Minneapolis Star and Tribune
November 24, 1983

Pushing 40, Denver still Takes life on Upbeat

John Denver, on the brink of 40 - his birthday is New Year's 
Eve - still keeps his mind in the clear, cheerful, optimistic 
air of the mountains he loves. He's no down in the dumps and 
he's nowhere near the slough of despond.

He considers his new album, "It's About Time," his 22nd for 
RCA Records, his best.  His and Annie's divorce was final on 
Halloween.  He's being positive about that.  He thinks more 
than he used to about the threat of nuclear war, but he's 
confident that human beings will make the decisions that will 
prevent it.

Denver stopped in New York on his way from London to Colorado. 
He was in London for a concert at Royal Albert Hall the last 
week in October.

"It was a glorious night" Denver says.  "It's a beautiful hall 
to sing in. It was my first time there.  There was standing 
room only and a lot of people came in to stand.  And I did a 
really good concert."

"I've been doing solo concerts, just me and my guitars, for a 
year.  I performed in 15 countries last year.  I think it's 
the best thing I've ever done on stage.  It comes from my 
heart and the things going on in my life now.  The show has 
had a few little changes, and I put in a new song whenever I 
have it."

As an example of the latter, Denver cites "Wild Montana Skies" 
which is on the new album.  "I was at Harrah's in Tahoe and I 
had this song soing on in my head.  I went up to my room after 
the show and had a light supper and finished the song that 
night and put it right into the show.

"It's like that sometimes. A song comes and totally takes 
over.  You better have nothing else going on; it's going to 
take over your life."

In 1981, while Denver was on a five week vacation in China 
after performing in Japan, he wrote "Shanghai Nights."  
.....(Editorial note - The title is actually "Shanghai 
Breezes.")

"I'd been there five days" he recalls.  "I called Annie to 
wish her happy 14th anniversary.  She was ending the day back 
in the U.S.  She thought I'd forgotten.  I was just getting 
up."

"Some people were taking me sightseeing and shopping that day 
but the song started happening in my head and it was like I 
was in another world.  I told them they'd have to excuse me.  
I spent the day writing that song."

Denver and Annie have now been separated a year and a half, 
the two children with her.  "I talked to her this morning.  
We're really in great shape with each other and going to be 
able to sustain a relationship out of this" he said.  "It has 
a changed form.  There's a whole lot of sadness, I think, for 
both of us.  But it is going to be good."

Denver played 21 outdoor concerts in July in America, himself 
and guitars, his first solo performances since 1967.  "Then i 
got a guitarist and a bass player.  It kept evolving into the 
band I've had the past five or six years, which is on the new 
album.

"I had a sense everybody was more and more going out with big 
productions and thought, how can i make it as simple as 
possible?"

"World Game" on "It's About Time," Denver says, "is out of a 
concept of Buckminster Fuller's describing what we're trying 
to learn how to play if we're going to survive."  The title 
song, he says, "is how I feel part of the human family."

"We have to start living that way. Life has always been about 
survival, you or me, and when it gets down to it, me first.  
Throughout history change in society has generally come out of 
revolution and violence.  I don't negate history but we live 
in a new world now.  There are new options.  "Now, if this is 
the last barrel of oil, I have a better chance of surviving by 
sharing it with you than trying to keep it from you.  Now, 
peace is a conscious choice.  I have great confidence in 
people to make a choice when the options are clear.

"Part of what I'm doing through my music is putting the new 
options out there.



Copyright 1983 Minneapolis Star and Tribune