Search - John Denver :: John Denver's Greatest Hits

Mark B. (mbryant111) from N MANCHESTER, IN
Reviewed on 10/1/2024...

There are lots of compilations of greatest hits for John Denver and I own a lot of them. What makes this particular CD worth keeping? Leaving on a Jet Plane. John rerecorded it (and other songs) for this GH album and it is much better than the "poppy" version on Rhymes & Reasons. On the 4-disc Country Roads compilation, the R&R version of Jet Plane is present. I haven't found where these GH versions of his songs show up anywhere else than on this album.

3 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE

Michael D. Zungolo | Philadelphia, PA USA | 05/31/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the 70's, when Denver was at his creative and commercial peak--because he looked like a dork and made bad movies with George Burns and bad TV shows with the Muppets--it was not hip to like his music. I must admit that as a younger man I succumbed to this reasoning myself. I listened to James Taylor and the Eagles but turned my nose up at Denver, whose one hip credential at the time was writing "Leaving on a Jet Plane" for Peter Paul & Mary. . .But if you listen to some of these songs you will realize, if only in retrospect, that there is some real poetry, and some genuine musical majesty working here--particularly in "Rocky Mountain high" and "Take Me Home Country Roads", two of the best hit records of the decade. "Goodbye Again", "Starwood in Aspen" and "Rhymes and Reasons" are underrated songs that would have gotten a lot more respect if they'd been on a James Taylor or Dan Fogelberg album.Fair is fair. The guy could write a song."

Classic Denver at his melancholy best!

Darrell | 01/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Denver, without a doubt, has to be my main inspiration for guitar. Unlike any other artist, he created such melancholy and images of nature through his songs, complementing them with his soaring, tenor voice and his excellent guitar playing. When I heard he was killed, I sat in my living room and played and sang every Denver song I knew, trying to give them some of the justice they deserved.Though not all of his best songs are on this compilation, I do believe that this collection captures all parts of Denver. Songs like "Sunshine on My Shoulders" and "Rhymes and Reasons" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" evoke a melancholy spirit while others like "Eagle and the Hawk" and "Country Roads" makes one long for the beauty of nature that only Denver can capture in song.Denver will be sorely missed."