John Denver: Poems, Prayers & Promises CD Track Listing

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John Denver Poems, Prayers & Promises (1971)
Originally Released 1971\nCD Edition Released 1990\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: N/A\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nJD takes the Country Road to his big breakout album in 1971, August 21, 2005\nReviewer: Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City: Duluth, MN United States)\nI have been listening to the first John Denver hits collection for so long, the one where he went back into the studio and re-recorded some of his older songs, that listening to the original version of "Poems, Prayers & Promises" was rather strange. But it serves as a reminder of the simple start of his career before he became the most popular singer-songwriter in the country. In fact, the first concert I ever went to was a John Denver concert and to this day whenever I drive in the mountains I put on his music as my soundtrack while driving. \n\nThis 1971 album was John Denver's big breakthrough because of the single "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (co-written with Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert), but it is clearly the other original Denver songs that give this album substance. I think the title track is one of Denver's two best original songs ("Rhymes And Reasons" is the other, mainly because I can never really think of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" as being a John Denver song rather than a Peter, Paul & Mary song), and he also wrote "My Sweet Lady," "Wooden Indian," "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado," "Sunshine on My Shoulders," and "Around and Around." So it was interesting to me in retrospect that when "Take Me Home, Country Roads" climbed all the way to #2 on the Billboard singles chart, that what we think of now as the John Denver persona was fully established. He might have been a country singer, but he was singing of the high country of Colorado's mountains and that made him standout. \n\nThe other thing that surprises me about these early John Denver albums is how often he covered Beatles songs. On previous albums he covered "When I'm Sixty-Four," "Eleanor Rigby," and even "Golden Slumbers." On this one he not only does "Let It Be" but Paul McCartney's "Junk." Some of these work better than others, with the two on this album would be in that camp, and I cannot help but look at such efforts as indicative of Denver's ambitions as a songwriter. He also does an excellent cover of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain." However, the most surprising track has to be the last one, where Denver recites Abercrombie Lascelles's anti-war poem, "The Box." Such sentiments seem almost out of place on this album given the rest of these songs, but clearly Denver wanted to end with those words in the mind of his audience. Then again, as an example of protest "The Box" is a generic anti-war song and is not specific to the War in Vietnam. So the selection was not an impediment at that time to Denver becoming the most popular singer in the country.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nBefore he hit it big!, November 18, 2000\nReviewer: Derek Aramburu (Houston)\nThis CD was to be the last in a 4 album RCA record deal for John in 1971. The previous 3 albums did not sell. He was at the end of his rope. This CD is a treasure because it expresses the desperation that he was feeling at the time. He would never sing like this on his next 30 albums. He does a cover of "Let It Be" that is the most moving I have ever heard. He also covers James Taylor nicely with "fire and Rain". It also includes the country hit "Take Me Home Country Roads" which is the song the radio stations played immensely when this album was released. Because of that country radio airplay, RCA signed him to a new deal and saved his career. This was ironic because the country music scene never embraced John as a true country artist. But the airplay led to a bevy of pop hits that propelled him from semi-successful folk-artist to a veritable pop phenomenon. Rocky Mountain High, Calypso, Annie's Song, Back Home Again, Thank God I'm a Country Boy, I'm Sorry, and others might never have been heard if it weren't for this critical CD. The title track "Poems, Prayers, and Promises" is one of my favorites cuts of this song later re-recorded for his Greatest Hits Vol.I. then again on his live album "An Evening With John Denver". For those of you who are interested in discovering what kind of artist and songwriter John Denver was in late 1960's and early 1970's before his pop explosion which alienated many of his early folk fans, buy this CD. It is unique and raw..all acoustic guitar with minimal help from any kind of effects. 16 years later, it is still sitting in my CD player!\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nJohn Denver's breakthrough album, 1971's POEMS, PRAYERS AND PROMISES, is also one of his best. In addition to containing two of Denver's strongest and best-known compositions, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Sunshine on My Shoulders," POEMS, PRAYERS AND PROMISES epitomizes the straightforward folk of the artist's early recordings, without the country and pop influences that would find their way into his later '70s work. The disc has a close, intimate feel, with Denver's softly finger-picked guitar and clear, plaintive tenor front and center throughout.\nThe reflective lyrics and pensive mood of the title track sets the tone for the rest of the record. Though Denver includes a few covers, the Beatles' "Let It Be" and James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" among them, he is at his best with own tunes, like the wistful "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado," or the unabashedly romantic and tender "My Sweet Lady." Denver's ability to express simple, sincere sentiments is in top form on this recording, making it one of his most directly affecting efforts.\n\nIndustry Reviews\n...a very solid good-timey singer who is at least talented enough to be forgiven for a few of his trespasses...\nRolling Stone Magazine (09/16/1971)
This misc cd contains 12 tracks and runs 38min 19sec.
Freedb: 9c08f90c
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