John Denver was a certified legend in the folk rock world. Before his untimely death in 1997, he gave the world 30 studio albums and a wide range of hits. His hit song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a fan favorite for everything from drunken karaoke to introspective drives on long stretches of highway. If you’re a John Denver fan, then you should visit (or revisit) some of these deep cuts.
1. “Farewell Andromeda (Welcome To My Morning)”
This title track from Denver’s well-rated 1973 album doesn’t get enough attention for being one of the best John Denver deep cuts. His cover of John Prine’s “Angels From Montgomery” or the Denver original “I’d Rather Be A Cowboy” got a lot more attention on this album. However, “Farewell Andromeda” is an excellent closing track that has its own standalone power.
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2. “The Eagle And The Hawk”
“The Eagle And The Hawk” comes from Denver’s 1971 album Aerie. It’s not one of the album’s singles, but it is special for other reasons. The song was used as the title theme for an ABC documentary of the same name. The Eagle And The Hawk starred Denver himself along with conservationist Morlan Nelson. The program is somewhat considered to be “lost” media, as it is currently stored at ABC and hasn’t been released by the network. Still, you can watch it online.
3. “Rhymes And Reasons”
Another track that comes from an album of the same name, “Rhymes And Reasons” was released way back in 1969. It’s a fine song that closes out side one of the record, and it didn’t get quite as much love as “Leaving On A Jet Plane” or Denver’s cover of “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”.
4. “Daydreams”
This song also came from Rhymes And Reasons. And it’s a great example of how Denver shined through his music when everything was kept simple. The lyrics are simple, the energy of the song is at a baseline, and it’s just an easy, pretty song. Denver deserved more credit for tracks like this.
Photo via The John Denver Estate
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