John Denver Album: “VH1 Behind the Music: The John Denver Collection”

When John Denver was killed in October of 1997, a void was created that has yet to be filled. Songs about nature and the way we humans choose to interact with the environment around us were, up to that point, uniquely his, and no one seems to have taken on that role since his passing.

This collection of previously released material are songs that are timeless. Anyone even vaguely familiar with John's music will recognize every single one of these titles as a part, no matter how big or small, of the soundtrack of their life. "Rocky Mountain High", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", and "Annie's Song" are melodies the whole world will know for years to come. Interestingly, the travel trilogy ("Leaving, On A Jet Plane", "Follow Me", and "Goodbye Again") and perhaps the song that best represented his optimism, "Rhymes And Reasons", are omitted, but are readily available on other collections. Nonetheless, for a single disc release, you can't do any better that this collection of John's music.

If you haven't noticed, there's about twenty "John Denver" collections out there. I ended up with this one for a few reasons. It's not a skimpy budget collection, or a 2-disc bloated one, but a full 18 track one that includes nearly every great moment of his. Included are the hits "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Rocky Mountain High", and "Sunshine On My Shoulders". Plus this has songs the "Greatest Hits" does not, like "Sweet Surrender", "Annie's Song", and "Thank God I'm A Country Boy". Also here is "Calypso" and "Back Home Again". There's a few missing tracks of course, like "Leaving On A Jet Plane", but overall this is the best single disc collection I've seen, and it should give you that "Rocky Mountain High" you've been looking for.

I have found John Denver to be perfect mood music to unwind after a stressful day. I admit I wasb't very familiar with his music before getting this CD, but I felt compelled to get it after hearing "Looking for Space." I'm still enamored with that song, but there is so much more here.

I never really paid attention to his lyrics before, but noe I realize how deep and moving they are. As a Southerner, I feel his affection for West Virginia in "Country Roads" and his love songs can frankly rip your heart out.

The only frawback is that "Leaving on a Jetplane" is absent. It seems odd for such a famous song to not be included. Despite this, This volume is a fantastic assortment of John Denver's best, execellently recorded.

You have to think that, had he not died tragically in October of 1997, John Denver would have found his way back into the spotlight he virtually owned from 1971 to the early 1980s when he racked up 33 Billboard Hot 100 single hits, to go along with 34 Adult Contemporary and 27 Country charters. Not to mention millions in album sales.

When you saw him perform you instinctively knew that here was the genuine article. As his friend Lyle Lovett is quoted as saying in the eight pages of liner notes written by Michael Hill, "John was who you saw on stage."

An avowed environmentalist and a friend to all of humanity, his songs often reflected his deep-rooted convictions, none more so than in Calypso, his tribute to Jacques Cousteau and his famous ship.

This is but one of over 120 John Denver CDs currently available, and all 18 tracks were hit singles. Highly recommended.