Just Another Diamond Day

Released

As an album of songs written during times of travel and change, Just Another Diamond Day couldn’t be more unprepossessing. Having roamed across Britain, to Scotland, in horse and carriage, to get to folk singer Donovan’s proposed musical commune, Bunyan and companions arrived to discover he’d abandoned the idea. But Bunyan had been writing songs on the way – gentle, muted songs, sitting somewhere between everyday folk melodies, and lullabies for children – that, when recorded by Joe Boyd across three days, achieved a kind of hymnal purity. It’s partly in Bunyan’s voice, a whispery hum that’s as graceful as it is shy; the album’s other musicians, including members of Fairport Convention and Incredible String Band, support Bunyan’s finger-web guitar figures playfully, but without whimsy. The album disappeared when released in 1970, but slowly accrued legend. It’s now a classic of its time – deservedly so.

Jon Dale

Suggestions
Plastic Ono Band cover

Plastic Ono Band

Yoko Ono, John Lennon
Pieces of Treasure cover

Pieces of Treasure

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Ask Me No Questions cover

Ask Me No Questions

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Today Wonder cover

Today Wonder

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♥ / lamb cover

♥ / lamb

Soccer Committee
Playback Singers cover

Playback Singers

Damon & Naomi
Miracle cover

Miracle

Heidi Berry
夜までまって cover

夜までまって

Saibou Bungaku
Lookaftering cover

Lookaftering

Vashti Bunyan
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight cover

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight

Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson