DENVER CONCERT MOSTLY SIMPLE, ESCAPIST FARE by Bob Protzman Staff Writer St. Paul Dispatch St. Paul, MN 4/29/75 John Denver, nature lover and popular singer, extolled forests, mountains, running streams, blue skies and backpacking in a nearly two-hour performance in the St. Paul Civic Center Arena Monday night. Playing before a full house of more than 17,100 Denver performed some simple melodies, sun in a limited and undistinguished, and occasionally irritating voice, and dealt almost exclusively with communing with nature. He had an appreciative, but not overwhelmingly responsive, audience. Denver is immensely popular with a certain segment of the population, but with very few music critics. I want to last night's concert - the first time I've seen him perform in four or five years (when he was still living in Edina, a far cry from his present home in Aspen, Colo) - wanting to find answers, or at least a reasonable explanation, for both situations. His popularity, I'm convinced, is derived from the escapist nature of his material and his presentation of it. Singing about his idea of the "good life" in America, with films in the background showing the scenes about which he sings, Denver fills a certain need in all of us to escape the often harsh realities of everyday living. Who wouldn't want to backpack in the Rockies, with dogs and children and lovers and friends along? Who can't appreciate a clear blue sky; cold, clear running streams, multicolored flowers, the smell of charcoal burning steaks on an open fire; majestic mountains; golden wheat fields; the soaring flight of an eagle and a hawk? Well, that's mostly what Denver sings about - with a little mom, children, pets, and apple pie thrown in to make damn sure he touches a nerve of every American who has either experienced or dreams of experiencing those things. The trouble is, those things can be said only so often and only in so many different ways. Therefore, the thoughts and ideas and the words used to express them are often repeated until one things - and correctly "I think I've heard this song before." Should Denver's music be more varied, it would relieve some of the monotony of the cliched lyrics. It isn't and doesn't. I began looking at my watch after about 50 minutes of Muzak-like music with its almost hypnotizing sameness. Even with a full complement of strings, plus some woodwinds and horns added to the five-piece backup ground, the music was unexciting with few exceptions. To make matters worse, what subtle and pretty things were played by the backup musicians or orchestra often were drowned out by Denver's incessant, overly loud strumming of his guitar directly into a microphone. Much of the material is played at the same tempo (an exception was "The Eagle and the Hawk", a rousing, but short, composition that I thought drew the audience's most enthusiastic response), and there are absolutely no instrumental solos, which is a shame when there are such obviously talented musicians on hand. As for Denver's voice....well. It's thin, even raspy. The range is slight, and it's all in the upper register - so much so that Denver seems to be almost shrieking at times instead of singing. He sings much as he talks - in a high-pitched squeal. That again adds to the repetitiousness of the concert. As for presentation, the use of films and still slides could be a nice touch, but like everything else in his show, there's too much of the same thing. I thought after awhile that the extensive use of pictures on a large screen behind the performers was an admission by Denver that his lyrics alone cannot paint the picture desired. He's also saying that his music is more background that foreground, that it doesn't require great concentration. The warmup group, Liberty, was very interesting, and in contrast to Denver, played a tremendous variety of material - blues, swing, country swing, plain old country, and more. The whole show will be repeated - again for a full house - at 8 tonight. ------------------------------------------------------------- Below are some of the reader's responses to the above review: THE READER'S COMMENT JOHN DENVER St. Paul Dispatch St. Paul, Minneapolis 5/8/75 After reading Bob Protzman's article about John Denver's concert in the St. Paul Dispatch I felt that he missed the main point of John's music. I was at his concert on April 28 and though it was fantastic. His songs speak of nature, love, peace and the joy of living. i believe that the honesty and optimism in his songs is wonderful and I am sorry Mr. Protzman could not appreciate this. I'm not sure how Bob Protzman came to the conclusion that John had an "appreciative, but not overwhelmingly responsive audience." Does he call TWO STANDING OVATIONS unresponsive and unappreciative? I left the concert feeling very "high" on life. Judging from the response of the audience, I think they felt the same way. CHRIS GRINDE ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA ------------ As for Denver's so called "cliche" lyrics, your critic obviously didn't listen to the words, probably because he was too busy looking for things to complain about. "And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high. I've seen it raining fire in the sky" is hardly a "foxed or stereotyped expression which has lost its significance through frequent repetition." John Denver's music has a message - to experience life to its fullest before the good life is all gone. If Protzman had listened instead of looking at his watch he would have heard the message. LYNNE MAKER ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA ----------------- Take a look at Rocky Mt. Suite, Rocky Mt. High, Eagle and the Hawk, Annie's Song, Toledo, Ohio and others. They don't have "with a little mom, children, pets and apple pie thrown in." You don't need films. We have some of his songs at home and I got the picture - before I saw the films. KARIN HAMLINE INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN ------------------ I would like to tell Bob Protzman that everything he wrote about John Denver's concert in Tuesday night's paper is not true at all. Maybe to him it was boring and that's because he doesn't have any taste! I know this was the best concert I've ever seen and so do thousands of other people. John always sells out his shows every time he comes here, and that's because everybody really likes him. LINDA MULLER and 36 co-signers ST. PAUL, MN ------------------ Frankly, I was incensed with your reviewer until I remembered that he was only a critic. He is entitled to his opinion - fair enough - but I would drive 400 plus miles round-trip to see it (the concert) again even if there wasn't a dental convention in town. I suggest that he get out of the city and see what the blue sky, clean air and streams, wild life etc. really look like - then he might have more appreciation for Mr. Denver's lyrics. ROBERT C. BEATTIE D.D.S. CLINTON, MN ----------------------- We do not like what Bob Protzman had to say about John Denver. His music is just beautiful to us; and I'm sure everyone else would think so. He cut him down so much. I'd like to.......well, I'm not going to do it because we are not that kind of people! SUSAN OLSON JULIE EASTEP CHERYL LAHR ST. PAUL, MN --------------------- Just because John isn't up there making a fool of himself like some of these other so-called singers, you have to put him down. John is just about the only singer I can think of who writes about the good life, and not war, violence, sex or dope. Or, just maybe, the critic is the kind of person who enjoys these things. If so, it is not John Denver who has a problem - it is him. VALERIE PARKER ST. PAUL, MN -------------------- My husband and I attended the Tuesday evening concert and we have not enjoyed a concert such as his in years. We're in the old age group 30's but still can appreciate a performance well done. I cannot say enough for him and his music. It is easy going, gets you involved. I wish there were a few more like John concerned about our environment and bringing it out in music. More power to him and, as John Denver would say "Far Out." MRS. ROBERT NICKSON MAPLEWOOD, MN Above are selections from some of the many letters we received about the John Denver concerts. Thanks to all who wrote; we will not be printing more. - The Editor