Great album...

But an evening with JD is still in the first slot in my CD player. I was too young to really appreciate JD as he was popular but to this day I find his music to be among the most pure and sincere and I love sharing it with my young children today, without concern over the lyrics. I can already see the inspiration in them.



Those of you with young kids, find the DVD of JD camping with the muppets, fantastic entertainment and a song I never heard, "Catch another butterfly" is wonderful and I don't think was released on any album. If you are thinking about picking up the guitar, Pete Huttlinger, who is in John's band on this album, has a few DVD's out to help you learn these classics.

Never Better

Over the years, I have purchased most of John Denver's LPs and then CDs, and also observed several of his performances on television. (Regrettably, I was never in the audience at one of his concerts.) Recently I saw the PBS program during which the program on this DVD was recorded over a two-day period. Denver has never sounded better nor seemed happier than he does during The WILDLife Concert, totally comfortable playing a rich and diverse selection of older and newer songs. How rare and commendable that he makes each of the 25 seem so fresh. He is joined by immensely talented associates, notably James Burton, Jim Horn, and Pete Huttinger. FYI, this two-disc CD and its companion DVD include the previously unreleased "For You" which is not available elsewhere. I lack the talent to express how much I admire and will miss this talented and good man.

Worth it for the new songs, but the old stuff is a step down

John, God bless him, recorded this album after his prime. While this album is nowhere near bad, you can definately hear his voice going. The highs have lost their edge and gained a little more vibrato. This is why I would not recommend this album for the fans of the older JD stuff. An Evening With John Denver is a much greater testament to his former vocal prowess. I have to skip the tracks of Rocky Mountain High, Rhymes and Reasons, Country Roads, Wild Montana Skies, and Annie's Song because they are so much worse than they once were. But the album DOES mostly redeem itself. The live versions of his new songs are great and his songwriting and style are still omnipresent even if his vocal range and purity aren't. Eagles and Horses, Shanghai Breezes, Leaving on a Jet Plane Medley, Amazon, A Song for All Lovers, and Calypso are great in this live version. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this to anyone who hasn't heard John's earlier stuff, and to die hard fans, but this is not for the casual JD fan who enjoys his earlier stuff. The vocal change will drive you nuts.