Rocky Mountain High [Import, Original recording remastered]

John Denver | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 6, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Bmg
• ASIN: B000666QX8
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #807,081 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rocky Mountain High

2. Mother Nature's Son

3. Paradise

4. For Baby (For Bobbie)

5. Darcy Farrow

6. Prisoners

7. Goodbye Again

8. Season Suite: Summer

9. Season Suite: Fall

10. Season Suite: Winter

11. Season Suite: Late Winter, Early Spring (When Everybody Goes to Mexico)

12. Season Suite: Spring

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Mellow and Acoustic, January 19, 2006

By 

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rocky Mountain High (Audio CD)

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. Acoustic guitars dominated the classic "Rocky Mountain High." John Denver's voice is modified with a reverberating 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 can find themselves in the solitude of the Colorado mountain wilderness. Another comment is a lament about 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 street corners. This song is a kind of theme for John Denver and his life, though John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote this song. John's version is mellow with a country flavor.

"Paradise" may remind you of Appalachian folk music; strong on violin, with vocals taking center stage. This song is wonderful and 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 folk.

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" is 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 folk 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. John Denver sings this song with typical acoustic accompaniment, 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; this series of songs form 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.

There are several versions of this album in existence. This particular version is imported from Japan. Its major attraction is that it is 24-bit digitally remastered, and audiophile fans of John Denver may find the quality desirable. Everyone else should review the choices available and choose that which meets their needs and budget.