The female Donovan
I actually hadn't heard of Vashti until after that Reebok commercial with "Train Song", I completely fell in love with this album after hearing the song clips. I'm one who likes Donovan and the Incredible String Band, so I enjoy her pastoral themes and traditional melodies more than others might. But even if you're into good singer-songwriters with fantastic voice, I recommend this.

A Discovery 30 Years in the Making
For certain people, music is more than some random noise to dance to or listen to while painting the bedrooms. Sometimes it can just stop you in your tracks. Vashti Bunyan does that for anyone that considers themself her fan. You won't find many casual Vashti fans as her music just seems too engaging to turn away. For those who listen to her are likely to love her regardless of anything. Sure, she might be too demure or at first sound too fragile and sensitive for bedrockheads who run through walls, people, and steel to get what they want out of life, let alone music. But others will suddenly sit still and scratch their heads wondering where this marvelous music has been hiding all their lives.

Most may have discovered it through a cell phone commercial in 2006; that would be this albums opening cut. Indeed, the sublime splash of Diamond Day introduces us to a world as provocative to us as it was to Vashti when she left the modern world for a rustic commune in 1967 until the album's recording in 1969. Throughout the album, the lyrics detail 2 years of experiences involving relationships, nature and the sudden happiness she discovered after a depressing and jaded stint through the pop market in the mid 60s. Sure, there is some world weariness sprinkled throughout and her voice can still relay a sense of despondency, but more often than not, as exemplified by songs like Come wind Come Rain, Jog Along Bess, and Where I Like to Stand, she hopes, yearns and quietly celebrates her life while the musicians move the songs in jaunty folk arrangements filled with recorders, Irish harps, mandolins and banjoes without effects or any progressive trappings popular at the time. The music is often a perfect compliment for her songs. Many of the musicians came from Producer Joe Boyd's contingent including the Fairport Convention, ISB and Nick Drake's string arranger Robert Kirby, all of whom Vashti had admitted were unknown to her when she showed up to record this album in 1969. The result is something that transcends its perceived folk genre. It is thankfully impossible to pigeonhole and that's probably what may forever endear it to those discovering her all these years later, whether through commercials or wandering by a club in early 2007 to hear her singing while she toured the world after years in obscurity. It has that much power to stop you on the pavement and check her out.

As a bonus, reissues have added some of her finest singles that she recorded in the mid sixties including her most morose song, a demo of Winter is Blue featuring the payoff lines, "I am alone, waiting for nothing. If my heart freezes, I won't feel the breaking." By the time her last single for Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label, I'd Like to Walk Around in You Mind was recorded, it wound up being shelved. This seemed to be the song to bridge the despondency of her sixties recordings with the world weary optimism of this album. She makes for a mischievous ghostly presence here, hoping and determined to cheer up the most iron-hearted cynic. Her delivery starts off tentative then becomes more assured as she finishes the verses. The approach is natural and simply brilliant. It's as assuasive as pop music could get and stands arguably as her greatest song; my favorite to say the least. It may have taken over 30 years for many to discover this, but it's worth it.

Beautiful Pastoral English Folk
This is one of the most beautiful albums ever recorded and my personal favorite. Vashti was discovered by the Rolling Stones' producer and pitched as a pop singer, but fled to the country to live alone in a caravan after recording this album of pastoral english folk. Her soft high voice trembles ever so slightly over a collection of beautifully crafted, sweet but never simple songs about sunlight and hay, wind and rain, dogs and horses, frog and birds, cups of tea, muddy boots and romantic longing. Some of the songs are very like nursery rhymes, like Beatrix Potter-ish tales set to music. "Jog Along Bess" is one of my favorites, about rescuing a bunch of psychologically or physically wounded animals and taking them to the country to frolic with her. It's adorable but kind of sad and weird, too. "Rosehip November" is a lyrical masterpiece that would not be out-of-place on Nick Drake's "Five Leaves Left" album. "I'd Like to Walk Around in Your Mind" is a touching ode to a reluctant lover. There is a strange tone of High Elizabethan mourning in her voice that echoes the overall wistfulness of Vashti's lovely lyrics. It is said she did not collect one dime off this, and somehow that all just adds to the allure.

I tripped and almost fell, but Vashti caught me
This album saved me..literally. Tripping as hard as I ever had, I almost called an ambulance because I was so scared. I put the album on and as soon as Vashti started singin "la lalala la la lalala la" on the song "Diamond Day" my bad trip turned into the best one I've ever had as the album progressed. She may have not saved my life, but Vashti saved me huge ambulance and hospital fees, and an explanation for anyone who asked of why I had to go to the emergency room.
Somebody else said the album seems to transport you to another world. Well in this case vashti brought me back home with her Diamond Day album.

Idyllic reveries from a tinker's soul
Having just returned from seeing Vashti perform at Carnegie Hall in a review assembled by David Byrne, I am amazed that her voice still has that angellic dream quality that owed much to early Joni MItchell and a host of Brit folk-rock earth mothers. If you are familiar with Eric Andersen's BLUE RIVER, you'll have the aesthetic sense of this.
Discovered by Joe Boyd, but entirely lacking in whatever drive one needs to sustain oneself through the interminable disappointments os a life as a professional musician, Vashti's effort here was considered a one-off until the new wave of folk hippies somehow caught wind of her.
Hers is a truly beautiful and whispery type of voice, what might have prompted Richard Thompson to write "Beeswing" for example. She had no sense for what to do with her talent, and took after fellow wanderers instead of focuing on what was an ambitious and promising start. Boyd gave up. Bunyan wandered around northern England, the Hebrdides and Ireland in a tinker's caravan after the release of this record. God knows if she even collected a dime.
But here it is again, and hopefully she has a better focus. She has recorded a follow up, 35 years later, that is also a stellar effort. But in listening to this, in listening to her sing Friday night with Adem Ilhan, I can't help but think of Jack Hardy's "Tinker's Coin." Perhaps she'll stick with it now that new folkies seems to have dragged her back into the spotlight. She is still quite beautiful, with an extraordinarily emotional set of pipes. This is well worth it.