethereal Sand & Foam with stream of consciousness lyrics, the latter being one of, if not the, favorite of mine in Donovan's music. Beatnik jazz however is the driving force on the album and is predominant on songs like The Observation, Museum, and the bonus track Preaching Love. The stereo single of There Is A Mountain is included as a bonus track, as well as 2nd version of Superlungs My Supergirl, this one being nigh perfect for the Swinging London scene with its amped up horns added to the mix. Speaking of "Swinging London", Sunny South Kensington calls out swinging London specifically with name dropping (again) to Jean-Paul Belmondo, Mary Quant, Allen Ginsburg, and other oblique references to newsmakers of the day. There Is A Mountain was the beginning of a lighter touch Donovan was to embark upon, a sunny Caribbean acoustic single with flute leads, the song would serve to form the basis for The Allman Brothers live "Mountain Jam" (EAT A PEACH, 1972). Also included in the bonus tracking is not only the sloppy single of Epistle To Dippy, but an alternate version of the hit featuring strings and a more fulfilling arrangement which (IMO) is not so thumpy. For most Donovan fans, the beautiful Hampstead Incident is the central piece of art, a most evocative imagery-laden work drawn heavily from the style of Nina Simone who Donovan greatly admired.A couple weeks prior to the release of the album, Donovan joined The Beatles at Abbey Road, along with Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithful, Keith Richards, Patti Boyd, and Michael Nesmith, to lend their voices to the choir-orchestral crescendo portion of A Day In The Life. Two days after the release of MELLOW YELLOW, Donovan joined an all-star chorus for the live international broadcast of The Beatles' All You Need Is Love from Abbey Road on the Our World BBC television special. The all-star chorus included The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Marianne Faithful, Keith Moon, and Graham Nash among others. The psychedelic rock era was now in full bloom.