Higher Ground

by Backroads Music/HeartbeatsBesides being one of the five best-selling artists of all time, John Denver has a knack for combining seemingly dissimilar pieces into an attractive whole. Higher Ground, recently reissued by American Gramaphone, is a strong and diverse effort which ranges from touching love songs such as "Never a Doubt" and inspiring ballads like "All This Joy" to the countryfied "Home Grown Tomatoes" and the didgeridoo-laced sounds of "Sing Australia," one of the only places where you'll find references to Crocodile Dundee and Dreamtime experiences in the same place. Denver may be corny, but he sure is effective in doing what he loves.