<img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c413/c41338mxih3.jpg">

Artist: John Denver
Album: Poems, Prayers, and Promises
Year Released: 1971
Review or Summary:

After three relatively unsuccessful albums, John Denver released Poems, Prayers, and Promises in 1971, and it was an immediate success, highlighted by classic folk and country tunes that are some of his most well-known and best-loved songs.

The tone established by the album is set up with its first three songs, to be later discussed. A very pleasant, yet in a way sad, mood is set, with no instruments other than a guitar, which is the prevailing concept of this album.

The album opens up with the title track, a simple ballad of John and his guitar, singing as a man looking back on his life, yet at the same time looking forward to growing old. This song was later released on two different greatest hits albums.

By far the most successful of the songs on this album is perhaps Denver's most legendary and successful hit, <i>Take Me Home, Country Roads</i>. The unofficial state song of West Virginia continues to be loved by all JD fans. This song breaks from most of the other songs on the album with its upbeat and happy sound, which is understandable - it was the final song added to the album, after John performed it at a club and received encore after encore.

Also included in this album is <i>Sunshine on my Shoulders</i>, a song that went to #1 on both the pop and country charts not in 1971, but in 1974, when for some random and ridiculous reason it was re-released on the <i>Greatest Hits</i> album, even though the song got no attention its first release. It has the same conflicting emotions of a sad, yet content person.

Poems, Prayers, and Promises also includes a decent cover of the Beatles' <i>Let it Be</i>, which brings a more folky sound to the McCartney classic. The legendary piano is replaced with - you guessed it, a guitar. Even Beatles fans acknowledge that he did a good job establishing a different kind of mood, and in a way making the song his own. <i>My Sweet Lady</i> continues with the John-and-guitar theme, as a classic love hymn making a commitment to a partner. Other less known, yet decent songs, include <i>I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado</i>, <i>Gospel Changes</i>, and <i>The Box</i>.

This album launched Denver into stardom, and though probably not as well respected as his two most popular albums - Back Home Again and Windsong - this is a fine addition to any folk music fan's collection. The album begins to fade in quality toward the end, with <i>Around and Around</i> and <i>Fire and Rain</i>, which could be its knack. Though it contains several undeniable classics, it doesn't quite have the all-around depth that Windsong achieved in 1975. Probably John's 3rd best album, which may not mean much to some, but with the career that he put together over 16 years, 3rd best is pretty darn good.

Rate: 4.2