Rocky Mountain High is the sixth studio album released by American singer-songwriter John Denver in September 1972. It was his first US Top 10 album (no. 4), propelled by the title single, and in addition reached no. 11 in the UK and no. 1 in Canada.[3] The album's cover photograph was taken at Slaughterhouse Falls, Rio Grande Trail, Aspen, Colorado.[4]
| Rocky Mountain High | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 15, 1972 | |||
| Studio | RCA, New York City | |||
| Genre | Country folk[1][2] | |||
| Length | 37:14 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Producer | Milton Okun | |||
| John Denver chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Rocky Mountain High | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Creem | C[5] |
In July 1972, Record World called the single 'Goodbye Again', "a sad, gentle ballad that threatens to become a standard along the lines of 'Leaving on a Jet Plane.'"[6] In September of that same year, Record World commended the single "Hard Life, Hard Times (Prisoners)" for its "good use of counterpoint towards the end."[7]
William Ruhlmann of AllMusic wrote of Rocky Mountain High that, "Though Denver still couldn't figure out how to fill out an entire album without covering his betters (in this case, old favorites the Beatles and John Prine), he and his steady backup musicians, bassist Dick Kniss and guitarist Mike Taylor, were evolving into an exuberant folk-country sound that would prove enormously appealing over the next few years."[1] Ruhlman highlighted "Goodbye Again" and "For Baby (For Bobbie)", praising the former as "one of Denver's finest ballads."[1]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rocky Mountain High" |
| 4:43 |
| 2. | "Mother Nature's Son" | 2:28 | |
| 3. | "Paradise" | John Prine | 2:13 |
| 4. | "For Baby (For Bobbie)" | Denver | 2:57 |
| 5. | "Darcy Farrow" |
| 4:22 |
| 6. | "Prisoners" | Denver | 3:36 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Goodbye Again" | Denver | 3:36 |
| 2. | "Season Suite: Summer" |
| 2:51 |
| 3. | "Season Suite: Fall" |
| 1:38 |
| 4. | "Season Suite: Winter" |
| 1:36 |
| 5. | "Season Suite: Late Winter, Early Spring (When Everybody Goes to Mexico)" |
| 4:00 |
| 6. | "Season Suite: Spring" |
| 2:27 |
Personnel
edit- John Denver – 6-string guitars, twelve-string guitars, acoustic guitars, vocals, arrangements
- Mike Taylor – guitar
- Dick Kniss – double bass, arranger
- Frank Owens – piano
- Paul Prestopino – mandolin, dobro
- Eric Weissberg – banjo, steel guitar
- Gary Chester – drums, percussion
- Bill Danoff, Martine Habib, Bruce Innes, Mike Kobluk, Taffy Nivert – backing vocals
- Pupils of Whitby School, Greenwich, Connecticut – backing vocals on "For Baby (For Bobbie)"
References
edit- ^ a b c d Ruhlmann, William. "Rocky Mountain High Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Okamoto, David (January 1, 1998). "John Denver". In Knopper, Steve (ed.). MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 132–133.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums - April 21, 1973" (PDF).
- ^ "Musical Maps".
- ^ Christgau, Robert (April 1973). "The Christgau Consumer Guide". Creem. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 8, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 16, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
External links
edit- Rocky Mountain High at Discogs (list of releases)
 | This 1970s folk album-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |