What can you say about John Denver? As one of pop music's five all-time best-selling artists and a tireless ambassador of peace and goodwill, the beauty and inspiration of Christmas like a Lullaby should come as no surprise. The title cut, with words and music by Denver, is the prelude to a dozen songs, both familiar and more obscure, that capture and intimately convey the spirit of the holiday season. The supporting cast of musicians is no less than sensational, with Glen D. Hardin, Jerry Scheff, Jim Horn and James Burton adding the instrumentation that makes it work so well. ~ Backroads Music/Heartbeats, All Music Guide
If John Denver hadn't tragically died in a plane crash, it's unlikely that Celebration of Life/The Last Recordings would have been celebrated upon its release. Nevertheless, he did die, and Celebration of Life was tagged with the subtitle The Last Recordings, as if this was a special recording. If you discount its historical standing as Denver's last recording, the album isn't particularly noteworthy. It simply offers 12 songs, mostly hits like "Dreamland Express," "Rocky Mountain High," "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Sunshine on My Shoulders" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane," in pretty good live versions, which may be enough for dedicated fans to remember him by. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Released during the final year of his life, John Denver's Live includes such perennials as "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," "Annie's Song" and "Rocky Mountain High." ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide