I think it's what I call the Barry Manilow effect. That thing where an MOR artist applies the same production to every song whether it needs it or not. With Barry Manilow he can't get through a song without moving the key up half way through and singing louder. It's like his producer said to him "hey, let's do that Mandy thing to this song too". For John, I think the producer or John listened to a really great take and said "You know what this song needs? More cowbell. No wait! Strings swelling in the back..." and they both nod their heads in agreement with a smile. I was a really big fan of John Denver's until the Windsong album but bailed for the reason you pointed out. That's the last one I bought until I picked up one of the greatest hit compilations.
I like John's music. My dad worked as a tech at WRGB in Schenectady, NY in the 1960s. I was brought to a taping of the Chad Mitchell Trio at the studio (in '66 as a 4 y/o) featuring Chad's replacement, the yet-to-be John Denver. During a set break I was brought on stage and got to strum his acoustic. That was nice, but not as nice as getting a set of Legos from the station's 'weather lady', Louise. Definitely colored my choice of guitar as an instrument.
A grey-market release from the UK, "Live In LA, 1971" is a good (but not great) sounding disc of a fascinating live radio broadcast from The Troubadour when Denver was on the cusp of worldwide fame. "Take Me Home Country Roads" had just hit No. 1, and this live, small-club performance (with many celebrities in attendance) captures him when he was still more of a folk singer than a pop singer. Definitely worth tracking down if you're a fan of folkie-era Denver. "Live In Cedar Rapids" is a phenomenal 2-CD set. Just him and an acoustic guitar, recorded in 1987. (For a handful of songs he's joined by a string quartet.) His voice is better on this album -- in terms of range and control -- than on any other album, I think. I'm not a big fan of the song "Calypso," but his vocals on that song, at this show, always gives me chills. He really hits it out of the park on that sing and the opening number. The setlist is a great mix of early hits and later-period classics. It's sourced from an excellent soundboard tape (not a multi-track recording), so it clearly wasn't recorded with an eye toward release. Even so, the only drawback is that the audience sounds distant. The music sounds great. "Live in the USSR" is also quite good. Again, it's just him and a guitar, recorded in the mid-1990s. "The Harbor Lights Concert," a full-band recording from the 1990s, is excellent, with most of the first set comprised of western-themed songs, including a great cover of Marty Robbins' "El Paso."
Agreed. He was at his best with just a guitar and a microphone. Many of his songs tend to lean toward the syrupy, in terms of the lyric, so adding a layer of strings can induce a diabetic coma at times.
Yeah, tribute bands just don't work for me. But this show, because it features Denver himself, and because the video and audio recordings are integrated so seamlessly with the live stage performance, is really quite impressive. Of course, it helps that the band are Denver's old mates, not a bunch of hired guns.
There have been a number of albums that I 'hated' for one reason or another...and then something just melted the ice and I relented and let the music take me. Obviously, I didn't have that problem with this album. I gave it a few songs to make sure that I liked what I was hearing and by the third track as stated above, I was all in. Well let's not forget that Manilow's albums and songs, at least the popular ones, tend to have a Broadway show tune feel to them. That's his strength and he 'played' to it and it worked big time! I think that strings with John Denver work to an extent. But as others have pointed out, most of his songs work better the simpler they are. HIS strength, in my opinion, is in the simplicity and the lyrics of the song. The simplicity lets the lyrics and song shine through. In this case, LESS cowbell. Right now, I'm thinking of starting with a full band show and a 'just-him-and-a-guitar' show. I'm actually intrigued by the him and a guitar shows. That's where I think the strength of his songs lay. I think I might start with Cedar Rapids. For the full band, I may go with the first live album from 1975 at his 'peak' or this Harbor Lights show. I saw him in 1973 and I think that the 1975 live album will have most of the same band. Edit: I just downloaded Cedar Rapids. I also just downloaded the audiobook version of his autobiography. You guys are great with the recommendations! Thank God I get paid next week.
I've downloaded BOTH of these albums and I don't find a bad track on either one. They are WONDERFUL!! Great recommendations!!! I'll get into some of the others later. I downloaded the Cedar Rapids show that I want to listen to. I don't want to overdo it. I see that there was a 'Complete RCA Albums' box a few years ago. Similar to what they did for Nilsson. Missed it and now it goes for big bucks. Damn.
Great stuff. Glad you enjoyed them. I would agree - I can listen to both those albums straight through without reaching for the skip button. Yes, I was tempted by the complete box a few years ago but figured I had all the albums I really wanted already. Had to resist the collector impulse.
I've been a John Denver fan since 1974, and while my love of his music has never wavered, some of the mid-70's stuff has not aged well. I agree with the poster who commented that Denver got pushed into MOR territory because the strings took over. I also love the love the Cedar Rapids and USSR albums, because most of Denver's songs work best in simple settings. When he changed his band in the late 70's to basically the TCB Band, he tried his hand at rock'n'roll, which honestly he was ill-suited for. I love the simplicity of albums like "Poems, Prayers & Promises," where many of the songs were basically just guitars and upright bass (I prefer the string-less version of Sunshine on My Shoulders on that album). I am a huge fan of Denver's 12-string playing, and that seemed to become less common as his celebrity grew. I'm probably rambling now, so I'll stop. One more comment: one factor that has kept me a fan was Denver's voice--he was an underrated singer, with tremendous range and control, and as he aged, his voice became more expressive and rich.
I bought the "COMPLETE RCA ALBUMS" box when it was released, and it really does have all you need from those years. (Apart from the Muppet collaborations. And they remain essential to me!) The albums sound lovely, and you even get the re-recordings and hit versions of songs that were exclusive to the "GREATEST HTS VOLUME 2" compilation - "MY SWEET LADY", "GRANDMA´S FEATHER BED", "THIS OLD GUITAR" and "WELCOME TO MY MORNING". I think they are - mostly - the superior versions of those songs. It was expensive, but not as expensive as it is now. Sorry about that. I do, however, have some superfluous stand-alone versions of many of the albums in that box, and they are now superfluous to requirements. If you want any of them on CD, you can have them for the cost of shipping. Just if you are interested. ("I WANT TO LIVE", "SPIRIT", "AUTOGRAPH" etc. PM me if you want more information.)
I agree, I have the Cedar Rapids and Harbor Lights. I didn't grab the USSR before it went out of print. I saw him on these tours and many more. He is so great live. I enjoy his albums but his musicianship is so great live. Really miss his shows.
There's all sorts of my father's music I was forced to listen to while sitting in the back of my parent's station wagon. Little did I know I was soaking that stuff up like a sponge. Years later... I'm flipping through the channels looking for something to watch. I stop on my local PBS channel and see a John Denver Christmas concert. My wife was in the kitchen. She yells out to me... are you watching John Denver? Yes I am. And I knew every word.
If you go to johndenver.com and click on the store button, they have the USSR CD for $14. At least they did the last time I checked.
Never was a big fan (don't think I've ever listened to an entire album), but Rocky Mountain High is a masterpiece.
I think him solo is terrific and that was the way I saw him last about six months before he died. However, with a band he is just as great. Saw him with an orchestra and it blew me away. I also love the tv special where he had the banjo player and seemed to play his songs a little faster than the studio record.
I enjoy his 80's output just as much as the 70's. Flying for me, What are we making weapons for, For you, and The flower that shattered the stone are really really good.
Excellent point. His 80's stuff is underrated and overlooked. The Higher Ground album, IMHO, is almost as good as anything he did in the 70's.
I'm very much enjoying them. The GREAT thing is, I heard the song 'Like A Sad Song' ages ago, was floored by it....NEVER KNEW WHO SANG IT (shame on me)....and over the years forgot about it and was FLOORED when I heard it on 'Spirit'. It was on repeat...repeatedly. It doesn't appear to be on any of his live albums though....unless I missed it. I agree about his voice. From the few tracks that I've heard from his later years, it is wonderful. But the thing about the way that he sings as song is this....he doesn't just 'sing' the song. He 'feels' the song. He can make you 'feel' what he is feeling with his voice. I swear that there are songs here and there where you can 'hear' him thinking, 'This isn't my song and I really didn't want to sing this.' I could be wrong. I probably am. But just listening to the Cedar Rapids show really gives these songs the 'air' that they need to breathe. Just him and a guitar. Absolutely wonderful. Thanks for the offer @Jarleboy and the encouragement on temptation @windfall . But neither will be necessary. I gave in and bought the box. It seemed that I was heading in that direction anyway in an individual manner. Before it got too expensive going that route, I bought the box. Shut up. Just shut up.
Having grown up with "Greatest Hits" and only lately listening to the RCA Albums Collection, it was somewhat surprising hearing earlier different versions of songs on GH. Did he redo all of the songs on Greatest Hits?
Not all but quite a few. Here's what I've come up with: Completely new versions: Follow Me Starwood in Aspen Rhymes and Reasons Leaving on a Jet Plane The Eagle and the Hawk Poems, Prayers, and Promises Strings were added to Sunshine on My Shoulders and the bass was lowered in the mix. Mike Taylor's lead guitar on For Baby (For Bobbie) from the Rocky Mountain High album has been mixed out.
Are you sure it was recorded in the mid-1990s? I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure it was recorded in either 1985, 1986 or 1987?
Thanks. From those I've heard so far, I prefer the Greatest Hits versions. But that may be because of familiarity with the GH LP.
That may have been a typo, since Clark is usually spot-on with Denver data. I believe it was recorded in '85.
