Description

 'John Denver - Greatest Hits, Volume 3 (November 3, 1984) Remaster (2010)' Review!

 This, the third, set of greatest Hits that singer, musician, songwriter John Denver unleashed on the public in mid-1984, covering the years from 1977-1984, is of no less quality than either of the two previous volumes. If anything, this set showcases a maturing and confident musician willing to branch out into other genres with the ease of flying from one mountain to another, one homeland to another far, and distant one. Hence, the so-called, Mr. Voice of America, not only sings of native residences in Montana ("Wild Montana Skies", together with Emmylou Harris) or those beloved Rocky Mountains ("Dancing With The Mountains"), but shows the musician sharing in the sorrows of the starving children of Ethiopia ("I Want To Live"), and those fascinating "Shanghai Breezes" of middle Earth, China. Coming to grips with the constant Country music classification, Denver breezes through some Bluegrass, hard-rockin' numbers like "Sweet Melinda" & "Downhill Stuff", available for the first time on this remastered version, as well as more traditional steel-guitar Country music fare a la "Sleepin' Alone", and the matured sound of "The Cowboy & The Lady". All the while able to broaden his personal horizons with European singers, Spain's Placido Domingo ("Perhaps Love") & France's Sylvie Vartan on "Love, Again", and gracefully moving from Blues ("Bet On The Blues") to Dance-Rock ("The Way I Am") while still maintaining enough integrity to endear soft piano numbers like "What One Man Can Do" or non-nuclear aggression pieces like "It's About Time". Soon, one must succomb to the reality that this set could be Denver's true best! Yes, if there were ever a singer who cared more about our environment, or the state of affairs of our seemingly dying world then it truly was Mr. John Denver! Just listen to his anti-war piece de Resistánce, the sleeper Hit off this disc, "You Say That The Battle Is Over", and if visions of LBJ, tricky Dicky or more recently W. standing on aircraft carriers with superficial, curiously-timed banners waving in the background don't haunt YOU then surely YOU must already be dead! Three greatest Hits collections, and the dam had even yet to burst on the magnificent albeit shortened career of John Denver! Expanded from 11 to 24 amazing tracks! Get yours while YOU still can, and relish in the glory! - Rick Wilson, former Rock Radio Journalist for Radio Canale Grandé. 

 A quick review:

 01) How Can I Leave You, Again? (1977) ***** (I Want To Live) Once bitten - twice shy!
 02) Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stones) (1981) ***** (Some Days Are Diamonds) Neil Diamond, indeed!
 03) Shanghai Breezes (1982) ***** (Seasons Of The Heart) Charming!
 04) Seasons Of The Heart (1982) ***** (Seasons Of The Heart) Trying to understand the ways of love would be like trying to tame the wind!
 05) Perhaps Love (1981) ***** w/ Placido Domingo (Placido Domingo - Perhaps Love; Seasons Of The Heart) Unique duet that grows on YOU!
 06) Love, Again (1984) ***** w/ Sylvie Vartan (originally single only in 1984; One World (1986)) Is there a version that highlights Sylvie Vartan more?
 07) Dancing With The Mountains (1980) ***** (Autograph) Dancing, if only in spirit!
 08) Wild Montana Skies (1983) ***** w/ Emmylou Harris (It's About Time) Uptempo ecology tune!
 09) I Want To Live (1977) ***** (I Want To Live) Save the whales, amongst others! Denver in Africa 8 years before Bob Geldof awoke to the hunger situation there, and then they snub John with "We Are The World"! Good grief!
 10) The Gold & Beyond (1984) ***** (Greatest Hits, Volume 3) Olympic song, only available here!
 11) Autograph (1980) ***** (Autograph) Truly his signature tune, so to speak!
 12) It's About Time (1983) ***** (It's About Time) 1983? 2010? Is there any difference to the message? Nuclear destruction is just a shot away! Thanks, Mick!
 13) What One Man Can Do (1982) ***** (Seasons Of The Heart) Yes, one man can get the ball rolling, but if "they" can amass millions and buy their backers, then why can't we?
 14) Garden Song (1979) ***** (John Denver) I'm still struggling to get students to pronounce "garden" correctly, but no matter how YOU say it, we need to take care of this spaceship Earth, because we may never have another like her!
 15) It Amazes Me (1977) ***** (I Want To Live) Isn't that amazing, indeed?
 16) Bet On The Blues (1977) ***** (I Want To Live) The Blues? John Denver? Bet that! lol
 17) The Way I Am (1983) ***** (It's About Time) Nice straight drum intro, and a really cool tune!
 18) Sweet Melinda (1979) ***** (John Denver) Melinda? 2nd wife? Come away, sweet Melinda!
 19) What's On Your Mind? (1979) ***** (John Denver) That what's on your mind is on my mind, too! Oh?
 20) The Cowboy & The Lady (1981) ***** (Some Days Are Diamonds) Classic lyrics, 101: "There's a little class in this old cowboy, and there's a little bit of cowboy in the lady"!
 21) Sleepin' Alone (1981) ***** (Some Days Are Diamonds) Some days YOU are so tired (some days YOU are not)! lol
 22) Downhill Stuff (1979) ***** (John Denver) Interesting title, great tune!
 23) You Say That The Battle Is Over (1980) ***** (Autograph) An even greater tune! Thank God (YHWH), W. is history! But, I'm still waiting for the promised end to the battle, Mr. Obama! Wake up, America!
 24) No-One Like You (1979) ***** (Rocky Mountain Holiday) No "Muppets", but a nice cover all the same! Indeed, there was no-one like YOU, John Denver! Rest in peace!