•
Rating: 16 classics in acoustic version for the artistic testament of a great songwriter, this is "The Unplugged Collection", an album recorded in Nashville (where else?) in 1996, shortly before the premature death of its author, which occurred in 1997 in a plane crash: John Denver, whose period of greatest artistic splendor in the early '70s is documented in this greatest hits unplugged, has gifted the music world with a handful of unforgettable songs in which country tradition and melodic sensitivity with an almost Beatles-like flair blend perfectly, especially in the minimalistic and acoustic guise of these renditions: acoustic guitars, piano, some percussion (maracas, triangle, handclaps), and little else for just under an hour of crystal-clear class and great music.
Although at first the album as a whole might seem very homogeneous and almost monotonous, the more you listen to it, the more you realize that each song has its own style and well-defined characteristics, with the result that the overall vision grows gradually with each listen; among the most immediate and distinctive compositions, the elegiac opener "Annie's Song" definitely stands out, a poignant waltz in a crescendo supported by choruses and violins, in which John Denver's deep and expressive voice assumes almost lyrical contours, along with the simpler "Perhaps Love," where piano, guitar, and voice are enough to create an unforgettable melody, and livelier songs like the catchy and captivating "Dreamland Express", "Rocky Mountain High", with its urgent rhythm and near country-rock crescendo, the carefree "Back Home Again", the delightful bluegrass of "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" up to the magnificent "Take Me Home, Country Roads", which stands to John Denver roughly as "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" does to Elton John, while requiring a few more listens to be fully appreciated in their value are ballads like the sorrowful "I'm Sorry", the poetic "Windsong", the bucolic "Whispering Jesse", the ethereal "Leaving On A Jetplane", the serene "Sunshine On My Shoulders", the intense and poignant "Seasons Of The Heart", and the short, almost elusive but moving "Christmas For Cowboys".
Perhaps he may not have been a "fundamental" artist in the history of music, but without a shadow of a doubt, John Denver is to be recognized for his absolutely valuable compositional talent combined with a great sense of melody and a top-notch interpretative ability, which gave life to wonderful and timeless songs, destined to keep the memory of their author alive over time.
Tracklist and Lyrics
03 Dreamland Express (03:16)
I caught a ride on the Dreamland Express last night
I was sailing on an ocean of blue
And right there by my side, much to my surprise, was you
I said, come on over baby, let me look in your eyes
Let me see the very heart of you
And I couldnt believe it, or conceive that my dream would come true
Cause you said, hey there sweet daddy, everything is alright
You know for miles theres not a telephone line
Theres not a soul to disturb us
Just come and be mine
You said, let me be the end of your rainbow
Let me be the stars up above
Let me be the one that you dream of baby
Let me be the one that you love, oh, oh
Let me be the one that you love
But now its four in the mornin, I cant sleep
I cant get you out of my mind
I keep tossin and turnin, Im yearnin for the sun to shine
Id like to send you a ticket on the Dreamland Express
And take you far away with me
Ive got a vision of heaven, you livin there with me
Let me be the end of your rainbow
Let me be the stars up above
Let me be the one that you dream of baby
Let me be the one that you love, oh, oh
Let me be the one that you love
Llet me be the end of your rainbow
Let me be the stars up above
Let me be the one that you dream of baby
Let me be the one that you love, oh oh
Let me be the one that you love
04 Rocky Mountain High (04:11)
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Coming home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door
When he first came to the mountains, his life was far away
On the road and hanging by a song
But the strings already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long.
It's Colorado Rocky Mountain High
I've seen it raining fire in the sky
The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullaby
Rocky Mountain High (In Colorado)
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below
He saw everything as far as you can see
And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun
And he lost a friend but kept his memory
Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forests and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight is turned inside of himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain High
I've seen it raining fire in the sky
Talk to God and listen to the casual reply
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear
Of the simple things he can not comprehend
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land
In the Colorado Rocky Mountain High
I've seen it raining fire in the sky
I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly
Rocky mountain high
The Colorado Rocky Mountain High
I've seen it raining fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody's high
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
Rocky Mountain High (High in Colorado)
09 Windsong (04:03)
The wind is the whisper of our mother the Earth
The wind is the hand of our father the sky
The wind watches over our struggles and pleasures
The wind is the goddess who first learned to fly
The wind is the bearer of bad and good tidings
Weaver of darkness, bringer of dawn
The wind gives the rain (yes), and builds us a rainbow
The wind is the singer who sang the first song
The wind is a twister of anger and warning
The wind brings the fragrence of freshly mown hay
The wind is the racer and the white stallion running
And the sweet taste of love on a slow summer's day
The wind knows the songs of cities and canyons
Thunder of mountains, the roar of the sea
The wind is the taker and giver of mornings
The wind is the symbol of all that is free
So welcome the wind and the wisdom she offers
Follow her summons when she calls again
In your heart and your spirit let the breezes surround you
Lift up your voice then and sing with the wind
13 Sunshine on My Shoulders (04:55)
Original Lyrics:
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
If I had a day that I could give you
I'd give to you the day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I'd sing a song to make you feel this way
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
If I had a tale that I could tell you
I'd tell a tale sure to make you smile
If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I'd make a wish for sunshine for all the while
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high
Sunshine almost always...
中文翻译：
阳光照在我的肩上使我心愉
阳光照在我的眼里让我泪滴
阳光照在水面是如此的美丽
阳光几乎总是让我神采奕奕
如果我有一天可以给你
我会给你一天就象今日
如果我有支歌能唱给你
我会唱一支歌让你感受如己
阳光照在我的肩上使我心愉
阳光照在我的眼里让我泪滴
阳光照在水面是如此的美丽
阳光几乎总是让我神采奕奕
如果我有个故事可以讲给你
我会讲一个故事定让你心喜
如果我有个祝愿用来祝福你
我的祝愿是让阳光永照大地
阳光照在我的肩上使我心愉
阳光照在我的眼里让我泪滴
阳光照在水面是如此的美丽
阳光几乎总是让我神采奕奕
阳光几乎永远都让我神采奕奕
阳光几乎总是……
Loading comments slowly
