John denver the essential john denver songs

One of his soppier songs is вЂњFor YouвЂќ, although Denver does deliver the goods on the ballad. ItвЂ™s also the first of his quasi-yodel efforts, something he would perfect on a later tune. вЂњRocky Mountain HighвЂќ is a better tune that tells a straightforward story which should still be part of a Colorado tourism commercial if itвЂ™s already not. The conclusion in hindsight, however, is a bit too rich and stringy. The same is evident on another signature tune вЂњTake Me Home, Country RoadsвЂќ which talks about mountain mamas and West Virginia. A few of the middle tracks arenвЂ™t quite as popular but they are just as strong, showcasing DenverвЂ™s singer/songwriter foundation, as on the gentle lullaby вЂњPerhaps LoveвЂќ. A somber piano track is a love ballad but far from the likes of cheesy вЂ™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.ДЄnother early gem is вЂњLeaving on a Jet PlaneвЂќ, which was later covered by Chantal Kreviazuk on the Armageddon soundtrack. The yokel anthem that is вЂњThank God IвЂ™m a Country BoyвЂќ was DenverвЂ™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. вЂњBack Home AgainвЂќ 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. Packaged nicely and with liner notes from David Roy, the first disc leads with вЂњSunshine on My ShouldersвЂќ, with DenverвЂ™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.

John denver the essential john denver songs