Portrait

John Denver

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 1999)
• Original Release Date: September 28, 1999
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00001NTR4
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #253,201 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

John Denver may have been a 1970s phenomenon, but oh what a phenomenon he was! Between the summer of 1971 when "Take Me Home, Country Roads" cracked the charts and January 1976 when "Fly Away" went to No. 1, the boy-next-door country-folk singer chalked up 10 top-10 hits. Even after the singles began to peak somewhere short of Rocky Mountain heights, Denver ably branched into film (he costarred in the box-office winner Oh God) and social activism (as much as any entertainer, he deserves credit for making environmentalism a mainstream movement). The man born John Henry Deutschendorf was almost as widely loathed as he was beloved, however: the number of people who were intoxicated by his wholesome, soaring songs were nearly matched by those who wretched at the mention of his name. This two-disc anthology is for the latter group, though it underserves an element of the late superstar's audience. Missing here are "Fly Away," "Calypso," "Rocky Mountain High," "Sweet Surrender," "Take Me Home, Country Roads," and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy." (One would be well advised to pick up volumes one and two of his greatest hits to get all the radio staples.) Portrait presents a smattering of smashes interspersed with lesser-known fare dating from 1971 to 1986 and topped off with four previously unreleased live recordings. Consider Portrait an incomplete picture. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars See the VHS also to get it all!, May 2, 2000

By A Customer

I have many JD's Cd's but only bought Portrait VHS recently. I would especially like to mention Let It Begin/What are We Making Weapons For. I believe this is the best song John ever wrote, if you haven't heard it, or especially seen it, you are missing something great and powerful, if you are a true JD fan, you must hear and see this. It will leave you speechless. The rest of the songs are a combination of old and new, but now done with John's more experienced and powerful voice. This is a must. I just can't say enough, buy it and try it. What Are We Making Weapons For combines John with the top singer in Russia today, and the Men's Red Army Chorus, they are a treat in themselves. Again, a must for the true collector.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very, Very Relaxing., October 5, 1999

By	Gary Scheer (Waupun, WI USA) - See all my reviews

I feel this album was nearly as good as the rest of John's. The songs have slowed down to what they were when he first sang them. I thought I was a true JD fan, but there are a number of songs on this 2 cd set that I have never heard. I guess I need to buy all the rest of his albums so I can truely enjoy this talented singer/songwriter. I don't feel the review given by Amazon.com was fair. Why would you want all of JD's albums to sound the same?

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Collection, February 11, 2000

By A Customer

This collection doesn't contain all the fabulous well known hits that you can find on any "Greatest Hits" album. It simply contains the very best and beautiful of JD's music. The "live" version of "Looking for Space" is fantastic!