I love John Denver!!!

Yup.

There are some really really bad sounding John Denver CDs out there. The box set remasters make the best out of a bad situation.

 

He was born in the Summer of his 27th year

 

I wasn't considered to be very "cool" to like John Denver back when he was making music. I liked his stuff then and still do. "Calypso" is breathtaking.

 

I've been listening to a lot of Denver's live albums lately. Two performances that were recorded late in his career, "The Harbor Lights Concert" and "Live At Cedar Rapids" are my favorites, with the Cedar Rapids show probably my No. 1 choice.

"Harbor Lights" is played with a full band and has a first set that's focused largely on western-themed songs (not country and western, but western), and includes a great version of Marty Robbins' "El Paso." It was recorded in 1995.

The Cedar Rapids show, from 1987, is a solo performance, except for the first half of the second set in which he's accompanied by a string quartet. It's an incredibly strong performance that demonstrates just how good he could be with no accompaniment other than his own guitar.

The "Harbor Lights" set is out of print and usually fetches $40 or more on the used market, but "Live At Cedar Rapids" is readily available (in re-released form) for $20 or so.

 

As someone who enjoys playing an acoustic guitar in my spare time, I've always loved "This Old Guitar" from the Back Home Again LP. Denver wasn't afraid to go to that vulnerable place where most songwriters won't. He uses storytelling and vivid imagery to paint a picture in the listener's head. This TV performance from 1974 is lighthearted with some trademark comedy but his performance is just amazing.

 

It's a shame that beautiful relationship didn't last and that they couldn't work out their problems. I see his breakup from Annie in a similar light as Elvis's breakup from Priscilla, their fame got in the way of them appreciating how wonderful their spouses were.... Both John Denver's and Elvis's lives took a downward spiral after their "first loves" and they split up. You can see it also in their recorded outputs after their breakups.

 

Yes. And yes!

Yeah, it's a great, very evocative tune. It shows up as a motif in the lovely Whisper Of The Heart (Studio Ghibli); if you like the song, check out the movie, there is a bit of shared sweetness between the two.

 

I especially like some of his protest stuff. Like Jimmy Newman or The Ballad of Richard Nixon.

 

Notice that nothing in "Annie's Song" rhymes, which is the genious of the songwriting. Who else could have pulled that off?

 

Yea..."Calypso". My brother and I played the hell out of the 45.

 

He saw Eddie Haskell with you and was giving you the business.

 

"My, those are lovely pearls Mr. Denver".

"What?!".

 

Calypso .... Liked it as an 11 year old in 1975, still like it today.

Denver's hit-making was unusual. He had 15 top 40 hits, a nice number but nothing special. But, six of those reached #2 or better, and four made it to #1. That's impressive.

If you weren't around between 1972 - 1977, it's hard for me to explain how BIG Denver was at that time. During those years he charted seven top-10 albums, three of which reached #1. He had smash studio albums, a smash Live album, a smash Christmas album, and a smash Greatest Hits albums.

For a big swathe of the 1970s, he was in the very highest echelon of pop stardom, right up there with top solo acts like Elton John and Stevie Wonder. He he was huge on the charts and in pop culture.

 

I love his music. Annie's Song is one of my all-time favorites. One of the most beautiful, emotional songs ever sung by a man.

 

I'll be totally honest, when I was a young lad I did not care for his music, but I enjoy it very much now.

 

I've purchased two of the new colored-vinyl reissues so far, and plan to get the other soon.

Can you give us any hints as to which Denver LPs will be included in the next batch of reissues? (I propose "An Evening With John Denver," using the most recent remix or remaster, on midnight-blue vinyl. And "Aerie" on peach-colored vinyl, in homage to the lyric of "Blow Up Your TV.")

 

I love both of these albums. Have you heard "Live in the USSR"? It was recorded when Denver toured Russia in 1985; it is truly solo, with just JD on guitar and piano. It's great stuff--his version of Pete Seeger's "Bells of Rhymney" is a highlight. It also has my favorite version of "My Sweet Lady."

 

That is a great version...

John Denver Bells of Rhymney:

 

Listening to JD's solo concert recordings, I have to say that as a pianist, Denver was a great guitarist. Still love him.

 

Yes, it is. The guy could play.

 

I Want to Live and Windsong are my favorite JD albums (and are on my all-time personal favorites list). JD was my first album and concert and he was a consummate entertainer. I think he got a lot of flak for his sincerity, to be honest, but there were few like him.

"The Eagle and the Hawk" is badass. There. I said it.

 

It totally is badass...what I powerful song.

 

And who can forget his appearance on The Brady Bunch?

 

Thank you @Clark V Kauffman. It's difficult to start talking about the next batch of releases as these first 3 albums have only been available for a short time.
I recently had a reissue title approved, then at the last minute it was taken away from me (not a John Denver title). The reason I decided to start posting here is to gauge people's interest in Denver. As I've written above, being a fan of his music used to incur ridicule from music elitists who blew him off as a joke, so I really want to know what people think. Your suggestions "An Evening With John Denver" and "Aerie" are fantastic, love the ideas for the color schemes too. Keep em coming!

 

Although it's not one of my favorite songs, I always remember it from the comic The New Teen Titans because it was the wedding song of Donna Troy and Terry Long.

"Fly Away" was good song. I think a duet album between John Denver and Olivia Newton-John might have been a missed opportunity.

Although I'm not a massive fan of John Denver, I do like a number of his songs. I have his three Greatest Hits CDs and each has good songs. In addition to the already-mentioned song "Shanghai Breezes," another song I do like is "How Can I Leave You Again."