Rhymes & Reasons [Bonus Tracks]

Performer: John Denver
Engineer: Jim Crotty; John Woram
Producer: Milton Okun; Milton Okun; Bob Irwin (Reissue)
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Includes two bonus tracks. Personnel: John Denver (vocals, guitar); John Denver; Russ Savakus (violin, bass guitar); George Ockner, Sylvan Shulman (violin); George Marge (flute, English horn, baritone saxophone, horns); Johnny Glasel (flute, trumpet); Richard Berg, Albert Richmond (French horn); Richard Romoff (bass guitar); Paul Prestopino (guitar, mandolin); Max Pollikoff (violin); Marvin Stamm (flute, trumpet); Ray Alonze (French horn); Stan Free, Paul Griffin (piano, organ); Todd Sommer, Herb Lovelle (drums). Recording information: RCA's Studio A and B, NY (05/09/1969-06/10/1969). Arrangers: John Denver; Milton Okun. Relative newcomer John Denver -- his work with the Chad Mitchell Trio notwithstanding -- released his debut in 1969 to a relatively empty room. It wasn't until Peter, Paul & Mary took the singer/songwriter's "Leaving, on a Jet Plane" to the top of the charts later in the year that he began his ascent from fresh-faced folkie to America's best-selling recording artist in 1974. While the producers did their best to position Denver away from the dwindling folk scene by incorporating lush orchestrations and murky backing vocals, there was absolutely no way that they could remove the artist's heartfelt delivery and gentle disposition. RCA tested the waters by filling Rhymes & Reasons with reliable covers like "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "The Love of the Common People," but it's the four Denver originals that caught the ears and hearts of what would eventually become a gargantuan fan base. The sweet, soft, and ferociously earnest title track, the whimsical "Daydream," "Circus," and the formidable "Jet Plane" -- the latter was originally called "Oh Babe I Hate to Go" -- were indicative of what was to come, and while the other tracks are amiable enough and expertly produced, they're just window dressing that, when removed, reveals the true garden in the making. ~ James Christopher Monger Relative newcomer John Denver -- his work with the Chad Mitchell Trio notwithstanding -- released his debut in 1969 to a relatively empty room. It wasn't until Peter, Paul & Mary took the singer/songwriter's "Leaving, on a Jet Plane" to the top of the charts later in the year that he began his ascent from fresh-faced folkie to America's best-selling recording artist in 1974. While the producers did their best to position Denver away from the dwindling folk scene by incorporating lush orchestrations and murky backing vocals, there was absolutely no way that they could remove the artist's heartfelt delivery and gentle disposition. RCA tested the waters by filling Rhymes & Reasons with reliable covers like "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "The Love of the Common People," but it's the four Denver originals that caught the ears and hearts of what would eventually become a gargantuan fan base. The sweet, soft, and ferociously earnest title track, the whimsical "Daydream," "Circus," and the formidable "Jet Plane" -- the latter was originally called "Oh Babe I Hate to Go" -- were indicative of what was to come, and while the other tracks are amiable enough and expertly produced, they're just window dressing that, when removed, reveals the true garden in the making. [Rhymes & Reasons was reissued in 2005 with remastered sound, extensive liner notes, new photos, and the bonus tracks "Rusty Green" and "Take Me to Tomorrow."] ~ James Christopher Monger

As John Denver, the former John Henry Deutschendorf was a ubiquitous icon of the 1970s. Although he had been a musician and songwriter in the 1960s, penning "Leaving on a Jet Plane" for Peter, Paul & Mary, Denver hit his stride in the '70s with earnest folk songs celebrating the glories of the natural world and life's simple pleasures. Although he was sometimes savaged by critics for his overarching earnestness, his songs speak for themselves, and his records still sell in large numbers. In the wake of his premature death in a 1997 plane crash, a number of contemporary artists have recorded Denver's songs, without any hint of irony.

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