John Denver Album: “Rocky Mountain High (RCA)”

John Denver's sixth album contained the song for which he is best known, the album's title song "Rocky Mountain High". This song went top 10 and secured John Denver a place as Colorado's musical hero, and became an unofficial anthem for the state.

John continued the largely acoustic musical style of his previous albums, using electronic effects and instruments sparingly to create a style of pop/country/folk that remains as unusual today as it was then. The classic "Rocky Mountain High" was dominated by acoustic guitars and John Denver's voice in a echo effect, that creates a more expansive musical piece than a description would imply. The song itself is a song of loss and discovery in the mountains of Colorado. One point of the song is that someone finds themselves in the solitude of the Colorado mountain wilderness. Another point is a lament of the number of people moving to Colorado and the loss of that solitude.

"Mother Nature's Son" is a country/pop song. Open fields and blue skies. Born poor, singing on the street corners. A kind of theme for John Denver and his life, though the song was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. John's version is a mellow version with a country flavor.

"Paradise" will remind you of Appalachian folk music. Strong on violin, with vocals taking center stage. A very wonderful song which will remind you of the bluegrass music of the 40s and 50s. The topic of this song is environmental, a tale of paradise lost to strip miners.

The next song switches back to easy listening pop. "For Baby (For Bobbie)" is a pop love ballad somewhat in the tradition of Simon and Garfunkel, but without the harmonies.

"Darcy Farrow" is a folk tale of two lovers; she dies in an accident, he kills himself because he couldn't handle the loss. A song that takes place in the area between Nevada and California near Reno, this song could easily have been a cowboy song, but John keeps the tone as a folk song.

The next song is a reminder that the Viet Nam war was in progress in 1972. "Prisoners" is a lament about a woman with a child who is lonely without her husband, who is a prisoner of war. The song concludes with the desire to bring all the prisoners home. This song has a country flavor with a fast beat.

"Goodbye Again" must be the business traveler's lament. Each time he has to go on the road they fight. She wants him to stay, he can't and he wishes they wouldn't fight just before he has to go on the road. In its own way this is a love song, a ballad for sure, and probably more of a folk song than country.

The last five songs are conjoined by the seasons of the year. Reading the lyrics, you could see this song performed by a progressive rock group. The song is sung in John Denver's traditional acoustic style, with a light pop flavor, perhaps folk. The song is a celebration of the seasons of the year. Connecting the five songs into one theme in a suite would make one tempted to call this progressive folk or pop. However, perhaps that's a stretch. It's a series of songs that make a concept.

John Denver managed to make some of the most consistently beautiful, generally acoustic, songs. This album is classic John Denver. If you know John Denver's music, you'll find this one has a lot of class and style, and is well worth owning. If you aren't as familiar with John, this album is easy listening with a flavor that tends toward folk and country, but not strongly so, and also often can be considered pop. It's good music for mellow occasions.

Rocky Mountain High is the quintessential John Denver album. The songs are folkish, but with a real energy to the acoustic guitar playing thanks to the playing of Mike Taylor. It has John's signature song, the title track, as well numerous other tracks that center on nature and the images of nature, as well as love and hope. His cover of Paul McCartney's song Mother Nature's Son, at one time planned to be the title song of the album before he wrote Rocky Mountain High, is a highlight, a song that Denver "owned" as much as Paul did, once his cover was released. This is the album that established Denver as a superstar, and the best album to understand what he represented.

The reviewer from Hickama NV was wrong, this is the original album released in 1972... original versions of these timeless John Denver songs. The song Rocky Mountain High is, of course, JD's most autobiographical song, but each cut here reveals something about the artist: the lonely troubadour in Goodbye Again, the hopeless romantic in Darcy Farrow, the emerging songwriter/storyteller in Hard Times/Hard Life. Long time Denver fans must have this one... relpace that vinyl with a CD! If you've only discovered John Denver since his death, this is the CD to buy.

I think this was one of John Denver's best. Couldn't find it anywhere locally (Thanks Amazon for having it!). John Denver never fit well into any one music category; but if I had to categorize this album I would label it country/pop. If you love nature, you'll love "Season Suite" - Even if you're sitting in cubicle, this four part song can take you outside for awhile. His rendition of Lennon/McCartney's "Mother Nature's Son is great. Most of the songs are upbeat and positve - a definite pick me up when you're having one of 'I'm mad as hell and can't take it anynmore' days.

I am proud to say that I have this wonderful cd of John Denver's! I am a long-time fan of his, and when I hear Rocky Mountain High, Good bye again, For Baby [For Bobbie], and all his other beautiful songs, it just amazes me how I hear a different meaning, each time I hear John's songs! This is a must have cd/album for any John Denver fan! PEACE & ENJOY!