John Denver - "Rocky Mountain High"

John Denver's most recognized album and one of the songs he is most identified with. This is one of Denver's few albums with a large concept behind the music. The songs all focus on nature and feeling the high that nature provides.

Each song focuses on some kind of Rocky Mountain experience from the title track to the destruction of the area in "Paradise," local tale/legends in "Darcy Farrow," and leaving the beloved family and Rocky Mountains "Goodbye Again." This last song, though written as a letter to his wife Annie, could easily be addressed to the Rocky Mountains as Denver treats them as a living being, rightfully so, as real as any person. He is sad that he has to leave but he will return and he has to see the people who want to hear him sing.

The eighth track on the CD (the entire side two of the original record) is really five songs each one focusing on a season (Summer, Fall, etc). This Suite is one of Denver's most well constructed pieces of music and often got the critics to give him some credit if not every bit that he was due.

While not essential to a record collection this is a very strong effort from an excellent artist and that title song is a pure classic. Great music.