This collection from Madacy plays like a little brother to 2007's RCA/Legacy compilation Essential John Denver. A two-disc set, Essential (just one word) includes almost all of the big hits like "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Rocky Mountain High," "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," "Annie's Song," and "Calypso" (where is "Grandma's Feather Bed"?), but at 24 tracks to ESD's 36, it's not hard to figure out which sibling has the upper hand. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide