2017 was an awful year. Politics is at an all-time low, a string of terrorist attacks all over the world, Bullshit Justice gaining more & more ground, awesome celebrities & musicians dying, and plenty of other awful stuff just seemingly hitting the fan on a day to day basis. Not wanting to end my posts for 2017 on a serious note, I decided to take a page out of something more pure & innocent. Something that, shockingly enough, doesn’t come from the world of Heavy Metal. This time around, we’re going into the realm of Folk music to end this year on, and I could think of only one man.....John Denver.
That’s right, John Denver! From 1966 to 1997, this shining example of humanity has crafted some of the most kindhearted & emotional music ever put to vinyl, cassette, and CD. Even after his death, the legacy that John Denver created hasn’t died out even just over 20 years after he left this earth. I admit that I never appreciated his music back when I was young, but there was one album of his that always came out around the holidays. One album that’s stayed with me, and one I plan to share with anyone who’s interested. Today, I happen to be sharing it with all of you. So, let’s don our Christmas/Holiday hats, grab a nice cup of cocoa, and enjoy John Denver And The Muppets: A Christmas Together. Let’s begin!
Background
Taken from Wikipedia:
“Better known is the soundtrack album of the same name, which featured 13 tracks of traditional Christmas carols and original songs. This album, originally released on RCA Records in October 1979, was re-released on Denver's own Windstar label in 2000 as an abridged ten-track version; the original full-length CD was subsequently re-released in its entirety in 2006. (The previously missing tracks are "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "When the River Meets the Sea", and "Little Saint Nick".) All releases of the album contain a different recording of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" than that featured in the TV special, along with their rendition of "Christmas Is Coming".
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and "A Baby Just Like You" was released as a red vinyl 45 rpm single (RCA PB-11767), while "The Peace Carol", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and "Deck the Halls" were issued on a radio-only promo single (RCA PB-9463).
A sheet music edition was also released containing most of the songs and musical scores from the special.”
Basic Description
Simply wonderful.
I admit I’ve never been much of a folk music fan, much less a John Denver fan. That last bit sounds like blasphemy to some of you, and I’m not going to disagree. However, this album has been with me since I was little, and it’s never left me. When I was very young I never fully understood the meaning of some of these songs, and it wasn’t until I was much older that I was finally able to comprehend what was on this record. Even when I wasn’t able to understand, John Denver’s voice was so soothing, and the Muppets always made me laugh even then. It’s obvious that the Christmas spirit is on here, especially when you consider that John Denver has done a lot of this kind of music before. This album always pops up when me & the folks are decorating the tree, and after getting a copy from them a few years, I’ll be carrying it with me until the day I die.
Best Track
This is a legitimately difficult choice. There’s such an incredible amount of love & care put into every song, that picking even a single song is a herculean task. Instead, I’ll go with my favorite tracks, which were much easier to pick out (Though still difficult). For me, my favorite songs are a 4-way tie between their take on the 12 Days of Christmas, the ode to 50s era rock with Little Saint Nick, the heartwarming medley about Alfie, and a humorous version of We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Though every song is worth your time to listen to, these happen to be my favorite out of the bunch.
12 Days of Christmas
Little Saint Nick
Medley: Alfie the Christmas Tree / Carol for a Christmas Tree / It's in Every One of Us
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Worst Track
Nothing on this album is bad. At all. The combination of John Denver’s folk music style, with the lighthearted humor of the Muppets, creates endearing music that has only gotten better as it’s aged. If there was any fault to be had, it would be how long it lasts. Only 2 tracks last for 4-something minutes and 3-something minutes, everything else ranges from 1 to 2-something minutes. It’s weird that each song is so endearing, when so many don’t play for a healthy length of time. All in all, this album plays for just over a half-hour. Just about 35 minutes to be exact. At the same time, the special was about an hour (Just shy of 50 minutes to be honest), so I can’t completely complain.
Other
If you’re curious about this album, click on the link below.
John Denver And The Muppets: A Christmas Together
Overall Impression & Rating
John Denver And The Muppets: A Christmas Together is an immortal Christmas classic. John Denver was always a kind & loving individual, and the Muppets were kind of in the same boat. Put these two forces together, and magic is practically guaranteed. Sure some of the songs might not play for long, but the emotion & memories they create more than make up for this. Do yourself a favor, and pick this album up. I’ll be willing to bet that you’ll like it immediately.
John Denver And The Muppets: A Christmas Together gets a 10 out of 10. An important Holiday classic!
So that was my look at an iconic Christmas album sung by John Denver & the iconic Muppets, and also marks the end of my posts for 2017 (Unless something awful happens before the new year and I talk about it.). It’s been an awful year, but we’re all still standing regardless. I look forward to seeing what 2018 has to offer, and I look forward to seeing all of you come January. Until then, have a great holiday, and stay safe.
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Fun Fact: the special that this music comes from has never been released on home video or DVD. From what little I gathered, this wasn’t a Muppet special that had John Denver as a guest, but instead was a John Denver special that happened to have the Muppets on it. If you’re curious about this special’s history, check out the links below. The first is the wikipedia article that goes into some detail, while the second is the special itself. Enjoy
John Denver And The Muppets: A Christmas Together (Wikipedia Article)
John Denver And The Muppets: A Christmas Together (Special)
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