A reluctant country album from John

John was obliged to record this album against his wishes after his record label refused to release another album (Perhaps love) that he had prepared. John never liked this album but his professionalism ensured that the album has a lot to like about it. While country themes have often been a part of John's music, he never wanted to be typecast as a country singer, preferring a hybrid mix of folk, pop and country although John's most successful album of all time (Back home again) was a country album.



John only contributed two of his own songs to the album (Country love, Sleeping alone), presumably feeling that if he couldn't record what he wanted, somebody else could provide most of the songs. The title track became a top ten country hit and might have been followed by other country hits, but American country radio stations soon discovered that John was not committed to a country music career and stopped playing his music.



San Francisco Mabel Joy (written by Mickey Newbury) is a very sad song about a country boy and a city prostitute, which has also been recorded by Joan Baez, Waylon Jennings and Kenny Rogers among others. Cowboy and the lady (a Bobby Goldsboro song) has been covered by Dolly Parton with slightly different lyrics as Cowgirl and the dandy - it appeared on her classic album, Here you come again.



There are many other fine songs here. Given the circumstances in which it was recorded, this album didn't deserve to be as good as it is, but if you enjoy John's other music and you also enjoy country music, you'll love this album.

A transitional album for a durable artist

By the time John Denver recorded "Some Days Are Diamonds," he was already fading in the hearts and minds of the pop culture environmentalism borne in the 1970s. But even though John's enthusiasm for the project was clearly forced, his maturity as a performer and artist was, in fact, just beginning. This album had some staggeringly bad songs, especially when compared to four of the five previous releases (in reverse chronological order), "Autograph," "I Want To Live," "Spirit" and "Windsong." Songs like "San Francisco Mabel Joy," "Easy on Easy Street," "The Cowboy and the Lady" and "Till You Opened My Eyes" are excruciating to hear; but John makes up for it with his catchy take on Mac Davis's "Gravel On the Ground" and his own "Country Love." His rendition of "Wild Flowers in a Mason Jar" is reminiscient of better days and the release of the sentimental but still enjoyable "Back Home Again." Still, this is a joyless effort, made to fulfill a contractural obligation and nothing more. But all is not lost. John's career - indeed, his life -- was in transition in the early 1980s when this album was released; and it was followed by an exceptional effort called "Seasons of the Heart." "Some Days are Diamonds" is a must-have for completist John Denver fans, but it serves only as a transition album between his stint as a pop "aw, shucks" performer to his subsequent tenure as a seasoned, mature musical icon.

One of my favorites

For someone who didn't want to do this album, from what I have read in other reviews. John did a fantastic job. My favorites on this CD are Some days are diamonds, Sleepin alone and Till you opened my eyes. This whole CD is great. I'd recommend it to all JD fans.