John Denver (1974) The Music is You - LOST 70s GEMS

 John Denver's most country sounding album and yet his big hits drew on a universal folk balladry, like his followup single and biggest selling hit, I'm Sorry and this album's key track Annie's Song. These songs held more delicate arrangements and were less direct hooks than his early 70s breakthrough hits like Take Me Home Country Roads, Rocky Mountain High, etc. There are still traces in songs like Matthew but almost all of the album is uncharacteristic dry country storytelling songs with plonking bass and some bluegrass flavour. His country roots had never been so pronounced before and it is an acquired taste as the songs lack the drama and rock of his earlier work not to mention emotional sensitivity. Here the country functions as nostalgia and is incredibly descriptive once again lacking a key trait; the spirituality his songs evoked.


Here the songs are matter of fact and mined of the depth he once had almost like a new career, no wonder it was so successful it opened him up to the Country audiences. Some songs get through though, aside from the glorious epic suite of Annie's Song, there is Eclipse with it's lyrical pan flute intro and Denver's pining lyrics and dialled down folksy warble and lines like "I do believe I saw the Old Man Smile". This Old Guitar is another spectacularly floaty, finger-picked serenade full of undulating vocals and sweet lyrics about what his guitar has done for him; it's a friend on a cold night and his wingman in getting his lady, the titular Annie of Annie's Song. It's Up to You is a cosmic pop tune with a grooving hammer on-guitar figure, zinging Mark tree chimes, rugged banjo fretting and soaring notes.


The Music is You is by far the gem of this album and should've been a hit despite it's ridiculously short length, Denver's harmonising with a female singer, Julie Connor, is set to a backdrop of an endless a banjo picking line. The banjo glints away along side the two singers singing off each other in hallowed tones and operatic falsetto. 1.26 seconds of pure love all dressed in a whimsical childlike lullaby. However it was still the heavy country singles Thank God I'm a Country Boy and Back Home Again that performed better than Annie's Song and Sweet Surrender, with the album winning many Country Music awards too, speaking volumes abut his connection to the rustic Country community and their love of wholesome nostalgia.