| Sutras | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Donovan |
| Cover: | Donovan-Sutras.jpg |
| Released: | 14 October 1996 |
| Recorded: | 1995–96 |
| Genre: | Folk |
| Length: | 50:51 |
| Label: | American Recordings |
| Producer: | Rick Rubin |
| Prev Title: | One Night in Time |
| Prev Year: | 1993 |
| Next Title: | Rising Again (Live) |
| Next Year: | 2001 |
Sutras is the nineteenth studio album (22nd overall) by Scottish singer/songwriter Donovan. It was released in the UK (American Recordings 74321 39743 2) and the US (American Recordings 43705) on 14 October 1996. The US version does not contain the final track, "The Garden".
By the mid-1990s, the CD reissues of Donovan's 1960s albums and the boxed set reacquainted his fans with his music. These releases also introduced him to newer generations, which helped rebuild his fan base.
The success of Johnny Cash's American Recordings album prompted producer Rick Rubin to search for other artists who would benefit from the same model. While in the studio with Tom Petty, Rubin mentioned that he would like to work with Donovan. Petty suggested that he call Donovan, which he did.
Donovan agreed to have Rubin produce his next album, and prepared over one hundred songs for the recording sessions. The sessions were to feature sparse instrumentation, much like the sessions that made Cash's American Recordings such a success. Rubin insisted that Donovan listen to the folk material that Donovan recorded for Pye Records in 1964 and '65 for inspiration. The recording sessions commenced in 1995 with mixing of the song "El Dorado" in Los Angeles by Sylvia Massy. The deeply meditative Sutras was released late the following year.
Sutras received mixed reviews and failed to achieve the kind of commercial success Cash's American Recordings had. Donovan did not receive a longer contract, and Sutras became his only collaboration with Rubin; it is now out of print in the US. Yet for all its lack of commercial success, Sutras galvanized Donovan's fan base by reestablishing him as a current artist releasing new material. The internet in particular served a vital role in uniting his fans after the release of Sutras. Donovan paid close attention to this movement, and spent the next five years reorganizing his business around the internet to better reach his fans. Sutras can be seen as one of his most coherent solo efforts, since his creative period shortly after learning Transcendental Meditation and the period he spent in India with The Beatles (1967–71).
All tracks by Donovan Leitch, except where noted. The US version of Sutras retained the same track sequence, but deleted the last song on the album ("The Garden"), making it a fourteen-track album.
credits from allmusic.com
| Artist | Credit |
|---|---|
| Martyn Atkins | Photography |
| Nick Brine | Engineer |
| Christine Cano | Art Direction, Design |
| Donovan | Composer, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Harmonium, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| Steve Ferrone | Drums, Percussion |
| Josh Haden | Bass |
| Evan Hartzell | Drums |
| Mobi Ho | Translation |
| Nigel Kennedy | Arranger, Violin |
| Fiona MacLeod | Composer, Voices |
| Sylvia Massy | Mixing |
| Caitlin Matthews | Translation |
| Eddie Miller | Assistant Engineer |
| Dave Navarro | Chamberlin, Fender Rhodes, Guest Artist, Keyboards, Mellotron, Piano, Sitar (Electric), Vocals (Background) |
| Edgar Allan Poe | Composer |
| Jonny Polonsky | Bass |
| Juliet Prater | Percussion |
| Paul Reed | Engineer |
| Paul Roche | Translation |
| Rick Rubin | Arranger, Producer |
| Al Sanderson | Assistant Engineer |
| Dave Sardy | Bells |
| David Schiffman | Engineer, Mixing |
| Eddy Schreyer | Mastering |
| Jim Scott | Engineer |
| Michael Severens | Cello |
| Pavinder Singh | Tabla |
| Michael Stock | Assistant Engineer |
| Gerri Sutyak | Cello |
| Benmont Tench | Keyboards |
| Danny Thompson | Bass (Acoustic) |
| Traditional | Composer |
| Jake Walton |