Search - John Denver :: Playlist: The Very Best of John Denver (Eco-Friendly Packaging)

There is more to John Denver than this worn out list!

LSB | New England | 05/16/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Let me say first, I am a devoted John Denver fan. Having said that, every song on this list has been compiled to DEATH. Why not make a list that features something that maybe the masses HAVEN'T heard yet. Something like Stonehaven Sunrise, or Potter's Wheel, or some older songs he recorded that show more of a range of what John Denver could actually do with his voice, such as Whale Bones and Crosses, and Hight Flight.



I have every Album/CD he ever put out, and when I put my mix together, NONE of the songs listed above are included. Not because I don't like them, but because they are overplayed!



TO anyone who really wants to get to know John Denver's music, I suggest you you go to iTunes and just pick any title you've never heard of with his name next to it. Chances are, you'll be amazed.

"

Tediously Unexceptional Collection #26

Christopher | Wengen-en-esprit | 06/28/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is getting ridiculous. Definitive John Denver, John Denver's Greatest Hits, The Essential John Denver, Country Roads Collection, John Denver Remembered, The Best of John Denver, Forever John Denver, Greatest Hits Volume 2, Greatest Hits (different from previous), The Rocky Mountain Collection, Annie's Songs: A Collection of His Finest Recordings, 16 Biggest Hits, Legendary John Denver, Songs from the Heart, Greatest Hits and Favorites, VH1's Greatest Hits, The Best of JD (different, again, from above), Reader's Digest: Greatest Hits and Finest Performances, Portrait, The Very Best of John Denver, Love Again: Greatest and Latest, John Denver Collection, Greatest Country Hits, Greatest Hits Volume 3...



I recommend the purist dig through some of these to find the alternate recordings/better-mastered songs... and I must emphasize to the new John Denver fan that not all posthumous compilation albums are terrible, and at least one, Forever, John, is 90% unreleased material.



Sony BMG has released, in addition to several other of their John Denver greatest hits, yet another album that offers nothing new to either the budding fan or the old diehard.



The problem with most of these compilations is that they actually make Denver look like he has only one rockin' tune (Rocky Mountain High) and the rest of his repertoire is actually slow and almost lame. In reality, Denver has songs that are mind-blowingly atmospheric, eerie and dark like the winter winds at night, naturalistic, spiritual, or just plain fun, funny, or even exciting to play along with your guitar. These rarely appear on corporate records; you have to find them yourself by listening to each of John Denver's albums.



Playlist pulls its titles from six of Denver's albums, though each of the songs is remastered. I cannot in fairness say I've listened to the Playlist album, since no excerpts exist at the time of this writing, so I cannot tell which version of the remastered songs appears or if they have been previously released.



From the album Back Home Again: Back Home Again, Annie's Song*, Sweet Surrender, and a live recording of Thank God (I'm a Country Boy)*. This record also has the concert-favorite and funny Grandma's Feather Bed.



From Windsong: I'm Sorry*, Fly Away, and Calypso. Windsong is one of my favorite Denver albums, which includes the haunting Cowboy's Delight, the lively Spirit, and the beautiful, near-epic Looking for Space.



From Rocky Mountain High: Rocky Mountain High*, Mother Nature's Son, and Goodbye Again. This album includes the two wonderful tracks, Summer and Spring.



From Poems, Prayers & Promises: Take Me Home, Country Roads and Sunshine on My Shoulders*. It includes My Sweet Lady, such a beautiful song that is rarely seen outside of this album.



Finally, Leaving, On a Jet Plane is taken from Rhymes & Reasons, and Baby, You Look Good to Me Tonight comes from the album Spirit (not related to the song of the same title).



*These songs were re-recorded when John Denver was older and used on The Best of John Denver, and I absolutely love these renditions. Along with more modern recording methods, John Denver sounds wiser and his matured voice packs more of a wallop than it did when he was younger.



I only picked out a very small sampling of Denver songs that I like; there are dozens of other songs on his many albums that are beyond words to describe, and still others I would never tell anyone about, simply because they share a deep sentimental meaning for me.



I'll reiterate: not all the greatest hits albums are awful. But before spending money on tediously unexceptional collection #26, I would highly recommend pointing your web browser over to your local library's Website to request a few of his albums, or all of them. Start from the beginning, or work backwards. You'll find gems on his records that no one's ever heard, and those songs will become yours to treasure or share with others, and you won't have had some anonymous source find it for you!"