The tune could be compared in some respects to “To Live Is to Fly”, one of the many jewels penned by the late Townes Van Zandt. “Windsong” is such an example with a light percussion in the background as a cello is used to create a rich aura for the acoustic number. Nature and his environs always intrigued Denver, particularly when the sea and the skies are often part of the songs. And the first disc ends with the warm and melodic “Annie’s Song”, which has much in common with “Morning Has Broken” by Cat Stevens. One of his soppier songs is “For You”, although Denver does deliver the goods on the ballad. It’s also the first of his quasi-yodel efforts, something he would perfect on a later tune. “Rocky Mountain High” is a better tune that tells a straightforward story which should still be part of a Colorado tourism commercial if it’s already not. The conclusion in hindsight, however, is a bit too rich and stringy. The same is evident on another signature tune “Take Me Home, Country Roads” which talks about mountain mamas and West Virginia. A few of the middle tracks aren’t quite as popular but they are just as strong, showcasing Denver’s singer/songwriter foundation, as on the gentle lullaby “Perhaps Love”. A somber piano track is a love ballad but far from the likes of cheesy ’70s groups like REO Speedwagon and that ilk. This track also had a Celtic influence with its piano and fiddle, resembling Natalie MacMaster or the Rankin Family.Īnother early gem is “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, which was later covered by Chantal Kreviazuk on the Armageddon soundtrack. The yokel anthem that is “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” was Denver’s signature tune for those less than familiar with his catalogue. The lyrics also tend to resonate on a back porch or in venues Denver performed in hundreds of times over. “Back Home Again” keeps this swaying, toe-tapper feeling going which could almost put you to sleep. The fact Denver was able to take songs like this one and stretch them out for nearly five minutes without boring you to tears is a remarkable achievement. Even greater are the string arrangements, which are just soft enough to avoid a stuffy and bloated effect.
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Packaged nicely and with liner notes from David Roy, the first disc leads with “Sunshine on My Shoulders”, with Denver’s simple timbre painting an image as vast as the scenery and nature he often used in lyrics. Trimming all the needless fat and getting to nothing but hits and high points, the album does Denver justice. This two-disc set is no different but is perhaps one of the better two-disc compilations to come out in a long time. Instead, several collections and greatest hits albums have been released and re-issued in that time. When the singer died in a plane crash in 1997, he was merely 53 years old and perhaps, like so many of his contemporaries, would have soon been recognized by a new generation. Better known as John Denver, the singer evokes images of a laid-back countryside that looks out through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. had far more than that 15 minutes of fame. Monty Python might have joked about him being strangled to death, but Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.