Defned the Indefensible: John Denver

I had a really strong connection to JD songs, primarily because my dad had an 8-track of his 'hits' in the family car - a Ford station wagon with wood panelling, natch. (incidentally, the only other 8-tracks were Abba, Saturday Night Fever, and Roger Whittaker, but that's a whole other kettle of fish...)

Anyway, I really dug a lot of his stuff. My favourite track was 'Calypso' - grandiose, overproduced pap, of course, but amazing to listen to. His folky, acoustic stuff, as opposed to the big pop/pop-country songs, is quite decent - good, simple songs, and a great voice. I'm not exactly running the John Denver fanclub or anything, but I do think some of his songs were nice.

Sure, Mr. Red House Painter Mark Kozelek tried to endear him to the hipsters with the tribute CD (which I think is excellent), but that has nothing to do with me digging his tunes...

He wins points for speaking out against the PMRC in the 80's (alongside Zappa & Dee Snider of Twisted Sisters). He loses points for suing New Order over "Run" (which sounded mysteriously similar to Denver's "Leavin' On a Jet Plane".)

I fear it would be allegedly corny indie fuxx stuff in some eyes. Which it isn't, it would be goth instead.

That it appears he was a sallow, mean-spirited alcoholic simp shouldn't really detract from that.

David J won't even have to change his name!

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc900/c974/c9743375050.jpg

Ah... Monday morning
I don`t know if you are coming
Ah... Monday morning
I don`t know if you are coming

&c. &c.

The next day was one of those stinking hot Australian summer ones, where even if you don't like cricket you have to sit around watching it and drinking ice-cold home brew out of metal steins which had previously been stored in a converted refridgerator with a tap sticking out of it. The sort of day where you just put on your pants and boots when going down to the servo to buy a pack of ciggies.

Anyway, in the end there were only two of us there, but initially I was woken up by, and which was still playing now, some five hours later, a whole box set of John Denver. I'm unaware of the total effect that has had on me as a person, or whether it was good or bad, but I know it was deeply profound.

Thank god I'm a country boy.

If only The Silver Fox had known

I have to defend him. My organization's main office is located on a conservancy he set up in Snowmass, CO.

Country roads was good enough for Toots. "Take me home /West Jamaica"

John Denver has plenty of great songs, you kidding me. My work (also in Colorado) gets regular requests from Japanese travel writers for info on John Denver-related attractions ... I guess he's kind of a thing over there?

Annie's Song is so fucking good.

jd is dope but I only know the greatest hits - does anyone know any good john denver deep cuts?? he seems like the type of guy who would have some

lol my hippy math teacher had a sweater his girlfriend made for him with "You fill up my senses, like a walk in the forest" painted on it, with a scene of mountains on it. That he wore to class regularly. (He also had one that had the Neil Diamond 'You are the sun, I am the moon, you are the words, I am the tune" on it. Oh how we lol'd at poor Mr Taylor.)

that being said, Annie's Song, Country Road, Thank God I'm a Country Boy, Leaving on a Jet Plane...he sung so many songs that brought me so much happiness as a kid that I would be remiss in not defending him. And MUPPETS. He made a Christmas album with them. And he kind of reminded me a little of a cross between Scooter & Robin the Frog when he wore his straw hat & glasses. A lovely earnest man who kinda resembled a muppet. It's mean to hate him.

Yeah. He wrote "Leaving on a Jet Plane". Can't argue with that.

I kind of wish he had written Puff the Magic Dragon too. And Morningtown Ride. But then he'd be Peter Paul & Mary & The seekers and that's just not right.

A lot of his stuff up until 1975 is good. After that it gets tough, although I always liked 1976's "Looking For Space".

I still like his Christmas album, `cos I'm ultimately a big sap.

http://www.virginmedia.com/images/john_denver_christmas-300.jpg

I approve of this.

Loved him as a kid. Still totally on board for 2 volumes of Greatest Hits. I'm not sure I want to hear any x-mas albums by anybody.

My wife's uncle Jim was in Denver's band. And wrote "Grandma's Feather Bed."

Wow, that's cool!

He's recorded very little under his own name, Jim Connor (a couple of records credited to Richard and Jim, one solo LP in '75). Was in the New Kingston Trio for a few years before the Denver gig and no less an authority than Earl Scruggs has said Connor is "The finest living traditional banjo player, and perhaps the best that ever lived."

Holy cow. Does he still play? (I assume he's still alive, yes?)

I'm in charge of entry-music at my school. A teacher going on maternity leave in a couple of weeks asked for Denver on her last day, specifically "Thank God I'm a Country Boy." I'm a real tyrant with the music, so I just said "Well, um, let me look into this," knowing full well that that particular request just wasn't going to happen. But I'm glad to say that "Take Me Home, Country Road" has passed the audition with flying colours.

that is a good song no doubt. great bridge.

Not too difficult to defend, like a lot of people hyped in the seventies there is some schmaltz there...

Killer version of "Country Roads" (in Japanese) from Kondo and Miyazaki's wonderful Whisper of the Heart:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_rlJbwsbs4&feature=related

my gal worked in an Australian brothel. John Denver was a semi-regular patron. He liked to get peed on.

If only The Silver Fox had known

― rumple., Friday, September 26, 2003 6:28 AM (6 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

r.i.pee

btw "Defned the Indefensible" was the worst member of the Avengers by far

I'll defend 'Rocky Mountain High', as it's essentially the prototype for R.E.M. in their early Warners period.

Good for road trips

Lol, I was literally just going to post that the bridge of "Take Me Home, Country Roads" sounds like a prototype for REM's sound and then I saw Turrican's post!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vrEljMfXYo&feature=youtu.be#t=1m41s

That didn't work but 1:41 here.

The fingerpicked line is harder to play cleanly and accurately at tempo than I would have expected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugkx3fbtLkn">=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugkx3fbtLkn

huh