If you are going to own only one John Denver recording, this is the one to buy. I have been a huge fan of John's since I was a kid (some twenty years ago). I've always found that most live recordings just do not sound good. It's a tough way to record music, there are no second chances, etc. But this cd is an exception. The music is of a very high quality. I actually prefer many of the songs on here (Rocky Mountain High; Poems, Prayers and Promises) over the studio versions. This cd contains most of the classics, and with John singing better (in my opinion) than on the earlier studio versions. I couldn't recommend this cd higher. It's the best John Denver cd I've heard, and it's the best live cd I've heard.

The first concert I ever went to happened to be a John Denver concert, where he performed in front of giant screens that showed pictures of nature and my girlfriend had to explain to me what that strange smoky smell in the air happened to be. This 1975 "double-album" show cases Denver at his best, with live performances of basically every hit he had up to that time, from "Take Me Home, Country Roads" to "Farewell Andromeda (Welcome to My Morning)" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy." The concert was recorded at the California Universal Amphitheater in August-September of 1974 and is actually a typical performance because Denver is being backed by an orchestra this time around. The boys in the band are Steve Weisberg on guitars, Dick Kniss of bass, Herb Lovell on drums, Hal Blaine doing percussions, and John Sommers filling in on everything from guitar and banjo to fiddle and mandolin.

There is a sort of thematic arrangement to the songs, which clearly show the various strengths of Denver's music. Beginning the concert with "Farewell Andromeda" seems an obvious choice ("Welcome to my morning, Welcome to my Happiness"), but notice how he uses humorous songs like "Toldeo" and "Grandma's Feather Bed" to set up the pathos of the beautiful "Annie's Song." Ballads are used to set up the more powerful songs, such as "The Eagle and the Hawk." The only thing this live album reaffirms for me is that John Denver's best songs were never his big hits from the pop charts but songs like "Poems, Prayers, and Promises." Two songs, "Today" and "Boy from the Country," are omitted from the CD reissue for time reasons, but since they are a pair of minor covers it is not a painful loss. Even with those losses "An Evening with John Denver" is a superb live album, one of the best of the Seventies and a good addition to your music library regardless of how many John Denver albums you currently have in your possession. For me, there is the added advantage of this being pretty much the concert I remember hearing back then (probably Fall of 1973, maybe the spring of 1974).

What a wonderful way to both spend some quality time with one of this century's most popular and spectacular singer/songwriters and to also introduce yourself to just how special, personable and entertaining a live performer John Denver was. Most of the music that made him famous is here, from "Rocky Mountain High" to "Annie's Song" to "Rhymes and Reasons" (one of my personal favorites) and also other less well known but still stellar efforts like "Matthew", "Rocky Mountain Suite", and a whole string of top-ten hits like "Sweet Surrender", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Poems, Prayers and Promises" etc. For anyone who isn't very familiar with John's honest charm, straight-out good-natured appeal, and charisma, the album offers enough of him chatting in between songs to discover just why so many of us who loved both his music and the man will always a special place in our hearts for this man who sang so singularly well about the simple, natural pleasures, and beauty in the natural world around us. John himself may be physically gone, but he lives on forever in our heads and hands and hearts, in what we do and think and remember because of him, and also so specially in the music he left behind as his personal gift . Enjoy.

Every artist has live albums. Some are so horrid that only true fans would ever think of making the purchase; however, sometimes there is an artist who seems to have been born to play live. Such is John Denver. No other singer has ever been able to captivate his audience like John. This album is overflowing with all of the life, energy, and shear joy that Denver brought to every stage he ever played on. From the opening chords of "The Music is You" you know you are in for an experience. John's performances are all solid, especially his lesser known tracks (Summer, Rocky Mountain Suite, Annie's Other Song, and My Sweet Lady). The last one may go down as one of his most heartfelt love songs... on the same level as his much later classic "For You". The full orchestra transforms favorites like Country Roads, The Eagle and the Hawk, and Rocky Mountain High into true masterpieces, and John's honest and simple enthusiasm make each song a part of himself that transcends through the crowd. Buy it, enjoy it, then play it again- then buy the Wildlife Concert and see for yourself why John Denver will never be forgotten.

My parents got this on Album in 1975 when I was only 2. They tell me I insisted on their playing it for me before I went to sleep. First words of childhood? You guessed it, John Denver lyrics (kind of). Purchased the CD three years ago and have enjoyed it a great deal. One thing the listener can pick up on is the astonishing sound quality of the recording. The Album sounded just as good (unless you tortured it like I did) and more modern recordings dont have this warmth. Another feature is the beautiful orchestra- it adds atmosphere the other (studio) recordings didn`t capture. Look at the inside of the booklet(pictures of John`s folks and whatnot) and you will see this is a precious gift. I would like to say that my favorite songs are "Matthew","Country Roads",and "Poems,Prayers,and Promises". If you`re not a music fan who insists on having whatever is "Relevant" this week, get a copy of this and love it for all time.