John Denver - Around The World Live (2009) [5DVD Set] {Eagle Vision}

John Denver is one of the most successful and best loved recording artists of the 20th century. His easy going manner, fine voice, superb songwriting and dedication to environmental issues all combined to build a huge global fan base that has continued to grow since his untimely death in a plane crash in 1997. This superb 5-disc set is the definitive John Denver DVD release. There are three complete live performances with full band from Australia in 1977, Japan in 1981 and England in 1986. These are complemented by a solo acoustic performance from Japan in 1984 and his performances at Farm Aid from 1985, 1987 & 1990. The final disc has two hour long documentaries made by John Denver, his 1990 Earth Day program about environmental issues and his 1972 show about the Bighorn sheep of his beloved Rocky Mountains.

On October 13th Eagle Records released what is being heralded as the definitive John Denver DVD Release. “Definitive” is one way to describe it. “Eclectic” is another, and “excessive” is also an option.

Consisting of four live concerts, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” live in Australia 1977, “Rocky Mountain High” live in Japan 1981, “Country Roads” live in England 1986, and “Solo Acoustic Show” live in Japan 1984 as well his Farm Aid performances from 1985, 1987, and 1990 and two documentaries, Earth Day 1990 and Day at Bighorn (1972), the collection has 592 minutes of material on five discs.

Around the World Live is definitive in that it spans more than ten years of live performances. It is eclectic in that it includes such things as the Earth Day documentary, which may have been one of Mr. Denver's passions, and is briefly hosted by him, but it really has little to do with him, and the material is outdated. It is excessive in its repetitiveness. The collection includes no less than six performances of “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and numerous performances of other Denver Classics as well.

Though it is interesting to watch how the technology to film a concert advanced over the years, eventually the footage becomes more enjoyable to listen to, rather than to sit and watch an incredibly talented man stand in front of a microphone and strum his guitar over and over. The concert from Australia in 1977 is awkward from the opening where it fails to properly capture Denver’s introduction, and remains awkwardly filmed throughout. As technology improved over the years, so does the footage of the concerts.

The documentary Day at the Bighorn lends the most insight into Denver, his personality, and his passion for animals and the great outdoors, but it is clumsily edited, and generally results in poor storytelling.

The gem in this release is the acoustic performance in Japan from 1984, as it truly displays the immense talent and vocal range of Denver.

The sound quality of all segments is excellent, and most of the footage looks great if you are so inclined to watch all of it.

tracklist:
Disc One - Thank God I'm A Country Boy - Live In Australia 1977
01. Farewell Andromeda
02. Spirit
03. Fly Away
04. Looking For Space
05. Come And Let Me Look In Your Eyes
06. Baby You Look Good To Me Tonight
07. Druthers
08. I'd Rather Be A Cowboy
09. How Can I Leave You Again
10. Singing Skies And Dancing Waters
11. Love Is Everywhere
12. Pickin' The Sun Down (Blue Grass & High Sierra)
13. I Want To Live
14. Rocky Mountain High
15. Follow Me
16. Moreton Bay
17. To The Wild Country
18. Grandma's Feather Bed
19. Back Home Again
20. Matthew
21. Thank God I'm A Country Boy
22. Take Me Home, Country Roads
23. Annie's Song
24. Eagle And The Hawk
25. Calypso
26. Sunshine On My Shoulders
27. Leaving On A Jet Plane
Bonus Tracks:
01. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
02. Thirsty Boots
03. Boy From The Country
04. Like To Deal With The Ladies
05. When I'm 64

Disc Two - Rocky Mountain High - Live In Japan 1981
01. Starwood In Aspen
02. Take Me Home, Country Roads
03. Follow Me
04. I'd Rather Be A Cowboy
05. Leaving On A Jet Plane
06. Goodbye Again
07. Rocky Mountain Suite
08. Matthew
09. Fly Away
10. Dancing With The Mountains
11. Back Home Again
12. Thank God I'm A Country Boy
13. Sleepin' Alone
14. Rocky Mountain High
15. Eagle And The Hawk
16. Annie's Song
17. Calypso
18. Sunshine On My Shoulders
Bonus Tracks:
01. Mother Nature's Son
02. How Mountain Girls Can Love
03. Sweet Surrender
04. Johnny B. Goode
05. Memphis
06. Lil Suzie
07. Boy From the Country

Disc Three - Country Roads - Live In England 1986
01. Farewell Andromeda
02. Take Me Home, Country Roads
03. Grandma's Feather Bed
04. Back Home Again
05. Matthew
06. Dreamland Express
07. The Harder They Fall
08. I Can't Escape
09. Flying For Me
10. What Are We Making Weapons For
11. Sunshine On My Shoulders
12. Eagle And The Hawk
13. Wild Montana Skies
14. Relatively Speaking
15. I'd Rather Be A Cowboy
16. How Can I Leave You Again
17. I'm Sorry
18. Shanghai Breezes
19. Fly Away
20. My Sweet Lady
21. Heart To Heart
22. Rocky Mountain High
23. Annie's Song
24. Calypso
25. Peace (poem)
26. It's About Time
27. Perhaps Love
Bonus Tracks:
01. Boy From The Country
02. Claudette
03. Don't Close Your Eyes Tonight
04. I Remember You
05. Sweet Surrender



Disc Four - Solo Acoustic Show - Live In Japan 1984 / Farm Aid
01. Rocky Mountain High
02. Sunshine On My Shoulders
03. Leaving On A Jet Plane
04. Goodbye Again
05. Follow Me
06. Matthew
07. Grandma's Feather Bed
08. I Want To Live
09. Rhymes & Reasons
10. Eagle And The Hawk
11. The Gold And Beyond
12. Take Me Home, Country Roads
13. Biwako Shuko No Uta
14. Seasons Of The Heart
15. Annie's Song
16. Calypso
17. It's About Time
Farm Aid 1985:
01. Take Me Home, Country Roads
02. Back Home Again
03. Thank God I'm A Country Boy
Farm Aid 1987:
01. Take Me Home Country Roads
02. Matthew
03. What Are We Making Weapons For
Farm Aid 1990:
01. Rocky Mountain High
02. Matthew

Disc Five - Documentaries
01. The Bighorn (1972)
02. Earth Day Documentary (1990)








All thanks goes to the original releaser!