Poems, Prayers and Promises is a 1971 RCA Records studio album (LSP-4499) by John Denver, his fourth LP, produced by Milton Okun and the record that established him as a major commercial artist. The album features Richard Kniss on bass, Eric Weissberg — later famous for "Dueling Banjos" — on banjo and pedal steel, Frank Owens on piano, Gary Chester on drums, and Bill Danoff on backing vocals. Its lead track, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" — co-written with Danoff and Taffy Nivert — reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Denver's first major hit and an enduring American vernacular classic. "Sunshine on My Shoulders" also debuted here, cementing the album as the foundational statement of Denver's folk-country persona.
Tracklist
- 1 Poems, Prayers and Promises 4:08
- 2 Let It Be 3:41
- 3 My Sweet Lady 4:27
- 4 Wooden Indian 1:42
- 5 Junk 1:46
- 6 Gospel Changes 3:30
- 7 Take Me Home, Country Roads alt version 3:13
- 8 I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado 2:10
- 9 Sunshine On My Shoulders 5:16
- 10 Around and Around 2:22
- 11 Fire and Rain 3:48
- 12 The Box 2:48
