Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

So, i'm a John Denver nut. The same is true when it comes to Elvis, CCR, and Steely Dan. But Denver's catalog is the most elusive of all. His current catalog of music goes from fresh 21st Century remixes all the way down to echo-chamber, muffled CD masters created in 1987. Because i'm a stickler for sound quality, i will give every Denver fan a quick lesson in the remastering history of JD's catalog... There are 3 distinct remastering periods of John Denver's music on CD. I know this because being a stickler for high-quality audio, i did a lot of research of liner notes, and online sources to find out when, where, and by whom John Denver's catalog was remastered. 1.) 1987-1991. This is the first period in which John Denver's music was mastered for CD, and with few exceptions, they sound awful. The more acoustic ones sound better than the ones with lush string orchestras, but still not great. Without proper mastering, those strings become one big mess of sound. Unless you are a completist, i urge you to stay away from any CD's originally released in this time period. 2.) 1996-2001. This is the second period, in which John's music was given a much needed overhaul. Unfortunately, it wasn't the entire catalog, but mostly various box sets, single-disc compilations, and the remaining albums that were oerlooked the first time around. Lucky for those albums that got passed over in the '80s, because the ones done during this period sound far better (Spirit, JD, and Autograph). Nearly every disc mastered in this period was done by the team of Paul Williams, Bll Lacey, and Mike Hartry. Their names can usually be found on the liner notes of these CD's. 3.) 2004-2008. This is the newest and best period of JD's remasters. This saw the new versions of Back Home Again, Greatest Hits, Love Songs, The Essential, and a handful of others. This is hands-down, the best sounding Denver we've ever had. It's not a HUGE leap forward from the previous remasters, but it is noticeable. Comparing the 1990 release of Back Home Again with the 2005 edition will reveal startling results. Listen to the new one first, so you can realize how much you hate the 1990 version. As of this writing, the current period of releases is done by the remastering team of Bob Irwin, Vic Anesini, and Andreas Meyer. Vic and Adreas get swiched out on occasion, but Bob Irwin is the produer, and mix-master on every Denver release from 2005 to the present. He is well-known in the music community for having restored much of Columbia's old jazz masters on their Legacy label. As far as this CD set is concerned, the sound is superb. You might have some quibbles about "why didn't they include this song, or that song?" But hey, get over it. The tracks are probably as clean as they are ever going to get. If some new technology comes along for remastering, then they might sound better, but i imagine only marginally. If you are looking for a heaping of JD, but you don't want to throw yourself in with both feet, then get this set. This is the best bang for your buck, with the best sound, and the 2 discs are really packed with music. If you want to go a little deeper, then i highly suggest the 4-disc box set The Country Roads Collection from 1997. Because it's in that 2nd mastering period, the sound is not quite as clean as The Essential, but it's still quite good. Unless you're doing critical listening, the casual listener probaly would not notice a difference. If 2 or 4 discs seem too daunting for you, then the 2004 single-disc Definitive All-Time Greatest Hits is the way to go. It comes with a 4-track bonus disc, with a couple rare tracks, but this one's only about $8 on Amazon. So, there you go...a lesson in JD releases for the serious fan, and a recommendation for fans at each price level. Good luck, and enjoy the music.