Placing the word definitive on a best-of collection is usually a panicked label attempt to fill last-minute Christmas stockings, but in the case of
RCA's
Definitive All-Time Greatest Hits John Denver retrospective, it's a truly apt description. Coinciding with the 35th anniversary of
Denver's first album release on
RCA, the two-disc, 24-track overview of the country-pop singer's storied career is the most concise and nuanced yet. Digitally remastered from the original master tapes, road-trip classics like
"Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Rocky Mountain High," and
"Back Home Again" are as warm as the singer's lauded tenor. There are no gimmicky re-recorded cuts or disappointing live tracks --
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" spent its time on the charts in its live incarnation -- and his spotty '80s material is only briefly covered (
"Perhaps Love" and
"Shanghai Breezes"). The only real omission is
"Grandma's Feather Bed," but the 20-page booklet and song-by-song commentary by longtime friend
Milt Okun more than suffice. The bonus disc, maddeningly sparse at just four tracks, makes up for its brevity by including a goose bump-inducing 1975 acoustic version of
"Calypso." With the pompous string section, clanging ship bell, and unnecessary drum fills removed, his ode to Jacques Cousteau's tenacious vessel is a wonder of emotion and nautical kinsmenship that inarguably exhibits
Denver as one of the greatest vocalists of his time. For those unwilling to sift through the exhaustive four-CD
Country Roads Collection, this
Definitive package is a good buy and a rewarding visit with an old friend. ~ James Christopher Monger
![Desire [Remastered]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0827969239322_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Desire [Remastered]")
![1 [20-Track]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602547567628_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "1 [20-Track]")
