Back Home Again

As the 1970s progressed, John Denver slowly moved away from the melancholy folk-singer mode that characterized his early albums and towards a brighter, more country-inflected sound. BACK HOME AGAIN crystallizes the latter phase, and consequently proved one of Denver's most commercially successful albums. In large part, this has to do with the fine batch of songs here, which includes the warm, comforting title track; the lazy, lilting "Cool an' Green an' Shady;" and the sprightly "Grandma's Feather Bed," which almost demands a group sing-along.As usual, however, Denver slips in some affectingly pensive unaccompanied moments. The tender "Sweet Surrender" and "This Old Guitar," a heartfelt tribute to his primary instrument, are among the finest tunes on BACK HOME AGAIN. But the record also contains the knee-slapping, full-band hoedown "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and the highly romantic, string-sweetened ballad "Annie's Song," which became one of Denver's biggest hits. With its balance o