On
Back Home Again
,
John Denver
was in one of the brighter and more spirited moments of his career. It features a plethora of uplifting, merry, and lyrically witty songs written and arranged by
Denver
and played with the most charming and delightful of backup bands. Highlights include the humor of
"Grandma's Feather Bed,"
the poignancy of
"Matthew,"
and the spirit and delight of
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy."
A well-orchestrated recording under his label,
RCA
makes clear to his fans and listeners of new and old that the "music is in you." Opening up the second side of this 1974 recording is the ever so
romantic
tearjerker, a song for his wife,
"Annie's Song,"
certainly one of
's finest achievements. The highlight of the record finds him playing six-string guitar, with
Steve Weisberg
on lead guitar,
Dick Kniss
on bass,
John Sommers
on mandolin, and
Jim Gordon
on percussion, with the creativity of
Lee Holdridge
and his
orchestral
arrangement. Two more songs come along during this 12-song set with the hearty
"Sweet Surrender,"
and the heartfelt
"This Old Guitar."
Lazy days, and summer days, and windy days, and rainy days may encourage the listener to find him- or herself listening to this recording under a shady tree, as the joyful tune
"Cool an' Green an' Shady"
illustrates.
pulls out all the stops to create, and experience himself, one of his finer recordings of the '70s. [
was reissued in 2005 in a remastered and expanded edition that included extensive liner notes, photos, and bonus alternate versions of
"Matthew"
and
"This Old Guitar"
] ~ Shawn M. Haney