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 'John Denver - Greatest Hits, Volume 4 (2010)' Review!

 After three great Hit collections, the remaining thirteen years of John Denver's life produced sadly only six more entries in the charts, but that doesn't mean that the quality of his recordings had declined any. Au contraire, Denver wrote some of his most precious, redeeming material in his latter years. Songs of passion, statements of hope, words of wisdom (sadly, most unheralded), and magnificent masterpieces simply awaiting some form of acknowledgement. This is that acknowledgement - finally, thirteen years after his much too early departure from our plain of consciousness, Greatest Hits, Volume 4, covering the years 1985-1997 and beyond! If YOU don't recognize the song titles, or YOU don't remember seeing any of these sleepers in the charts, then have no fear, rest assured, these are some of the best songs Mr. John Denver delivered upon an undeserving world. As the disc begins, Denver was certainly aware of the status he had achieved already in 1996, about a year before his passing at a Christmas concert in Washington, D.C. With a body of work that many musicians would kill for already released and sitting on shelves in stores all around the globe, the question for John was surely not "to be or not to be", but what could he do to sustain the momentum his career had brought him. If only he could have seen the fruits of his labour in the modern, computer age...In any case, his songs of hope, championing the fight for our estranged environment, such as the ongoing struggle for the Amazon, "Amazon (Let This Be A Voice)" and the Earth, in general, "Earth Day Every Day (Celebrate)" & "The Flower That Shattered The Stone", are not only lyrically themes that will endure the test of time, but musically were true evolutions of the multi-tasker, John Denver, with their Spanish guitar and Word Music rhythms and beats, respectively. However, it will probably be songs like "Let Us Begin", which preaches a need for dialogue instead of bombs (I could have sworn that are recently-elected president was mentioning similar stances!), and his almighty Love anthem, "Love Is The Master", which will endear a more broader audience. Yet, it is with personal tragedies, where John Denver's music hits home. "Flying For Me", a song written in the aftermath of the Space Shuttle, Challenger, disaster of 1986, a flight Denver himself had hoped to be taking, moves as John calls 'em like he sees 'em, "...they were Flying For Me". One almost wonders if Denver would have preferred to have died that fateful day in late January instead of as he did in October, 1997. Nevertheless, John's moving pieces like "On The Wings Of An Eagle" leave us wondering just what the pilot could have accomplished having been given just a few more years, but his moving verses like "For You" or "Whispering Jesse" continue a tradition begun back in his formative years of writing words that come directly from the heart. A third marriage ended in sorrow, but brought us John's love for Australia to celluloid ("Sing Australia"), as well as ventures in new waters with R&B type Pop in "Don't Close Your Eyes, Tonight", or less subtly in "Dreamland Express". Sadly, John's final disc, "All Aboard!" is only represented by the short, reprise version of "Jesse Dreamed Of Trains", which highlights omissions like Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready", or other great songs like "Chained To The Wheel", one of his hardest Rockin' songs (although, fortunately, "The Harder They Fall" is here), and stupendous ballads a la "Falling Leaves (The Refugees)", which are all suspisciously missing. Fortunately, that is what makes this fourth Hits collection a necessity. John Denver simply has so many great tunes that it is and will always be virtually impossible to get all of his best songs on four, much less one, compact disc! So, long story short, give this one a good listen, and cherish the many great memories that the adventurous John Denver has left with us, because sadly, there will never be another like him, try as they may! - Rick Wilson, former Rock Radio Journalist with Radio Canale Grandé.

 A quick review:

 01) Living Legend Story: live '96 (2001) *** (Christmas In Concert) No longer among the living, but a legend indeed!
 02) Love Is The Master (1986) ***** (One World) Fantastic song! I love those acoustic guitars!
 03) Amazon (Let This Be A Voice) (1991) ***** (Different Directions) And, may the voice be heard!
 04) Earth Day Every Day (Celebrate) (1990) ***** (Earth Songs) Climate change? Global warming? Earthquakes? 40-years on, and what have we learned? Wake up, people!
 05) Sing Australia (1989) ***** (Higher Ground) I love that didgeridoo sound!
 06) Potter's Wheel (1991) ***** (Different Directions) "Bet On The Blues" with better lyrics!
 07) Let Us Begin (What Are We Making Weapons For?) (1986) ***** (One World) I dedicate this to the late Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, who, together with his wife, died as I was writing these reviews, sadly in a tragic plane crash in Russia. I can imagine someone like Serj Tankian covering this vocally!
 08) A Country-Girl In Paris (1989) ***** (Higher Ground) You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the Country out of the girl!
 09) And, So It Goes (1989) ***** w/ The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Will The Circle Be Unbroken II) The NGDB actually have many great tunes, so be sure to check 'em out, and John's other cover of theirs, "Dance Little Jean"! 
 10) The Marvelous Toy (1990) ***** (Christmas, Like A Lullaby) Great song, Christmas or not!
 11) Dreamland Express (1985) ***** (Dreamland Express) Unique number from John!
 12) Along For The Ride ('56 T-Bird) ***** (One World) Cool video, and nice tune!
 13) Don't Close Your Eyes, Tonight (1985) ***** (Dreamland Express) Moving Pop-sounding tune!
 14) Is It Love?: live '95 (1995) ***** (The Wildlife Concert) Great backing vocals!
 15) The Harder They Fall: live '95 (1995) ***** (originally on Dreamland Express (1985); The Wildlife Concert) One of John's hardest rockin' songs!
 16) Whispering Jesse: live '94 (1996) ***** (originally on Higher Ground (1989); Sing Australia: In Concert) A tune for his daughter!
 17) For You: live '95 (1995) ***** (originally on Higher Ground (1989); The Wildlife Concert) And, this one is "For YOU"!
 18) The Flower That Shattered The Stone (1990) ***** (Earth Songs; The Flower That Shattered The Stone) Sadly, only one from this nice disc!
 19) Flying For Me (1986) ***** (One World) God (YHWH) bless the seven astronauts who died in the Challenger that fateful day!
 20) On The Wings Of An Eagle (1998) ***** (Forever, John; Autograph [remaster]: 2004) Yes, John, now YOU are indeed free! God (YHWH) bless, eternally!
 21) Jesse Dreamed Of Trains (reprise) (1997) ***** (All Aboard!) And yet, another tune for his daughter!