I first heard this album in 1982 when I really fell in love with John's music. I was 19 then, and even though I had liked his music as a kid, it wasn't till that year when I really got into all of his music. His career was on the wane but that was a reflection of the changing tide of the music scene as a business, not on John as an artist. This is one of his best works. So it saddened me to learn that this album did not recieve the comercial success that it deserved.
Even John's attempt at a song with a disco theme "Dancing With The Mountains" comes off as authentic with out being glitzy. But the best songs on the album, in my opinion, are the songs dealing with Alaska. John was not just a troubadour for Colorado, but for anywhere man was abusing nature. Alaska was his home away from home. "Whalebones & Crosses" is simply a masterpiece. Musically it is complex, not to be tackled by an acoustic guitar alone. It has mulitple key changes and vocally it challenges a singer in a way only John could meet. John re-recorded "Wrangell Mountain Song" from the "Spirit" albulm and I don't think this version is a as good as the other. But it is still a great song. His cover of David Mallett's tune "The Ballad of St Anne's Reel" is a stand out. You will be transported to that "tiny little town on fair Prince Edward Isle" and the signature fiddle playing that graces the song between the verses will stay with you long after the song is over. One of the bonus tracks "On The Wings of An Eagle" is a personal favorite of mine. It fits with the theme of the Album. Why RCA or John left it off the LP in 1980 leaves me scratching my head wondering. One negative remark is the other bonus track, "Dance Little Jean". The Dirt Bands version is more energetic and polished. John's version seems tired and lack-lusterd and like he was only going through the motions on this one.
One last note, and it is just personal whim of mine, I think this album is mistitled. The album was intended to be John's signature to the people, he hated signing autographs - too impersonal. But the tittle track is ok, and thats it - just ok. The song "American Child" is a more powerful piece and signifies what this album is about, and therefore, I think that would be a more appropriate tittle for this CD.