Daniel Reviews...
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Released: 1968
Rating: 8/10
Track Listing: 1. I Put A Spell On You/ 2. The Working Man/ 3. Suzie Q/ 4. Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won’t Do)/ 5. Get Down Woman/ 6. Porterville/ 7. Gloomy/ 8. Walking On The Water
This debut album lacked that trademark songwriting of John Fogerty and the band mostly relied on covers. It is still a very good album. Fogerty’s rough southern-inspired vocals are excellent, his guitar playing deserves the spotlight throughout the album and whilst the songs are extremely down to earth with the roots in classic American blues and R’n’B, there is some production experimentation. Even if not very groundbreaking compared to what groups like The Beatles and The Beach Boys had done years before, it is still very creative. The main single of the album was a cover of Suzie Q and it serves good as an example of the creativity that surrounded these sessions. For instance, the drums are fading in, instead of just banging away right from the start. Then the other instruments comes in. John’s vocals are going from the right to the left speaker after the first solo and then back again, and some distortion on the vocal is added to great effect. Also notice the harmony vocals that pops up out of nowhere. The fantastic guitar runs are also worth paying attention to. On other songs there are some backward guitar lines, but that was becoming a standard effect at the time, just as distorted lead guitars.
There is no denying that John Fogerty is the star, but the other band members does a great job as well. John’s older brother, Tom, plays the rhythm guitar and is most certainly a big source and reason for the sound the group had. A sound that John never managed to recreate on his rarely released solo albums. Doug Clifford on drums and Stu Cook on bass makes a good rhythm section that is tight and steady. Cook and Clifford’s steady beat, Tom Fogerty’s rough and chewing rhythm guitar with John’s vocals and fine lead guitar on top of that, creates a sound that’s swampy, muddy and dirty. And oh so loveable. It’s strange, considering these guys came from San Francisco and sounded like old blues men, meanwhile the other groups from the west were trippy, hip and psychedelic.
Anyway, it is a great debut album by one of the best American bands there was, and it’s very hard to pick out either flaws or high points. However, I feel the desire to mention Walking On The Water. An overlooked song, that deserves more attention than it gets. The scary thing is that Creedence would become even better as John Fogerty grew more confident in his own ability as a songwriter and producer.
Bayou Country
Released: 1969
Rating: 9/10
Track Listing: 1. Born On The Bayou/ 2. Bootleg/ 3. Graveyard Train/ 4. Good Golly Miss Molly/ 5. Penthouse Pauper/ 6. Proud Mary/ 7. Keep On Chooglin’
With the second album, John takes that big step as a songwriter and it looks like he is ready to join the big names. Sure, the songs are still very atmospheric, just as on the debut, but they feel more confident, solid and there seems to be more thought behind them. The hit single, Proud Mary, is known by every man on the planet and if not Creedence’s original version, you’ll know Tina Turner’s cover version. I really like it, but in some ways it added a second dimension to the band. Maybe a less flattering dimension. If you’re not a fan of the group, you will probably know them for songs such as that one and Bad Moon Rising, Looking Out My Back Door and Down On The Corner. Songs which I adore, but whilst there are a lightweight and commercial sound to those, this little Creedence had another side as well. A more serious and respectable side, at least from an elitist's point of view, and they were more than the country pop band that the singles suggested. A band that were in to darker songs, lengthy jams and had more in common with, say, bluesy Led Zeppelin and Cream, rather than Chuck Berry’s Maybelline, even if they never were technically as good instrumentalists as the British bands.
The highlight of the album is the slow Graveyard Train that sets John’s vocals up front. Vocals that sends shivers down your spine. The only cover of the album, Good Golly Miss Molly, that follows might come off as a low point after the fantastic Graveyard Train", but quickly redeems itself thanks to some great guitar playing. Also, Penthouse Pauper is a bit forgotten. Really good guitar playing, but once again it is the vocals that makes the song. The way John sings "and if I were a guitar player, Laawd knows I’d play the blooze" is simply one of the greatest individual musical moments to ever be put on record in 1969.
Bayou Country has a lot of integrity. It has a great atmosphere to it and most of all; great songs. Over time it has sadly been cursed to stand somewhat in the shadow of the more commercial sounding albums in the band’s catalogue.
Green River
Released: 1969
Rating: 8/10
Track Listing: 1. Green River/ 2. Commotion/ 3. Tombstone Shadow/ 4. Wrote A Song For Everyone/ 5. Bad Moon Rising/ 6. Lodi/ 7. Cross-Tie Walker/ 8. Sinister Purpose/ 9. The Night Time Is The Right Time
Green River relies less on atmosphere and long jams, and instead focus on songwriting and melody. The mood of the album is a lot more up-lifting and far from as dark as on Bayou Country. The lyrics has changed as well. Instead of being about myths and swamp legends, they are dealing with melancholy, nostalgia and often social and political stands;
"Saw the people standin' a thousand years in chains
Somebody said it's a-different now; look, it's just the same
Pharaohs spin the message round and round the truth
They could have saved a million people, how can I tell you?"
Those are lines that witness about maturity, bitterness and of course are highly inspired from the Vietnam war that raged out of control at the time. Fogerty would from this point on never be afraid to speak his political ideas, even if maybe a bit more subtle. Even though Fogerty filled his songs with politics, there was room for personal melancholia and boredom as well. “Lodi” is probably highly confessional autobiographic, considering Creedence toured like madmen during this period and worked extremely hard.
This is a very good album, but it suffers from the fillers towards the end. The first half of Green River is flawless and the title track along with “Commotion” will keep you on your toes, whilst you’ll hum along familiarly to “Bad Moon Rising” and “Lodi”. After “Lodi” it’s down hill, though. “Cross-Tie Walker” is inoffensive, but far from essential and the same goes with “Sinister Purpose”. When the only cover on the album, “The Night Time Is The Right Time”, closes the album, you probably stopped paying attention. However, despite these problems, the good songs weighs heavier than the weak moments. Creedence delivers a winner yet again, if not as convincing as the previous albums. The band clearly takes a step towards traditional songwriting and hit single-based albums, rather than making albums that works as a unit. Still, time would show that they could master that approach as well.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Willy & The Poorboys
Released: 1969
Rating: 7/10
Track Listing: 1. Down On The Corner/ 2. It Came Out of The Sky/ 3. Cotton Fields/ 4. Poorboy Shuffle/ 5. Feelin’ Blue/ 6. Fortunate Son/ 7. Don’t Look Now/ 8. The Midnight Special/ 9. Side o’ The Road/ 10. Effigy
On all previous Creedence albums there is a feeling of finding something new and taking a step forward by looking back on roots and influences. They took old blues and country and made something new out of it, something unique. Even though there is not a drastic change in sound on Willy And The Poorboys compared to Green River, it seems like Creedence are paying their dues to their teenage heroes. It feels more like a tribute album to the classic American songbook treasures, rather than just your usual album. An album the group made for themselves, but also at the same time made for the big masses to spread respect, curiosity and an awoken interest for the bluesmen whom risked being forgotten in the new age of acid and flower power.
Willy And The Poorboys seems more bright and happier than any previous CCR-album, and I bet you almost anything that songs such as Feelin’ Blue and the instrumental Side o’ The Road would have been significantly darker and haunting if they had been recorded for the self titled debut, or especially Bayou Country. The only haunting number here is the closing Effigy and also one of the clear highlights. Simple structure, perhaps, but a great melody and the guitar performance is as usual impeccable.
Besides that, this album is usually remembered for the two singles and the pair of covers. The most cheerful song is the feet tapping and catchy Down On The Corner. Lightweight, but effective. The other single was Fortunate Son. If Fogerty had taken a somewhat poetic and metaphorical stand against the Vietnam war and the government on Green River, here he takes everything a step further, to a nearly punk-ish level. Fortunate Son is a clear attack on all American authority and is far from being diplomatic. In some ways, Fortunate Son is the working man’s big "up yours" against the American upper class, military and politicians:
"Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves
But when the tax man comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale.
It ain't me, it ain't me, I'm no millionaire's son
It ain't me, it ain't me, I'm no fortunate one
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
ooh, they send you down to war
And when you ask them: How much should we give?
Oh, they only answer: More, more, more
It ain't me, it ain't me, I'm no military's son.
It ain't me, it ain't me, I'm no fortunate one."
Other than Fortunate Son and mentioned Effigy, the album is, as also mentioned, a lot more cheerful. The two covers are successful, The Midnight Special and Cotton Fields. Two songs that Creedence made their own, and if you ask people I’m pretty sure most of them will believe that Fogerty actually wrote them. I think people with any insight in classic rock and roll connect these two numbers with Creedence, even if they have been frequently covered by other artists as well.
Just as Green River, this album is not perfect, but still leaves a strong impression. Besides the instrumentals (Side ‘o The Road, Poorboy Shuffle), there is not a weak track, but not all of them are as exciting as they could have been.
Cosmo's Factory
Released: 1969
Rating: 9/10
Track Listing: 1. Ramble Tamble/ 2. Before You Accuse Me/ 3. Travelin’ Band/ 4. Ooby Dooby/ 5. Lookin’ Out My Backdoor/ 6. Run Through The Jungle/ 7. Up Around The Bend/ 8. My Baby Left Me/ 9. Who’ll Stop The Rain/ 10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine/ 11. Long As I Can See The Light
After the somewhat shaky Willy And The Poorboys Fogerty brings out the big guns and fires off some of the greatest singles ever written in the history of American rock and roll. They all ended up on Cosmo’s Factory, an album that first was short on material. That would explain why the band recorded the covers, but not why they included them on the final release. The covers (all except Grapevine) seems, just as on the predecessor, to be a tribute to the American music culture. On the last album, blues and gospel was celebrated and this time around it is rockabilly and the greased Elvis Presley hairstyle. Lightweight and jumpy, never biting or affecting is the general feel of the covers, with probably My Baby Left Me being the best of them.
Fogerty’s inspiration came back during the sessions and his original material here stands head and shoulders above the covers. Strong soulful songs (Long As I Can See The Light), some more anti-war songs (Who’ll Stop The Rain, Run Through The Jungle) and catchy rock songs, perfect for the charts (Travelin’ Band, Up Around The Bend). All songs are itching to the subconsciousness in a way only classic songs does. Even the 11-minute cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine is performed with bravura, mostly thanks to the great vocals and excellent guitar playing and the band ends up making the song their own (unlike the previously mentioned rockabilly-covers).
Cosmo’s Factory is the longest album Creedence released, but it’s not justified considering all the covers are filler material (except Grapevine, obviously) and adds nothing to the original versions. It seems silly to point at these minor problems, though, because despite whatever flaws the album might have, the John Fogerty-penned songs makes the positive sides of the album weigh heaviest. Cosmo’s Factory is the most diverse Creedence album and arguably the easiest one to get into (not that the others are difficult). Somebody should hang a sign on this album, reading "quality".
Pendulum
Released: 1970
Rating: 8/10
Track Listing: 1. Pagan Baby/ 2. Sailor’s Lament/ 3. Chameleon/ 4. Have You Ever Seen The Rain?/ 5. (Wish I Could) Hideaway/ 6. Born To Move/ 7. Hey Tonight/ 8. It’s Just A Thought/ 9. Molina/ 10. Rude Awakening #2
On Cosmo’s Factory Fogerty had started to fill out the arrangements with other instruments than just the basic band set-up that had been the foundation for the all the previous albums. On Pendulum he investigates further and with the help of organs, pianos, horn-sections and back-up vocals he creates the most clean and tidy Creedence-album. The sound is polished and the thoughtful and maybe more mature arrangements gives Pendulum a soul-ish feel. It is not too hard imagining Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett doing their own versions of these songs.
Pendulum has been slightly forgotten over the years, probably because the songs never reached the same classic-status as the songs released prior to this collection. There are good songs here though, and whilst the swamp rocking Pagan Baby is a minor classic among Creedence-fans, Have You Ever Seen The Rain? has ‘classic’ tattooed all over it. A nice ballad, that yet again sounds like a protest against the Vietnam war. It was released as a single and it’s B-side, Hey Tonight, is also enjoyable. A heavy rocker that is catchy in the same way as Up Around The Bend from the previous album. Chameleon and Molina are also up-tempo numbers, related to Travelin’ Band, only with a touch of southern soul music.
The true highlight of the album, along with Have You Ever Seen The Rain?, is (Wish I Could) Hideaway. A haunting ballad, which somehow manages to blend the dark atmosphere of Run Through The Jungle with the beauty and spirit of Long As I Can See The Light. Very personal instead of dark mysticism or small town fun that often made up the lyrics of the earlier Creedence songs. It’s Just A Thought is also personal and confessing.
Pendulum shows Creedence exploring new ways and sounds. Even though the album keeps a low profile, it is interesting to watch the band develop and try out new things. The album is based on strong songwriting and solid playing and definitely worth a shot. After all, it was the last great album the band released.
Mardi Gras
Released: 1972
Rating: 3/10
Track Listing: 1. Looking For A Reason/ 2. Take It Like A Friend/ 3. Need Someone To Hold/ 4. Tearin’ Up The Country/ 5. Someday Never Comes/ 6. What Are You Gonna Do/ 7. Sail Away/ 8. Hello Mary Lou/ 9. Door To Door/ 10. Sweet Hitch-Hiker
After a never-ending stream of album releases, it took Creedence two years to come up with this. In the mean time had Tom Fogerty, John’s brother and the rhythm guitarist, decided to jump the ship. What happened after that is unclear. Stu Cook and Doug Clifford claims that Fogerty needed to reload and forced them to write, produce and sing on Mardi Gras, whilst Fogerty keep saying that the two other remaining members demanded to write and that they were tired of Fogerty’s non-democratic leadership. No matter which one of the stories that is correct, we can still see the result. A poorly constructed country album with little to be happy about. Boardering to laughable and down right pathetic in the light of the rest of the band’s catalogue.
Even Fogerty’s own Looking For A Reason seems terribly lame and Cook’s and Clifford’s contributions are even worse. Maybe Clifford’s Need Someone To Hold fares pretty good, but two new songwriters in the band are far from impressive. Therefore it feels good when Fogerty finally rolls up his sleeves and delivers the beautiful and reflecting Someday Never Comes and the hard rocking closer Sweet Hitch-Hiker. Two songs considered as minor Creedence-classics, and in comparison to the other material here, they shine as brightly as the burning bush.
Mardi Gras closed the Creedence studio career and stands as one of the worst albums ever released by an established major group. The troubles within the group and between the members would not stop, though. Cook and Clifford went on to form Creedence Clearwater Revisited between meetings in courtrooms and sueing parties, which basically kept Fogerty away from his artistic work and ruined his solo career. John Fogerty has during the years become one of the world’s most wasted musical talents, even though he randomly put out solo albums, he should have done it on a regularly basis.