For those of us who grew up with him, watching John Denver so suddenly emerge onto the national stage as the huge talent he was is a memory savored and protected in these harsher times. I remember driving to graduate classes and hearing "Annie's Song" for the first time. it was quite an experience. I remember listening to "Rocky Mountain High" and how it affected me in terms of my growing appreciation for wild nature and the need for conservation. More than anything else, for me John still symbolizes that better part of our common human nature that those of us ragged,and hopefully "gracefully aging" counterculturists still associate with what personal enlightment and true education can do to transform this into a finer and more sustainable planet. Thus, this wonderful set of DVD (and also available CD recordings) that comprise the entire "Wildlife Concert" offering is a wonderous gift that reminds of of the immense range of talents and sensitivities he shared with us in his brief time on earth.

Of course, you can rest assured that all of his famous songs are here, as well as a number of newer and less well known works, which are included as well. In the end, one is simply amazed at the freshness and novelty he is able to bring to bear in his presentation of many of the offerings here, in the wonderful way in which he performs some of these songs, singing lyrics he had sung thousands of times but seeming just as fresh and new as the first times he performed them. Like many artists, he doesn't necessarily stick to the familiar sound of the recorded version, and while that might annoy a few patrons who prefer the overly-familiar stamped-out record version, for me it is an indication of his great artistic prowess to able to do so this convincingly after all this time, and to do so with such aplomb, enthusiasm, and flavor. The comforting thing to understand is that at the time he had the concert, close to the time he died in the tragic airplane accident that abruptly ended his life, he seemed at the top of his form, regaining lost popularity, and ready to record new works in progress. This is a wonderful DVD, and one I recommend to all John Denver fans. Enjoy!
For those of us who grew up with him, watching John Denver so suddenly emerge onto the national stage as the huge talent he was is a memory savored and protected in these harsher times. I remember driving to graduate classes and hearing "Annie's Song" for the first time. it was quite an experience. I remember listening to "Rocky Mountain High" and how it affected me in terms of my growing appreciation for wild nature and the need for conservation. More than anything else, for me John still symbolizes that better part of our common human nature that those of us ragged,and hopefully "gracefully aging" counterculturists still associate with what personal enlightment and true education can do to transform this into a finer and more sustainable planet. Thus, this wonderful set of DVD (and also available CD recordings) that comprise the entire "Wildlife Concert" offering is a wonderous gift that reminds of of the immense range of talents and sensitivities he shared with us in his brief time on earth. Of course, you can rest assured that all of his famous songs are here, as well as a number of newer and less well known works, which are included as well. In the end, one is simply amazed at the freshness and novelty he is able to bring to bear in his presentation of many of the offerings here, in the wonderful way in which he performs some of these songs, singing lyrics he had sung thousands of times but seeming just as fresh and new as the first times he performed them. Like many artists, he doesn't necessarily stick to the familiar sound of the recorded version, and while that might annoy a few patrons who prefer the overly-familiar stamped-out record version, for me it is an indication of his great artistic prowess to able to do so this convincingly after all this time, and to do so with such aplomb, enthusiasm, and flavor. The comforting thing to understand is that at the time he had the concert, close to the time he died in the tragic airplane accident that abruptly ended his life, he seemed at the top of his form, regaining lost popularity, and ready to record new works in progress. This is a wonderful DVD, and one I recommend to all John Denver fans. Enjoy!