to bodly go where no rhinestone cowboy has gone before

Ever since hearing my daughter sing a mixed up version of "Country Roads" she got from a Japanese animated film, I've had half a mind to plumb the depths of John Denver's catalog to see if there are any lost classics. Then the mere mention of him in a friend's blog set the wheels in motion.

When I was a kid, John Denver was an unstoppable force, he was everywhere - on the radio, on TV, in the movies, on "The Muppet Show" - everywhere. He is the first concept I had of a music star. I recognize that in these times, in the Klingon sense, there is no honor in John Denver, but then neither is there in Star Trek references and I'm weirdly (and likely as temporarily) excited about that too.

Farewell Andromeda (lala) has a delightfully cosmic cowboy title and cover to begin this journey, and while I have to admit that it twinkling and twanging in the background is rather pleasant, it's not yet leading me to proclaim him the Gram-Parsons-you're-afraid-to-love-in-public I want him to be. Oh well, I suspect there will be a load of compromisin' on the road to this horizon.

Here is the lost Christmas classic you can trot out for next year's round of discussions on that particular topic

Please Daddy - John Denver

Here is the scene from Miyazaki's Whisper of the Heart with "Country Roads"


and the trailer for the new Star Trek movie


I'm just sayin', isn't the point of the transporter the fact that the NCC class ships couldn't land and take off in the Earth's atmosphere? Don't look at me like that. YOU KNOW YOU WERE THINKING THE SAME THING!

If the Enterprise has a mission in the Andromeda system, it will all make sense. Science Officer John Denver, report to the bridge!

The reverbed yodelling on "Whiskey Basin Blues" though... That's what space travel really sounds like.

Whiskey Basin Blues - John Den...