Rocky Mountain High (album)

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 John Denver
Released	September 15, 1972 (1972-09-15)
Studio	RCA, New York City
Genre	Country folk[1][2]
Length	37:14
Label	RCA
Producer	Milton Okun
John Denver chronology
Aerie (1971) Rocky Mountain High (1972) Farewell Andromeda (1973)
Singles from Rocky Mountain High
"Goodbye Again" Released: July 1972 "Hard Life, Hard Times (Prisoners)" Released: September 1972 "Rocky Mountain High" Released: October 30, 1972

Reception

Professional ratings

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

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Rocky Mountain High"	John Denver Mike Taylor	4:43
2.	"Mother Nature's Son"	John Lennon Paul McCartney	2:28
3.	"Paradise"	John Prine	2:13
4.	"For Baby (For Bobbie)"	Denver	2:57
5.	"Darcy Farrow"	Steve Gillette Tom Campbell	4:22
6.	"Prisoners"	Denver	3:36

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Goodbye Again"	Denver	3:36
2.	"Season Suite: Summer"	Denver Taylor Dick Kniss	2:51
3.	"Season Suite: Fall"	Denver Taylor Kniss	1:38
4.	"Season Suite: Winter"	Denver Taylor Kniss	1:36
5.	"Season Suite: Late Winter, Early Spring (When Everybody Goes to Mexico)"	Denver Taylor Kniss	4:00
6.	"Season Suite: Spring"	Denver Taylor Kniss	2:27

Personnel

• 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

1. Ruhlmann, William. "Rocky Mountain High Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
2. Okamoto, David (January 1, 1998). "John Denver". In Knopper, Steve (ed.). MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 132–133.
3. "RPM Top 100 Albums - April 21, 1973" (PDF).
4. "Musical Maps".
5. Christgau, Robert (April 1973). "The Christgau Consumer Guide". Creem. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
6. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 8, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
7. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 16, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved March 29, 2023.

External links

• Rocky Mountain High at Discogs (list of releases)