I was 22 but I had the same experience when I graduated from college and 5 days later moved to Aspen Colorado. Two days later I got to see JD in concert. This was in the early 90's and man, he could still sing, even Calypso. A lot of people think he's a bit cheesy but his music spoke to me and I didn't care what anyone thought. He wrote the type of music that kids have been singing at summer camps and adults around the fire for decades and continue to do. I even had a crazy motorcycle taxi ride through the busy streets of Bangkok where the driver and I sang Country Roads together at the top of our lungs. For those that have touched nature with their hearts and live life deeply, he wrote music that speak directly to that. Oh, and he was a great story teller too.
I love the beauty of the line: _'I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly'_ It's such a simple and stunning acknowledgment of the amazing magnificence of this earth
"He was born in the summer of his 27th year Coming home to a place he'd never been before" just the single opening line, yet a whole song within itself
One of personal favorites is from The Eagle and the Hawk “And reach for the heavens and hope for the future And all that we can be and not what we are”
The very opening phrase "He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he'd never been before" is phrase turning at its finest and the hallmark of 'S' tier lyricists/writers.
@@Hal-lj7kpto me it means, he started a whole new life (what would end up being a beautiful thing) when he was 27 and decided to move to the mountains. "Coming home to a place he'd never been before" is almost to say he was meant to be there all along. And there he found his true self, and started his new life in the summer when he was 27.
@@Hal-lj7kpHe even says later in the song "you might say he was born again, you might say he found a key to every door." Which further supports the idea that he has started his life anew and the new life was perfect and where he was meant to be all along, thus finding his true self in the process.
If you're looking for another John Denver song, you can't go wrong with "Annie's Song." One of the best melodies every written, and the pictures it paints in your head are amazing. It came to him while he was riding a ski lift. By the time he got to the top of the mountain, the song was basically complete in his head.
That's absolutely true Jeff, and to elaborate further, John had just had an argument with his wife Annie previous to that trip to the slopes where he goes to clear his head. In an interview i read, he doesn't go into the subject of the conflict, but I found myself wondering A) what transpired in his head during that trip up the mountain? And B) was it a revelation or an epiphany that turned his hurt/anger into a song of love and inspiration? Simply an amazing singer/songwriter.
in 2007, I was 47, and I went elk hunting in Colorado's Rocky mountains... it was my first trip out west. My first morning I began climbing, and I neared the top of a small mountain, I sat down, looked in awe at the scenery, and said... "Ok, John Denver... I get it." I was coming home to a place I'd never been before.
"Calypso" is the John Denver tune to hear next. Another top notch vocal performance that gives me the same goosebumps I get from hearing "Rocky Mountain High"
that song is so evocative of both being on the sea and the memory of such a specific point in time. not sure they'll get it as much, with them not growing up with the excitement of watching Cousteau every weekend.
Another great adventure lost to an era. I loved watching the various sea life they would often give us a glimpse of on television. It was fascinating! "Calypso" is an awesome song that helps you relive that excitement!
If you want to know how loved John Denver is, just check out the NFL game in Munich a few weeks ago, where a stadium of 75,000 people, in GERMANY, sang along to "Country Roads", and then kept singing even after the music stopped. He's one of those artists where, even if you're not into their genre of music, you still love his songs specifically.
Miyazaki was a fan, check out Whisper of the Heart. This led us to find screamo metal versions of country roads, and ones with bagpipes, it's all an excellent homage to JD's amazing ethos. Also, Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle uses it well.
That was the first song, back when I was learning to play guitar in the 70's, when I HEARD the chords I played follow the melody (the G to Em change for you guitar nerds: "I hear her voice...."), and I knew I was onto something! Such a great song.
Andy.... when you are ready to propose.... you take your girl to the beach, with a blanket and bottle of wine, cheese, etc and your guitar. You sing John Denver's "Annie's Song" to her and you will go down in history as one of the best proposals ever. ♥♥♥
Andy you mentioned that John Denver feels like a long lost friend. His song "Back Home Again" contains the lyrics "Hey, it's good to be back home again. Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend." He was just a master of capturing that feeling. He's been gone 25 years now but he left behind a catalog filled with songs every bit as special as this one. I can't wait for you to check out more!
One of my favs. Growing up in the 70s on a small farm hearing it being played on a Sunday morning…top bunk bed, parents cooking breakfast on a winter morning ...Home was nothing fancy but it was warm, and had all the connections to life, nature, animals… and the neighbours were the community. Great music all around, But ANNIE’s Song has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Feel like i would like that to be played on my deathbed…smiling on the way out….the simple joys made glorious memories!
In Denver's autobiography, he wrote: "I remember, almost to the moment, when that song started to take shape in my head. We were working on the next album and it was to be called Mother Nature's Son, after the Beatles song, which I'd included. It was set for release in September. In mid August, Annie and I and some friends went up to Williams Lake to watch the first Perseid meteor showers. Imagine a moonless night in the Rockies in the dead of summer and you have it. I had insisted to everybody that it was going to be a glorious display. Spectacular, in fact. The air was kind of hazy when we started out, but by 10 p.m. it had grown clear. I had my guitar with me and a fishing rod. At some point, I went off in a raft to the middle of the lake, singing my heart out. It wasn't so much that I was singing to entertain anyone back on shore, but rather I was singing for the mountains and for the sky. Either my voice gave out or I got cold, but at any rate, I came in and found that everybody had kind of drifted off to their individual campsites to catnap. We were right below the tree line, just about ten thousand feet, and we hadn't seen too much activity in the sky yet. There was a stand of trees over by the lake, and about a dozen aspens scattered around. Around midnight, I had to get up to pee and stepped out into this open spot. It was dark over by those trees, darker than in the clearing. I looked over there and could see the shadow from the starlight. There was so much light from the stars in the sky that there was a noticeable difference between the clearing and everywhere else. The shadow of the starlight blew me away. Maybe it was the state I was in. I went back and lay down next to Annie in front of our tent, thinking everybody had gone to sleep, and thinking about how in nature all things, large and small, were interwoven, when swoosh, a meteor went smoking by. And from all over the campground came the awed responses "Do you see that?" It got bigger and bigger until the tail stretched out all the way across the sky and burned itself out. Everybody was awake, and it was raining fire in the sky. I worked on the song - and the song worked on me - for a good couple of weeks. I was working one day with Mike Taylor, an acoustic guitarist who had performed with me at the Cellar Door and had moved out to Aspen. Mike sat down and showed me this guitar lick and suddenly the whole thing came together. It was just what the piece needed. When I realized what I had - another anthem, maybe; a true expression of one's self, maybe - we changed the sequencing of the album we'd just completed, and then we changed the album title."
A&A, you’ll love his "Take Me Home, Country Roads", “Sunshine On My Shoulders”, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and "Annie's Song"!!!! One of the purest voices you’ll ever hear. A great singer/songwriter and guitarist. Colorado has his "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its two state songs. West Virginia’s state song is his "Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
100% Annie's Song. My less mainstream suggestion would be "Matthew". That song made me cry the first time I was listening to it while driving through the midwest.
My husband was a bodyguard for John Denver in Tucson for a concert. He was into ping pong and would skate around the venue to do sound checks. My husband played many ping pong games with Mr. Denver and said he was a genuinely nice man.
One of my great guilty pleasures. There's no reason a big city boy growing up on R&B such as myself should be so into his music, but I was. The poetry, the soaring vocals, the romanticism be it person or place, is irresistible. Might even call it inspirational. Another great singer-songwriter taken from the world way too soon. RIP. Check out "Annie's Song" by him. It will melt your heart.
I definitely hear where you're coming from, on loving an artist who is so outside of your usual musical wheelhouse, but no one should ever feel guilty about being a John Denver fan. His music is pure beauty. Now and then, he can even actually rock a bit too! 🙂 He wrote and recorded a great song in '72 called "Prisoners" that is more on the "rock" side of folk-rock.
If anybody ever asked me, I probably would have said I was not a John Denver fan, but the reality is that I know all the words to his songs and I fall peacefully into his music. He has such a clear/clean voice and the simplicity of his acoustic guitar woven with the complexity of the background instrumentation delivers a sound that is so exclusively his own . "He was born in the Summer of his 27th year..." interesting perspective on life and moving toward what your soul tells you that you must. Beautiful song. I can't rate it because there is nothing else like it.
In the 70's here in England we watched John Denver in his own tv show every week. If you watch him you will see he was one of the most genuine people you could ever wish to meet. He was a beautiful soul when he was alive and the only difference now is he shines even brighter. He is sooo missed in this world of too many fakes. RIP John.
You need more John Denver in your life. He showed up in movies too. He starred in a wonderful little 1970s movie called "Oh, God!" It's not a musical, but it is a vibe.
As far as songwriting goes, this song cant be any less than S Tier. One of my favorite songs of all time...Top 50 ever recorded, easy. This song is musical poetry. Gives me chills every time I hear it.
Seriously, they need to hit that. It's so different from the PP&M version that went to #1. I honestly find it more, well, genuine. Which doesn't surprise me. PP&M were singing a beautiful song. John Denver wrote it, as he wrote so many songs, to express what he felt, and when he sings it, you FEEL it. (Not saying the PP&M version didn't deserve to go to #1 or that it's surprising that it did. They were a popular group, bringing out a beautiful song, and it hit at that right moment in time when people read into the complex emotions of men leaving for Vietnam. Yet I still feel more depth in John's version, even though he's "only" singing about going on the road as a touring musician. Though, to be clear, I'm not sure if PP&M were "thinking" of the Vietnam connection either -- just saying that I think it resonated with the public when it came out, because of that.)
I agree. P,P, and M was good, but I always preferred John's version. Sang it around the campfire in Boy Scouts, and we always sang along with Denvers version
I also think it's very cool how he ended the same chorus with a different line, the best being the last "I know he'd be a poorer boy if he never saw an eagle fly", because there is something serene and magical when you see one, 1st time or 50th time. "The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullaby" is another gem. He was such a poetic lyricist.
Denver's "The Eagle and the Hawk" has always been one of my favorites for that feeling of freedom of soaring on the wind. I only wish the song was longer!
A few years ago my husband, kids and I went fishing on the back side of a reservoir and there were several pairs of eagles flying around checking us out. I'll never forget my little boy pointing as eagles soared over his head. Every time I hear this I think about my youngest son and his sheer joy at discovering the mountains and the lakes of the Adirondacks.
"Wholesome" is the right word. A lot of Gen Xers grew up singing John Denver songs in elementary school music classes and watching him on Muppet specials. It maybe led to a bit of a backlash against him because he was so kid-friendly and unhip. But his talent was undeniable. I had to sing "Annie's Song" at a wedding once and I could barely get through it without choking up. It's just so beautiful.
This album was HUGE when it came out, and it cemented John Denver's career (which had a considerable number of hits, as well as a TV variety show, Christmas specials, and essentially created an entire genre that dominated for 2-3 years and a lifestyle, as I recall). If you want to explore more of his stuff, I recommend starting with "Annie's Song", "Sunshine on My Shoulders" or "Thank God I'm a Country Boy."
@@chrisoakley5830 and think of just how many denim jackets got sold because of him! My sister used to have one of those life-size cardboard cut-outs from the record stores of him in her room in those years.
OMG! I'm an older lady who grew up on this music...loving it. Does my heart good to see young people appreciate it! Saw him live twice...sounded exactly like his recordings. Amazing artist! RIP Missed so much@
He was amazing live! He had this ability to be intimate with the audience so even if you were in a crowd of thousands you felt like he was talking to you. He told great stories along with the songs as well. I’ll never forget a story he told about how challenging it is to tune a 12 string guitar.
Annie’s Song and Sunshine On My Shoulders are two of his more beautiful offerings. I can get lost in so many of his songs. His cover of John Prine’s Angel From Montgomery is excellent. For a down home lively fun song, Thank God I’m A Country Boy is a real treat. Very infectious.
@@danmcconnell5941 Prine’s Sam Stone is a dark and haunting song. His ability to write the world with vivid imagery and witty wordplay has always hit home with me. The song he and Steve Goodman co-wrote, You Never Even Called Me By My Name, is a prime example. David Allen Coe’s version is still covered in honky tonks all across Texas.
So many favorites from John Denver. “Fly Away” w/ Olivia Newton John, “Sunshine on my Shoulders”, “Annie’s Song” and of course “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” This music is peaceful and beautiful, and we need it now.
Additions to your list…Some Days Are Diamonds, Calypso, Wild Montana Skies, Shanghai Breezes, Perhaps Love…so many wonderful songs. John was a master storyteller and his songs all shoot straight to the heart and soul.
Growing up in Colorado during the 70s you could not escape the omnipresence of John Denver. It was definitely too much of a good thing. Now in my 60s I really appreciate his music so much more. Lyrically, musically, vocally, it's perfection. I'd also add it's about the best sing along music ever written. When you know every word it's pretty much impossible not to sing along at the top of your lungs when alone in a car (when people can't really see you)
I still do the same to every song on "An Evening With John Denver" when I put it on in the car. :) And as a testament to the sing-along quality -- there's a video making the rounds on social media right now of the recent NFL game played in Germany, on 11/13. The entire stadium breaks into "Take Me Home, Country Roads".
I am in the same boat as you, grew up in Colorado in the 70's and the constant playing of his music burned me out. Now I too am in my 60's and whenever I hear one of his songs, his genius makes me envision the mountains and I want to chuck everything and move back there.
John Denver testified in the United States Congress against censorship in music! It's awesome and all too rare to have someone so "wholesome" defending the rights of fellow music crafters.... Rest in peace, sweet soul. 😇
John definitely was genuine, he wore his heart on his sleeve. If you listen to more of his music you'll find this out. The sad thing about him being that way the press at the time had a field day bashing him. Thanks for doing this terrific reaction. You definitely nailed it.
John Denver was so genuine, so earnest, that he cheerfully crossed over into "corny" for a lot of people. Or "cringe" as people would say today. Either you can handle that, or you can't. To be that genuine means being vulnerable. The 70s were such an odd time, coming off a lot of earnest feelings and expressions in the late 60s (well, as they say, decades are never neatly delineated; "the 60s", when people mean that hippie era, is really 1966 or 67 through about 1973). And then a sort of backlash against that idealism starts to set in -- the 70s (as a whole) are just as known for the rise of cynicism and discontent as they are for that early idealism. John Denver never turned to cynicism or discontent (even when singing about *feeling* discontent -- like in this song's 3rd verse, concern about impending environmental catastrophe). So of course those who DID become cynical, and who wanted to see art reflect those feelings, would bash him.
@@gryphonvert I couldn't have said what you said as eloquently as you did here. That is exactly what was going on at the time. John was a musical hero of mine when I was a kid in the 70's and still is to this day. RIP John Denver.
@@dp67dl93 Same here. :) Some of what I now recognize as going on in the 70s, is me realizing by looking back at it. As a kid in the 70s, sheltered from the concerns of adults, I remember the good stuff a lot better, and for me, John Denver was emblematic of that. I've only come to appreciate him more as time as gone on. (Probably the closest I came to understanding the cynicism of the time was that I started reading "Doonesbury" at WAY too young an age, lol. My brother had several of the collected volumes, and man, the stuff about Nixon and Vietnam seriously flew over my head. But I drank it up.)
Andy & Alex, I really enjoyed listening to your reaction to the late John Denver singing Rocky Mountain High. I don't know if you are aware that since John's tragic death in a flying accident on 12th October 1997 this beautiful song has gone on to be honoured by the Colorado State legislature as a State Song for beautiful Colorado. Not only that, but likewise Take Me Home, Country Roads has been honoured by becoming a State Song for West Virginia. That means that John has joined an elite club of two composers or co-composers who have achieved two State Songs. John is now the only 20th century songwriter to achieve that great honour, although he did not live to relish his awards. John is highly honoured indeed in the exalted company of Stephen Foster who was awarded with two state songs in the 19th century
John Denver is a poet musician that speaks directly to your soul. His writing, musicianship and harmonies are unmatched. Watch some of his live performance videos and you will hear just how good of a singer he is. He is flawless.
The first time I walked into the Rocky Mountains I literally broke down and sobbed. Talk about feeling so insignificant. Thanks for great reaction and a great memory. Will never forget the emotional reaction, just remember feeling, God has been in this place.
John was maybe the most un-ironically wholesome performer, if not person, there's been; both as a singer/songwriter and an actor. If you ever get the chance to watch the movie "Oh God," do it, do it, do it; both he and George Burns were perfectly believable in their characters and their chemistry together was, well, divine.
You’ve got to listen to “Annie’s Song” whether you react to it or not. It’s the most beautifully descriptive tribute to his wife. If you were hit by the words in the song, you will love Annie’s Song.
Great review guys, glad this one hit you the way it did. Denver was kind of ridiculed back in the day by the metal/punk crowd as being kinda geeky & commercial. But you could never deny his talent and songwriting gifts. Unbelievable vocal intonation, never failed to impress the pros, and as you say, he could really tell a tale with lyrics and mood. He was HUUUGE in the 70s, all over the charts as that perfect bridge between country & soft rock, so appealed to a very broad audience. RIP JD, you did us proud.
Geez, men, beautifully descriptive take on the music. I really enjoyed listening to younger men discuss the music I grew up with. You two are really intelligent and articulate. Thank you for sharing your perspectives. I appreciate it a lot. Love from Massachusetts.
This was one of your best videos -- EVER! Thanks SO MUCH for doing John. Back in the day, it was common for critics to make fun of John, Barry Manilow, Carpenters, ABBA, America, and others who wrote and performed beautiful melodic music that was impeccably crafted. John was one of the great American songwriters of his era, as well as an amazing performer and all-around entertainer. So many brilliant songs from this incredibly talented musician. His music continues to uplift and entertain through the decades. And he was a great citizen of planet Earth. Our troubled world needs many more human beings like him again. He and Gordon Lightfoot sang about Nature in ways nobody else has done. As for other songs, so many -- "Farewell Andromeda (Welcome to My Morning)," "Poems, Prayers, and Promises," "Sunshine on My Shoulders," "Back Home Again," "Follow Me," "Season Suite" (five parts, with gorgeous acoustic guitar work)... Milton Okun was the producer, and he produced much of John's best work. If you're unfamiliar with his work, he was a very important producer in our country's history. John's records were immaculately recorded/engineered, too.
I love that you comment on such a wide range of music. Even stuff that I havent heard or am not particularly a fan of. As an Australian kid of the 70s and 80s I grew up with a lot of this music, but some of the American bands never made it here as much more than one-hit wonders. Regardless, your enthusiasm and excitement in listening to and critiquing the music brings me joy and makes me re-examine some of it too. Bands that werent cool when I was a kid, that maybe deserved a second look that I hadnt had time to get round to yet for example. I like John Denver - although I often felt his persona was a bit too corny for me a lot of the time - but this song is beautiful and there are a handful of others of his that truly stand the test of time and quality. Looking forward to this! :)
I feel that same way when Eric Clapton sings “You look wonderful tonight”. So many other words he could have chosen, but wonderful seems so respectful.
A very sensitive appreciation, guys -- everything from the lyrics to the vocal lines to the lap steel to the mandolin? maybe a banjo? I never assume that these songs will speak to a new generation, but I'm glad to see this one in particular holds up. There aren't many songs about an authentic spiritual awakening. Love this one.
When I was a kid in Boy Scouts at a summer camp in Colorado, this was right when John Denver was so popular, in fact we would sometimes group sing along to Country Roads as we were hiking along a dusty trail with our backpacks on, but on the final night of a two or three-week stint there, they had a bonfire and a special guest flew in in a helicopter and it turned out to be John Denver. He sat around the fire with us and talked and chatted and he played some songs on his acoustic guitar and sang and we would sing along when we knew the words. I can still remember the firelight flickering off of his spectacles. He was really fun to hang out with for sure, and you could tell that he really enjoyed what he was doing. Your story about imagining him helping out the neighbor boy by singing him a song totally triggered that memory, laugh. I was going to tell you a similar story to yours Alex about the first time I saw the Rocky Mountains as a little kid, but this one makes a lot more sense. Do one of his upbeat ones like Grandma's Feather Bed, I bet you'll love it. He can really romp and his voice has so much character and the lyrics are fantastic.
Great comments from you guys on this. It's fun to watch someone listen to a song for the first time that I've literally heard hundreds of times. John Denver dominated the '70s like few other people and this song is seared into many of our brains. His best album is a live concert recording with a full orchestra at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles called "An Evening with John Denver." Exquisite.
Alex hit the nail on the head talking about his first time seeing a mountain. I grew up in the Central Valley of California. Flat as a pancake. When I was ten we went to visit my aunt who worked in Yosemite and the place blew me away. Yosemite Valley was like a real life Rivendell. The huge granite monoliths and spires and waterfalls everywhere. We moved up to the Sierra Nevada near Yosemite by the time I started high school and I feel so lucky to have lived in such a beautiful place for 20 years. The mountains are addictive. I always appreciated this song just because it was so relatable.
This is s tier all the way. The base run up. The strings can get lost in the immaculate lyrics. Doesn’t get better. This is not just a few guys strumming guitars. Every rhythmic stroke accents the feeling of the song.
My favorite line…..coming home to a place I’ve never been before. His song writing and his voice just feels like a kind of magic. Chills every time. Thank you guys for this and of course all things. So many songs but Sunshine On My Shoulder is a fav.
My secret is this was the reason I moved to Colorado. I was early 20s when I got there and 40 when I left. This song completely describes the clarity and renewal of the spirit you find in the mountains. Its an amazingly beautiful place.
I loved that Alex shared the experience this brought up for him. That warmth you feel, we loved him even in the gritty seventies. He sounded like love hope and sanity.
To me, Annie’s Song is absolutely one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Sunshine on My Shoulders, Calypso and Goodbye Again are also just great songs. A Song for All Lovers is very powerful.
"Wholesome" - Love it. Back in the 70's my grandmother (who was born in about 1910) thought John Denver was the greatest. John used to guest host for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show once in a while, and I remember watching with her one night and John Denver was talking about smoking marijuana. Grandma was crushed. Her ideal of the "wholesome" John Denver was never the same. It was a different time, for sure.
A very underated artist. He got dismissed by a lot of folks because of his TV show and goofy personality in it. But when you look at the songs lyrically and musically, there are many that are exquisite. Lots of people forget he also wrote Leaving on a Jet Plane which was a hit for Peter, Paul and Mary. I would suggest Sunshine on my Shoulder. Annie's Song, Calypso next. And he was just as good playing live.
Alex is so dead on correct. This song really captured the feeling of being in the Rocky Mountains during the 1970's. When I was 15 I hitched hiked from California to Boulder, Colorado...and spent the last part of the summer camping out in one of the highest parts of the Rockies next to a mountain stream.
I enjoyed your take on that "casual reply" line. I'm not religious but I liked the implication that God, Mother Nature, the Universe or whatever just casually puts on an effortless display of beauty for us every single day. You just have to stop, look and listen every once and a while. This was great :)
Actually, the line goes..."Talk to God and listen to the casual reply." It's just that he accents the word casual. THANK YOU GUYS so much! 🌿❤️🌿 I was waiting for this one. JOHN DENVER is a Legend! He died in the sky - he did love to fly. This was so touching and sophisticated * now if you would like to hear something down home and funny with the same talent, go listen to "Thank God, I'm a Country Boy!" 🎵 Front porch, blues grass in the best way. (Maybe not bluegrass but some fast-paced, knee slappin' fun done by a man who does music so well. ) Note: "Take Me Home Country Roads" is my family's song because we are from West Virginia 🎄✨️
Back in the 70s my room mate at the University of Colorado played John Denver all the time. I played Pink Floyd. I admit I was never a John Denver fan but I do like this song.
I SO miss the seventies. You couldn't take 2 steps without tripping over a great song!
Exactly! And in so many different genres!
The 70s were SO SUPER, THAT THE 80S AND 90S WERE NOT EVEN NEEDED!
i miss the 1970s Colorado when i was in High school here... Fk californians...
So very well said!
Boy is thar, so true, and in every Genre.
The “casual reply” makes it intimate between him and the mountains
"He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he'd never been before."
Some pretty spectacular lyrics in this thing.
Good pick.
It hits a special place Everytime I hear it and I've heard it for over 45 years now.
@@mark-be9mq Same.
@@evillemike2009 The lyric & the way he sings it sound like something you didn't know but Know is deeply true immediately.
Feels like a top 100 all time opening line, to me.
I was 22 but I had the same experience when I graduated from college and 5 days later moved to Aspen Colorado. Two days later I got to see JD in concert. This was in the early 90's and man, he could still sing, even Calypso. A lot of people think he's a bit cheesy but his music spoke to me and I didn't care what anyone thought. He wrote the type of music that kids have been singing at summer camps and adults around the fire for decades and continue to do. I even had a crazy motorcycle taxi ride through the busy streets of Bangkok where the driver and I sang Country Roads together at the top of our lungs. For those that have touched nature with their hearts and live life deeply, he wrote music that speak directly to that. Oh, and he was a great story teller too.
I love seeing you young guys appreciate John Denver, an iconic artist, no one like him.
Nobody can sing like John Denver. His voice is strong, bright and clear as a bell.
Yes..... Clear. bright , strong, ...soothing, angelic, heart wrenching, gets right to your soul... so so so sad he died so young
He is pure
Clarion
Never mentioned when top vocalists are discussed. Tragic.
I thought the same thing of Karen Carpenter. I wonder if they ever did a duet together? I bet it would have been angelic.
That one line ..” Seeking grace with every step he takes “ never fails to give me goosebumps , beautiful song .
The way he says graaaaaace...
I love the beauty of the line: _'I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly'_
It's such a simple and stunning acknowledgment of the amazing magnificence of this earth
Me too... a silent pilgrimage
"...comin' home to a place he'd never been before..." ... encapsulates the whole song in one line
its hit harder as you get older.
Every word in a John Denver song is so purposeful, just an amazing poet and the musicianship and vocals are always perfect
"He was born in the summer of his 27th year Coming home to a place he'd never been before"
just the single opening line, yet a whole song within itself
I miss him but he left us with beautiful genuinely heartfelt tunes.
One of personal favorites is from The Eagle and the Hawk “And reach for the heavens and hope for the future
And all that we can be and not what we are”
This is the musician worth doing a deep dive on.
John Denver. Died too soon.
The very opening phrase "He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he'd never been before" is phrase turning at its finest and the hallmark of 'S' tier lyricists/writers.
Couldn't agree more.
Excellent point!
what do you think that line means? Would love your thoughts.
@@Hal-lj7kpto me it means, he started a whole new life (what would end up being a beautiful thing) when he was 27 and decided to move to the mountains. "Coming home to a place he'd never been before" is almost to say he was meant to be there all along. And there he found his true self, and started his new life in the summer when he was 27.
@@Hal-lj7kpHe even says later in the song "you might say he was born again, you might say he found a key to every door." Which further supports the idea that he has started his life anew and the new life was perfect and where he was meant to be all along, thus finding his true self in the process.
What a great song. John Denver left us way too soon. RIP JD.
He definitely died like a rock star!
If you're looking for another John Denver song, you can't go wrong with "Annie's Song." One of the best melodies every written, and the pictures it paints in your head are amazing. It came to him while he was riding a ski lift. By the time he got to the top of the mountain, the song was basically complete in his head.
My favourite
I came to recommend this one too.
One of the best love songs ever written.
It was my wedding song. ❤️
That's absolutely true Jeff, and to elaborate further, John had just had an argument with his wife Annie previous to that trip to the slopes where he goes to clear his head. In an interview i read, he doesn't go into the subject of the conflict, but I found myself wondering A) what transpired in his head during that trip up the mountain? And B) was it a revelation or an epiphany that turned his hurt/anger into a song of love and inspiration? Simply an amazing singer/songwriter.
in 2007, I was 47, and I went elk hunting in Colorado's Rocky mountains... it was my first trip out west. My first morning I began climbing, and I neared the top of a small mountain, I sat down, looked in awe at the scenery, and said... "Ok, John Denver... I get it." I was coming home to a place I'd never been before.
Yes! I hiked in the Rockies for the first time this past July and I was awestruck. Every time we turned a corner the view was even more amazing!
Beautiful tribute to John Denver my friend!❤️❤️❤️
I hope JD & the CO splendor made you forget about the Elk.
@@sparkle8400 all part of the journey
What a perfect embodiment of that beautiful lyric. Gave me chills.
I love John Denver, for me this is a S Tier song 🎶 for me. This song brings back memories.
"Calypso" is the John Denver tune to hear next. Another top notch vocal performance that gives me the same goosebumps I get from hearing "Rocky Mountain High"
And they should know that it's about name of the boat Cousteau owned for his TV special.
Came here to give that same feedback 😊
that song is so evocative of both being on the sea and the memory of such a specific point in time. not sure they'll get it as much, with them not growing up with the excitement of watching Cousteau every weekend.
A special song for my generation that grew up watching Jacques Cousteau documentaries and his ship Calypso.
Another great adventure lost to an era. I loved watching the various sea life they would often give us a glimpse of on television. It was fascinating! "Calypso" is an awesome song that helps you relive that excitement!
If you want to know how loved John Denver is, just check out the NFL game in Munich a few weeks ago, where a stadium of 75,000 people, in GERMANY, sang along to "Country Roads", and then kept singing even after the music stopped.
He's one of those artists where, even if you're not into their genre of music, you still love his songs specifically.
Jason Bonham had the entire crowd singing Country Roads at the Sammy Hagar and the Circle concert in St. Louis back in August!! Good stuff.
Miyazaki was a fan, check out Whisper of the Heart. This led us to find screamo metal versions of country roads, and ones with bagpipes, it's all an excellent homage to JD's amazing ethos. Also, Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle uses it well.
I had that same experience at a Slipknot concert. Thousands of metal fans singing, "Take me home, country roads." ❤️
That was the first song, back when I was learning to play guitar in the 70's, when I HEARD the chords I played follow the melody (the G to Em change for you guitar nerds: "I hear her voice...."), and I knew I was onto something! Such a great song.
That was awesome!
Andy.... when you are ready to propose.... you take your girl to the beach, with a blanket and bottle of wine, cheese, etc and your guitar. You sing John Denver's "Annie's Song" to her and you will go down in history as one of the best proposals ever. ♥♥♥
This song literally brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. So beautiful, so perfect. John Denver was a genius.
me too
I feel the same way about Country Roads. Tears in my eyes every time.
Same here.
Andy you mentioned that John Denver feels like a long lost friend. His song "Back Home Again" contains the lyrics "Hey, it's good to be back home again. Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend." He was just a master of capturing that feeling. He's been gone 25 years now but he left behind a catalog filled with songs every bit as special as this one. I can't wait for you to check out more!
Exactly what I was thinking when he said "Back Home Again"-JD is a legend100%!!
Ditto!
So true Allison.
One of my favs. Growing up in the 70s on a small farm hearing it being played on a Sunday morning…top bunk bed, parents cooking breakfast on a winter morning ...Home was nothing fancy but it was warm, and had all the connections to life, nature, animals… and the neighbours were the community.
Great music all around, But ANNIE’s Song has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Feel like i would like that to be played on my deathbed…smiling on the way out….the simple joys made glorious memories!
It's the little things that make a house a home.
In Denver's autobiography, he wrote: "I remember, almost to the moment, when that song started to take shape in my head. We were working on the next album and it was to be called Mother Nature's Son, after the Beatles song, which I'd included. It was set for release in September. In mid August, Annie and I and some friends went up to Williams Lake to watch the first Perseid meteor showers. Imagine a moonless night in the Rockies in the dead of summer and you have it. I had insisted to everybody that it was going to be a glorious display. Spectacular, in fact.
The air was kind of hazy when we started out, but by 10 p.m. it had grown clear. I had my guitar with me and a fishing rod. At some point, I went off in a raft to the middle of the lake, singing my heart out. It wasn't so much that I was singing to entertain anyone back on shore, but rather I was singing for the mountains and for the sky. Either my voice gave out or I got cold, but at any rate, I came in and found that everybody had kind of drifted off to their individual campsites to catnap. We were right below the tree line, just about ten thousand feet, and we hadn't seen too much activity in the sky yet. There was a stand of trees over by the lake, and about a dozen aspens scattered around. Around midnight, I had to get up to pee and stepped out into this open spot. It was dark over by those trees, darker than in the clearing. I looked over there and could see the shadow from the starlight. There was so much light from the stars in the sky that there was a noticeable difference between the clearing and everywhere else. The shadow of the starlight blew me away. Maybe it was the state I was in. I went back and lay down next to Annie in front of our tent, thinking everybody had gone to sleep, and thinking about how in nature all things, large and small, were interwoven, when swoosh, a meteor went smoking by. And from all over the campground came the awed responses "Do you see that?" It got bigger and bigger until the tail stretched out all the way across the sky and burned itself out. Everybody was awake, and it was raining fire in the sky.
I worked on the song - and the song worked on me - for a good couple of weeks. I was working one day with Mike Taylor, an acoustic guitarist who had performed with me at the Cellar Door and had moved out to Aspen. Mike sat down and showed me this guitar lick and suddenly the whole thing came together. It was just what the piece needed. When I realized what I had - another anthem, maybe; a true expression of one's self, maybe - we changed the sequencing of the album we'd just completed, and then we changed the album title."
Thanks for sharing!😉
Very cool, thanks for taking time to share the story.
Thanks you.❤
Nothing like a songwriter relaying to us how a song we love was inspired. Great stuff.
I worked with Mike Taylor - thanks for sharing how they wrote the song!
A&A, you’ll love his "Take Me Home, Country Roads", “Sunshine On My Shoulders”, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and "Annie's Song"!!!! One of the purest voices you’ll ever hear. A great singer/songwriter and guitarist.
Colorado has his "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its two state songs.
West Virginia’s state song is his "Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
I always thought Sunshine On My Shoulders was kind of sappy, but Take Me Home, Country Roads and Thank God I'm a Country Boy, definitely.
Jet Plane!
100% Annie's Song. My less mainstream suggestion would be "Matthew". That song made me cry the first time I was listening to it while driving through the midwest.
Great song recommendations. Some of the best of JD.
@@maitri1922 thank you
My husband was a bodyguard for John Denver in Tucson for a concert. He was into ping pong and would skate around the venue to do sound checks. My husband played many ping pong games with Mr. Denver and said he was a genuinely nice man.
One of my great guilty pleasures. There's no reason a big city boy growing up on R&B such as myself should be so into his music, but I was. The poetry, the soaring vocals, the romanticism be it person or place, is irresistible. Might even call it inspirational. Another great singer-songwriter taken from the world way too soon. RIP. Check out "Annie's Song" by him. It will melt your heart.
Me too, I grew up a fan of Led Zep, Floyd, Aerosmith, etc. HATED soft rock… except… I loved John Denver. I never told my friends!
Songs about finding one's soul are always uplifting, regardless of its genre.
I definitely hear where you're coming from, on loving an artist who is so outside of your usual musical wheelhouse, but no one should ever feel guilty about being a John Denver fan. His music is pure beauty. Now and then, he can even actually rock a bit too! 🙂 He wrote and recorded a great song in '72 called "Prisoners" that is more on the "rock" side of folk-rock.
Annie's Song
"Calypso" is my favorite John Denver song.
If anybody ever asked me, I probably would have said I was not a John Denver fan, but the reality is that I know all the words to his songs and I fall peacefully into his music. He has such a clear/clean voice and the simplicity of his acoustic guitar woven with the complexity of the background instrumentation delivers a sound that is so exclusively his own . "He was born in the Summer of his 27th year..." interesting perspective on life and moving toward what your soul tells you that you must. Beautiful song. I can't rate it because there is nothing else like it.
In the 70's here in England we watched John Denver in his own tv show every week. If you watch him you will see he was one of the most genuine people you could ever wish to meet. He was a beautiful soul when he was alive and the only difference now is he shines even brighter. He is sooo missed in this world of too many fakes. RIP John.
Your comment literally brought me to tears. How lovely.
Not too sure his ex wives and staff would share your sentiments. Great singer though.
@@paulhagger3895 Don'tcha just love Tabloid Newspapers ?
@@jimled50jl49 he actually admitted to assaulting his first wife
@@paulhagger3895 Good for you .... 2 sides to every story !
"He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he'd never been before" is one of THE greatest lyrics in pop music history.
You need more John Denver in your life. He showed up in movies too. He starred in a wonderful little 1970s movie called "Oh, God!" It's not a musical, but it is a vibe.
Loved it. Must have seen it 10 times. Wasn't a musical but it carried within it the same inspiration you feel and some of his songs.
One of my favorite Christmas movies is The Christmas Gift filmed in Georgetown, CO has JD as lead. It is a must watch every Christmas.
Also Sunshine on my Shoulders movie where his wife is dying...
He had a great sense of humor.
with George Burns, too! another unforgettable talent
As far as songwriting goes, this song cant be any less than S Tier. One of my favorite songs of all time...Top 50 ever recorded, easy. This song is musical poetry. Gives me chills every time I hear it.
Same.
I hadn't heard this song in years, I honestly forgot how good it is. Thanks as always.✌
This song still give me goosebumps after all these years. This is a S tier song no question. We lost him way too soon.
My favorite line in that song is, "Coming home to a place I'd never been before".
Exactly, a perfect way to convey his instant comfort with the beauty of a natural world he hadn't seen before!
That's how I felt when I moved to Colorado
I’m in my middle 60s and this is still one of my favorite songs ever. I’m pretty much a rock/grunge/metal person but this song is basically perfect.
His version of Leaving on a Jet Plane (the original, btw) is also killer.
Seriously, they need to hit that. It's so different from the PP&M version that went to #1. I honestly find it more, well, genuine. Which doesn't surprise me. PP&M were singing a beautiful song. John Denver wrote it, as he wrote so many songs, to express what he felt, and when he sings it, you FEEL it.
(Not saying the PP&M version didn't deserve to go to #1 or that it's surprising that it did. They were a popular group, bringing out a beautiful song, and it hit at that right moment in time when people read into the complex emotions of men leaving for Vietnam. Yet I still feel more depth in John's version, even though he's "only" singing about going on the road as a touring musician. Though, to be clear, I'm not sure if PP&M were "thinking" of the Vietnam connection either -- just saying that I think it resonated with the public when it came out, because of that.)
I agree. P,P, and M was good, but I always preferred John's version. Sang it around the campfire in Boy Scouts, and we always sang along with Denvers version
His live version performed as a duet with Mama Cass is beautiful. Wonderful two-part harmonies.
Amen.
Yes!
I was born in Wyoming and grew up in the Rockies. Most of my vacations, were in those mountains. This always brings me back to that time. I love it😊
I also think it's very cool how he ended the same chorus with a different line, the best being the last "I know he'd be a poorer boy if he never saw an eagle fly", because there is something serene and magical when you see one, 1st time or 50th time. "The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullaby" is another gem. He was such a poetic lyricist.
Agree even the 50th time seeing an eagle fly is awe inspiring. And your mention of the other line, yes a gem, it is exquisite.
Denver's "The Eagle and the Hawk" has always been one of my favorites for that feeling of freedom of soaring on the wind. I only wish the song was longer!
A few years ago my husband, kids and I went fishing on the back side of a reservoir and there were several pairs of eagles flying around checking us out. I'll never forget my little boy pointing as eagles soared over his head. Every time I hear this I think about my youngest son and his sheer joy at discovering the mountains and the lakes of the Adirondacks.
Agreed! And he mixes up the instrumentals so it remains fresh and continues to evolve/unfold throughout the song.
"Wholesome" is the right word. A lot of Gen Xers grew up singing John Denver songs in elementary school music classes and watching him on Muppet specials. It maybe led to a bit of a backlash against him because he was so kid-friendly and unhip. But his talent was undeniable. I had to sing "Annie's Song" at a wedding once and I could barely get through it without choking up. It's just so beautiful.
This album was HUGE when it came out, and it cemented John Denver's career (which had a considerable number of hits, as well as a TV variety show, Christmas specials, and essentially created an entire genre that dominated for 2-3 years and a lifestyle, as I recall). If you want to explore more of his stuff, I recommend starting with "Annie's Song", "Sunshine on My Shoulders" or "Thank God I'm a Country Boy."
I remember when 'Country Boy' was a staple in Major League Baseball parks around the country
Its been long ago now but in the early to mid 70s there was no one, and I mean no one, bigger in music than John Denver.
'Sunshine on my shoulders' is were i go when i need a lift! ABSOLUTETLY BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!
@@chrisoakley5830 and think of just how many denim jackets got sold because of him! My sister used to have one of those life-size cardboard cut-outs from the record stores of him in her room in those years.
@@oboogie2 good point, that's something I hadn't thought about.
OMG! I'm an older lady who grew up on this music...loving it.
Does my heart good to see young people appreciate it!
Saw him live twice...sounded exactly like his recordings. Amazing artist!
RIP
Missed so much@
He was amazing live! He had this ability to be intimate with the audience so even if you were in a crowd of thousands you felt like he was talking to you. He told great stories along with the songs as well. I’ll never forget a story he told about how challenging it is to tune a 12 string guitar.
Me too. I love this man😊
When you compose music that become official songs of two different states... that's pretty amazing
His duet with Mama Cass singing "Leavin on a Jet Plane" is an amazing, iconic moment in music.
Yes!
Agree.
Annie’s Song and Sunshine On My Shoulders are two of his more beautiful offerings.
I can get lost in so many of his songs.
His cover of John Prine’s Angel From Montgomery is excellent.
For a down home lively fun song, Thank God I’m A Country Boy is a real treat. Very infectious.
And he covered Prine's Paradise. That song is huge for me.
@@danmcconnell5941
Yes sir! Arguably Prine’s best.
@@danmcconnell5941
Prine’s Sam Stone is a dark and haunting song. His ability to write the world with vivid imagery and witty wordplay has always hit home with me.
The song he and Steve Goodman co-wrote, You Never Even Called Me By My Name, is a prime example. David Allen Coe’s version is still covered in honky tonks all across Texas.
The acoustic string army on this cut blows me away every time I hear this song.
John Denver… The best friend a song ever had. Straight up goosebumps, indeed.
So many favorites from John Denver. “Fly Away” w/ Olivia Newton John, “Sunshine on my Shoulders”, “Annie’s Song” and of course “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”
This music is peaceful and beautiful, and we need it now.
Don't forget "Leaving, On a Jet Plane".
@@chadheckman2693 yes!!
Additions to your list…Some Days Are Diamonds, Calypso, Wild Montana Skies, Shanghai Breezes, Perhaps Love…so many wonderful songs. John was a master storyteller and his songs all shoot straight to the heart and soul.
Growing up in Colorado during the 70s you could not escape the omnipresence of John Denver. It was definitely too much of a good thing. Now in my 60s I really appreciate his music so much more. Lyrically, musically, vocally, it's perfection. I'd also add it's about the best sing along music ever written. When you know every word it's pretty much impossible not to sing along at the top of your lungs when alone in a car (when people can't really see you)
I still do the same to every song on "An Evening With John Denver" when I put it on in the car. :) And as a testament to the sing-along quality -- there's a video making the rounds on social media right now of the recent NFL game played in Germany, on 11/13. The entire stadium breaks into "Take Me Home, Country Roads".
I am in the same boat as you, grew up in Colorado in the 70's and the constant playing of his music burned me out. Now I too am in my 60's and whenever I hear one of his songs, his genius makes me envision the mountains and I want to chuck everything and move back there.
John Denver testified in the United States Congress against censorship in music! It's awesome and all too rare to have someone so "wholesome" defending the rights of fellow music crafters.... Rest in peace, sweet soul. 😇
"Annie's Song" should be next! It's such a beautiful song!
Next songs to hit up for John Denver are "Fly Away", "Calypso" and "Annie's Song"... then get around to "Sunshine On My Shoulders"
John definitely was genuine, he wore his heart on his sleeve. If you listen to more of his music you'll find this out. The sad thing about him being that way the press at the time had a field day bashing him. Thanks for doing this terrific reaction. You definitely nailed it.
John Denver was so genuine, so earnest, that he cheerfully crossed over into "corny" for a lot of people. Or "cringe" as people would say today. Either you can handle that, or you can't. To be that genuine means being vulnerable. The 70s were such an odd time, coming off a lot of earnest feelings and expressions in the late 60s (well, as they say, decades are never neatly delineated; "the 60s", when people mean that hippie era, is really 1966 or 67 through about 1973). And then a sort of backlash against that idealism starts to set in -- the 70s (as a whole) are just as known for the rise of cynicism and discontent as they are for that early idealism. John Denver never turned to cynicism or discontent (even when singing about *feeling* discontent -- like in this song's 3rd verse, concern about impending environmental catastrophe). So of course those who DID become cynical, and who wanted to see art reflect those feelings, would bash him.
@@gryphonvert I couldn't have said what you said as eloquently as you did here. That is exactly what was going on at the time. John was a musical hero of mine when I was a kid in the 70's and still is to this day. RIP John Denver.
@@dp67dl93 Same here. :) Some of what I now recognize as going on in the 70s, is me realizing by looking back at it. As a kid in the 70s, sheltered from the concerns of adults, I remember the good stuff a lot better, and for me, John Denver was emblematic of that. I've only come to appreciate him more as time as gone on.
(Probably the closest I came to understanding the cynicism of the time was that I started reading "Doonesbury" at WAY too young an age, lol. My brother had several of the collected volumes, and man, the stuff about Nixon and Vietnam seriously flew over my head. But I drank it up.)
That's the perfect description of him--genuine.
Andy & Alex, I really enjoyed listening to your reaction to the late John Denver singing Rocky Mountain High. I don't know if you are aware that since John's tragic death in a flying accident on 12th October 1997 this beautiful song has gone on to be honoured by the Colorado State legislature as a State Song for beautiful Colorado. Not only that, but likewise Take Me Home, Country Roads has been honoured by becoming a State Song for West Virginia. That means that John has joined an elite club of two composers or co-composers who have achieved two State Songs. John is now the only 20th century songwriter to achieve that great honour, although he did not live to relish his awards. John is highly honoured indeed in the exalted company of Stephen Foster who was awarded with two state songs in the 19th century
Sunshine on My Shoulders is a whole moment in time too. You're there with him, looking at what he sees, feeling what he feels. It's a true moment.
Thank GOD im acountryboy will have you trying to square dance!!
Also listen to "Annie's Song", it was written about his wife. He was such a great song writer.
John Denver is a poet musician that speaks directly to your soul. His writing, musicianship and harmonies are unmatched. Watch some of his live performance videos and you will hear just how good of a singer he is. He is flawless.
One of my favorite John Denver songs is "Grandma's Feather Bed". It is just fun.
The first time I walked into the Rocky Mountains I literally broke down and sobbed. Talk about feeling so insignificant. Thanks for great reaction and a great memory. Will never forget the emotional reaction, just remember feeling, God has been in this place.
He made it:))) Beautiful place
Calypso - written about Jaques Cousteau’s ship
Fly Away - back up vocals are by Olivia Newton John (If I remember correctly)
More song writing talent in one man than we’ve seen in the last 20 years
Oh so TRUE!!!!!¡!!!!💚🙂
LOVE John Denver!! He IS open nature!! just a perfect voice and brilliant singer song writer . . .
John was maybe the most un-ironically wholesome performer, if not person, there's been; both as a singer/songwriter and an actor. If you ever get the chance to watch the movie "Oh God," do it, do it, do it; both he and George Burns were perfectly believable in their characters and their chemistry together was, well, divine.
Yes!! Great, funny, movie!
Simply one of the top 10 greatest songs ever recorded 😅😊 period
You’ve got to listen to “Annie’s Song” whether you react to it or not. It’s the most beautifully descriptive tribute to his wife. If you were hit by the words in the song, you will love Annie’s Song.
SUNSHINE on my shoulder next! ☀️
Great review guys, glad this one hit you the way it did.
Denver was kind of ridiculed back in the day by the metal/punk crowd as being kinda geeky & commercial. But you could never deny his talent and songwriting gifts. Unbelievable vocal intonation, never failed to impress the pros, and as you say, he could really tell a tale with lyrics and mood. He was HUUUGE in the 70s, all over the charts as that perfect bridge between country & soft rock, so appealed to a very broad audience. RIP JD, you did us proud.
Yes! I remember us mocking John in high school as hokey, but I did secretly like his music.
@@Nutty_commenter Me too! :)
But deep down we knew it was good😅
Geez, men, beautifully descriptive take on the music. I really enjoyed listening to younger men discuss the music I grew up with. You two are really intelligent and articulate. Thank you for sharing your perspectives. I appreciate it a lot. Love from Massachusetts.
This was one of your best videos -- EVER! Thanks SO MUCH for doing John. Back in the day, it was common for critics to make fun of John, Barry Manilow, Carpenters, ABBA, America, and others who wrote and performed beautiful melodic music that was impeccably crafted. John was one of the great American songwriters of his era, as well as an amazing performer and all-around entertainer. So many brilliant songs from this incredibly talented musician. His music continues to uplift and entertain through the decades. And he was a great citizen of planet Earth. Our troubled world needs many more human beings like him again. He and Gordon Lightfoot sang about Nature in ways nobody else has done.
As for other songs, so many -- "Farewell Andromeda (Welcome to My Morning)," "Poems, Prayers, and Promises," "Sunshine on My Shoulders," "Back Home Again," "Follow Me," "Season Suite" (five parts, with gorgeous acoustic guitar work)...
Milton Okun was the producer, and he produced much of John's best work. If you're unfamiliar with his work, he was a very important producer in our country's history. John's records were immaculately recorded/engineered, too.
'Matthew' is a great John Denver song about Kansas and the joys of farm life. Totally recommend.
I love that you comment on such a wide range of music. Even stuff that I havent heard or am not particularly a fan of. As an Australian kid of the 70s and 80s I grew up with a lot of this music, but some of the American bands never made it here as much more than one-hit wonders. Regardless, your enthusiasm and excitement in listening to and critiquing the music brings me joy and makes me re-examine some of it too. Bands that werent cool when I was a kid, that maybe deserved a second look that I hadnt had time to get round to yet for example. I like John Denver - although I often felt his persona was a bit too corny for me a lot of the time - but this song is beautiful and there are a handful of others of his that truly stand the test of time and quality. Looking forward to this! :)
I feel that same way when Eric Clapton sings “You look wonderful tonight”. So many other words he could have chosen, but wonderful seems so respectful.
A very sensitive appreciation, guys -- everything from the lyrics to the vocal lines to the lap steel to the mandolin? maybe a banjo? I never assume that these songs will speak to a new generation, but I'm glad to see this one in particular holds up. There aren't many songs about an authentic spiritual awakening. Love this one.
Kids have been singing his songs at summer camps for decades.
When I was a kid in Boy Scouts at a summer camp in Colorado, this was right when John Denver was so popular, in fact we would sometimes group sing along to Country Roads as we were hiking along a dusty trail with our backpacks on, but on the final night of a two or three-week stint there, they had a bonfire and a special guest flew in in a helicopter and it turned out to be John Denver. He sat around the fire with us and talked and chatted and he played some songs on his acoustic guitar and sang and we would sing along when we knew the words. I can still remember the firelight flickering off of his spectacles.
He was really fun to hang out with for sure, and you could tell that he really enjoyed what he was doing. Your story about imagining him helping out the neighbor boy by singing him a song totally triggered that memory, laugh. I was going to tell you a similar story to yours Alex about the first time I saw the Rocky Mountains as a little kid, but this one makes a lot more sense.
Do one of his upbeat ones like Grandma's Feather Bed, I bet you'll love it. He can really romp and his voice has so much character and the lyrics are fantastic.
Great comments from you guys on this. It's fun to watch someone listen to a song for the first time that I've literally heard hundreds of times. John Denver dominated the '70s like few other people and this song is seared into many of our brains. His best album is a live concert recording with a full orchestra at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles called "An Evening with John Denver." Exquisite.
One of my favorite albums of all time.
A voice as clear as the Rocky Mountain waters. Great reaction.
He was able to create such imagery through his music. Even if you’ve never spent time in the mountains, you can see it. You can feel it.
Alex hit the nail on the head talking about his first time seeing a mountain. I grew up in the Central Valley of California. Flat as a pancake. When I was ten we went to visit my aunt who worked in Yosemite and the place blew me away. Yosemite Valley was like a real life Rivendell. The huge granite monoliths and spires and waterfalls everywhere. We moved up to the Sierra Nevada near Yosemite by the time I started high school and I feel so lucky to have lived in such a beautiful place for 20 years. The mountains are addictive. I always appreciated this song just because it was so relatable.
Love this guy and his voice is so clear. His music and lyrics are some of the best written.
As a girl from Colorado.... This is my song
I've been waiting for A&A to react to John Denver for a long time, He has more than one easy listening banger
Can’t believe you guys haven’t done Take me home country roads, song makes me cry every time I hear it.
This is s tier all the way. The base run up. The strings can get lost in the immaculate lyrics. Doesn’t get better. This is not just a few guys strumming guitars. Every rhythmic stroke accents the feeling of the song.
The fact that John wrote TWO (great) state anthems is crazy.
My favorite line…..coming home to a place I’ve never been before. His song writing and his voice just feels like a kind of magic. Chills every time. Thank you guys for this and of course all things. So many songs but Sunshine On My Shoulder is a fav.
My secret is this was the reason I moved to Colorado. I was early 20s when I got there and 40 when I left. This song completely describes the clarity and renewal of the spirit you find in the mountains. Its an amazingly beautiful place.
Also… “ he would be a lesser man if he never saw an eagle fly” 🦅 🎵
One of the greatest singer songwriters of all time, what an incredible pure voice.🙏👨👩👦👦🇺🇸
Yep. Anytime you hear goosebumps. S-TIER🤩
A beautiful song about finally finding where you’ve always belonged…
I loved that Alex shared the experience this brought up for him. That warmth you feel, we loved him even in the gritty seventies. He sounded like love hope and sanity.
Some of the best lyrics ever written - we lost this very talented man way too soon!
Annie's Song should be next. thanks for this one! I needed some John Denver today!
Annie's Song is sublime!!! 🧡🧡🧡
The Eagle and the Hawk for amazing vocals…do the studio version please
totally agree !
Absolutely! I cannot listen to that song without belting it out at the top of my lungs!
Even tho I had a horrible childhood, atleast in the 70's people cared for one another. Now it's hard to find love or just people.
To me, Annie’s Song is absolutely one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
Sunshine on My Shoulders, Calypso and Goodbye Again are also just great songs.
A Song for All Lovers is very powerful.
"Wholesome" - Love it. Back in the 70's my grandmother (who was born in about 1910) thought John Denver was the greatest. John used to guest host for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show once in a while, and I remember watching with her one night and John Denver was talking about smoking marijuana. Grandma was crushed. Her ideal of the "wholesome" John Denver was never the same. It was a different time, for sure.
A very underated artist. He got dismissed by a lot of folks because of his TV show and goofy personality in it. But when you look at the songs lyrically and musically, there are many that are exquisite. Lots of people forget he also wrote Leaving on a Jet Plane which was a hit for Peter, Paul and Mary. I would suggest Sunshine on my Shoulder. Annie's Song, Calypso next. And he was just as good playing live.
John did a tribute to Jacques Cousteau’s voyage’s. “ Calypso “. Great song.
Alex is so dead on correct. This song really captured the feeling of being in the Rocky Mountains during the 1970's. When I was 15 I hitched hiked from California to Boulder, Colorado...and spent the last part of the summer camping out in one of the highest parts of the Rockies next to a mountain stream.
I enjoyed your take on that "casual reply" line. I'm not religious but I liked the implication that God, Mother Nature, the Universe or whatever just casually puts on an effortless display of beauty for us every single day. You just have to stop, look and listen every once and a while. This was great :)
I believe ‘Annie’s Song’ is John Denver’s best song… and as was mentioned, his use of colorful words in that song go unmatched
The first two lines are brilliant
I would highly recommend Calypso by John Denver - a tribute to the oceans !!
The raining fire in the sky line is an allusion to watching meteor showers by the camp fire.
Actually, the line goes..."Talk to God and listen to the casual reply."
It's just that he accents the word casual. THANK YOU GUYS so much! 🌿❤️🌿 I was waiting for this one. JOHN DENVER is a Legend! He died in the sky - he did love to fly. This was so touching and sophisticated * now if you would like to hear something down home and funny with the same talent, go listen to "Thank God, I'm a Country Boy!" 🎵 Front porch, blues grass in the best way. (Maybe not bluegrass but some fast-paced, knee slappin' fun done by a man who does music so well. ) Note: "Take Me Home Country Roads" is my family's song because we are from West Virginia 🎄✨️
Back in the 70s my room mate at the University of Colorado played John Denver all the time. I played Pink Floyd. I admit I was never a John Denver fan but I do like this song.