We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
When I was on my Eastern vacation last summer I stopped as I entered the state of West Virginia. Why? Well, to cue this up on my phone of course…
1971 saw the emergence of John Denver. After scuffling around for a few years he released two LPs in 71 and the first, “Poems Prayers & Promises” lit the fuse that would mkae him a regular presence on radio, TV and movies through the 70’s.
Like the Judy Collins record I reviewed last Friday, Denver’s voice is something I can only take in small doses. A 3 minute single…yes…a 45 minute album…not so much.
The LP includes some winners including the hits “Take Me Home Country Roads” (co-written by Bill & Taffy Danoff of Starland Vocal Band fame) and “Sunshine On My Shoulders” are fine. “My Sweet Lady” is a beautiful song and his take on “Gospel Changes” is solid. The title track I find interesting for the lyrics that include talk of sitting around the campfire with “my old lady and friends, passing around the pipe”. Is that the image of John Denver you have or was he pandering to the Birkenstock and granola crowd?
The misses include the two covers…Let It Be and Fire & Rain. No need for pedestrian versions of these classics. The James Taylor cover did get me with one of the final lines though ‘Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground”.
The LP ends with Denver reading a spoken word anti-war poem called “The Box” written by Kendrew Lascelles. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it potent? You decide….
In December Denver released his 2nd LP of the year called “Aerie”. Surprisingly it had no hits but the covers are much stronger. He does pretty good versions of “Casey’s Last Ride” from Kris Kristofferson. “City Of New Orleans” from Steve Goodman and “Spanish Pipedream” from John Prine(which he turns into a finger snapping sing-along). And it is weird to hear Denver singing a song that features a stripper. He even takes on Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” with mixed results.
Some of the originals are nice as well including All Of My Memories flavored nicely by Toots Thielman’s harmonica. He even get bluesy on “She Won’t Let Me Fly Away” and like I said about Collins…wish he would have done more like this.
He also does a Danoff song called “Readjustment Blues” which was an early entry dealing with the less than stellar welcome home that Viet Nam vets received. Powerful.
A Denver original on the LP called ‘The Eagle & The Hawk” was used for an ABC conservation documentary which aired once. Part of that doc showed Denver piloting sail planes.
Personally, I think Aerie is a much stronger album. You might have to re-remember John Denver after listening to it.
For most of us…this was our introduction to John Denver. He wasn’t hip but I bet you all remember how to sing harmony to Take Me Home Country Roads when it comes on the radio. No need to apologize.
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