Daniel Reviews...
John Fogerty
Released: 1975
Rating: 7/10
Track Listing: 1. Rockin’ All Over The World/ 2. You Rascal You/ 3. The Wall/ 4. Travelin’ High/ 5. Lonely Teardrops/ 6. Almost Saturday Night/ 7. Where The River River Flows/ 8. Sea Cruise/ 9. Dream/Song/ 10. Flyin’ Away
Fogerty slowed down after the break-up of Creedence Clearwater Revival and recorded albums at a slower pace. Probably partly because the battle with his previous band members and friends was taking its toll, as well as slowly drifting into serious problems with various substances. However, in the mid 70’s Fogerty’s personal weariness and confusion was yet to have any effect on the music.
The album blends John’s own, signature writing with covers of older tracks, leaning more towards the mid-60’s soul music. Motown meets the rawer southern soul, sort of. The sound is rough and lands somewhere between the first CCR-album and Pendulum. Whilst all the songs sounds good and the writing is consistent and well over the average, the album generally feels a bit forced. As if there’s been too much of a struggle recording the songs, rather than a natural, easy feeling. With some exceptions. The opening Rockin’ All Over The World is a classic, although most people probably only knows the much cleaner cover-version by Status Quo. Almost Saturday Night is a typical Fogerty-single, an updated version of Hey Tonight and Up Around The Bend, one could claim. Then there’s The Wall which brings back the sounds of Run Through The Jungle and it’s great with its raw attitude, cool guitar playing and, of course, the “swamp”-vocals.
Also successful is the soulful “Where The River Flows”, which has something timeless and classy about it. One of those old standard songs that people just can’t write anymore, and haven’t tried in the last 60 years. There’s blues, gospel, and spiritual, it is a nearly hymn-like song. Fogerty does it very well. The covers are also pleasant, but pales in the light of Fogerty’s original writing. There’s not a single bad track on the album, unfortunately, the highlights aren’t that many either, even if there are some good, enjoyable moments. I would have preferred some more guitars, a bit more attitude and less covers. Still, a solid album it is, if hardly essential.
Centerfield
Released: 1985
Rating: 7/10
Track Listing: 1. The Old Man Down The Road/ 2. Rock And Roll Girls/ 3. Big Train (From Memphis)/ 4. I Saw It On T.V./ 5. Mr. Greed/ 6. Searchlight/ 7. Centerfield/ 8. I Can’t Help Myself/ 9. Vanz Kant Danz
After 10 years of absence, Fogerty returned with Centerfield. In the meantime he had continued his fight with CCR and the record company, had one completed album (Hoodoo) rejected for release and also struggled with personal problems. The album sold well, though, and even had a couple of hits. With this release one might figure that things started to turn around for John, but instead it created even more troubles. The quarrels with CCR got blown up, partly because of the opening track, which ended up with John getting sued for plagiarizing himself (he won that fight, though). The album has a fun, easy feeling to it, but beneath the surface there is a darker side. I Saw It On T.V. (featuring the riff from Who’ll Stop The Rain to push his points further) deals with modern American history and current society issues, and there are a couple of tracks that can be directly linked to Fogerty’s own problems since the break-up of his old band. Mr. Greed and Vanz Kant Danz (‘Vanz Kant Danz, but he steals your money’) are nasty hints towards the old record company and his manager, and the title track is both a baseball anthem as well as a personal statement (‘put me in coach, I’m ready to play’).
Fogerty’s voice has changed a little. Getting more nasal and thinner, but is still very strong and confident. Centerfield also sounds refreshingly good overall, far from as dated as it could have been (Eric Clapton, anybody?). Some of the songs recalls CCR (Willy & The Poor Boys). Still, there’s something lacking, although I can’t say exactly what. I originally intended to give this album a 6/10, but because of the depths in the songwriting, I raise the rating one point. Cosmo’s Factory it’s not.
Eye of The Zombie
Released: 1986
Rating: 3/10
Track Listing: 1. Goin’ Back Home/ 2. Eye of The Zombie/ 3. Headlines/ 4. Knockin’ On Your Door/ 5. Change In The Weather/ 6. Violence Is Golden/ 7. Wasn’t That A Woman/ 8. Soda Pop/ 9. Sail Away
For some reason unknown to me, despite the success with Centerfield, John Fogerty decided that it was time to be modern and keep up with the musical evolution. His new album, released only one year after the last one, sees John at his greatest failure as a recording artist. If he only had known that evolution have a way to sort out things in this world. If something is too weak to live during certain conditions, it either develops or change environment, or simple dies out. The dinosaurs, the mammoth, the musical production of the 80’s, etc, etc... The drums sounded somewhat goofy the previous year, but was still tolerable, here the drum sound is way out of line, but still could have been alright if it wasn’t for the bass, guitar and keyboards too. These sounds has died and should remain as dead as dead can be. It’s terribly dated and so tiresome. John probably realized his mistake, because it took him until 1997 to release another album.
At first, the album does not come across being so bad. Actually, it sounds pretty ok. Yes, you can tell it’s from the mid-80’s, but some of the first couple of songs are quite promising, especially the title track. Although somewhat forced, it rocks on pretty well in an updated CCR-ish way and the chorus is catchy. However, as you get further down the track list, things are getting worse and worse. When finally getting to something like Soda Pop you can’t help but wonder what the man was thinking. From the familiar swamp-atmosphere to hideous discotheques in Manhattan or something. Let me tell you something: 80’s disco wasn’t cool. And it’s definitely not cool in the hands of what used to be a master of swamp, voodoo, blues and great storytelling. Violence Is Golden is awful and Soda Pop calls for a vomit-party. Eye of The Zombie is decent, but appears as a masterpiece when put in context.
Headlines probably would have worked better if it had been recorded in any other decade than the 80’s, since it’s a decent rock number, although a minute or two too long. Knockin’ On Your Door is a stab at pure pop, and could have worked if it didn’t suck for four minutes and seventeen seconds. A Change In The Weather is good (featuring some familiar guitar lines from his I Heard It Through The Grapevine-solo), though, but one or two good tracks can’t save this album from being one of the most obvious misfires from a major artist. Sure, McCartney had his blunders in the 80’s too. The difference is that he was a great pop musician, suddenly making bad pop music. John Fogerty was a great blues guy, suddenly making bad pop music. Yes, it might be easier to accept a failure from John, as he moved into slightly new territory, but it is so frustrating not knowing why. There’s simply no reason at all why he even thought it was a good idea to begin with. It doesn’t work. It does not work.
John Fogerty
Blue Moon Swamp
Released: 1997
Rating: 9/10
Track Listing: 1. Southern Streamline/ 2. Hot Rod Heart/ 3. Blue Boy/ 4. Hundred And Ten In The Shade/ 5. Rattlesnake Highway/ 6. Bring It Down To Jelly Roll/ 7. Walking In A Hurricane/ 8. Swamp River Days/ 9. Rambunctious Boy/ 10. Joy of My Life/ 11. Blue Moon Nights/ 12. Bad Bad Boy
A decade later and suddenly it all falls into place. The bitterness is gone, the production tricks too, and back is great, simple and direct songwriting and loads of guitar playing. What could go wrong? Nothing. Sure, the voice still is a far cry from the howling roar on Born On The Bayou, but it’s not bad or anything. Just different. It’s still a damn strong and powerful throat John possesses, finer than most people actually.
Apparently John took some time off from everything. He refused to be bothered with old fights and started concentrating on positive sides of life instead. This new approach certainly is reflected in this new collection of songs. And the classic sound of CCR is all over the album.
What’s most stunning is how much Fogerty’s guitar playing has improved since the last time around. Not that he ever stretches out in lengthy solos or anything, but the album is filled with little fills here and there that are extremely tasteful. The nearly Jimi Hendrix-sounding Rattlesnake Highway being one of the most obvious examples.
The sound is clear and clean, but somehow the album still manage to sound a bit dirty and raw. It’s not an annoying Eagles-album, you know? There’s really nothing to complain about, Blue Moon Swamp is a nearly perfect constructed little album. It’s retro, sure, but somehow feels modern and timeless. The only let down is probably Blue Moon Nights, which is a tad too much country for my taste. No worse than Don’t Look Now from Willy And The Poorboys, though.
Fogerty showed that he still could deliver if he was willing to try and went on tour, which resulted in the live album Premonition. Then he disappeared again. At the time of writing (August, 2004), a new album is supposed to be released in just a month or so. It’ll be interesting to see if he can recreate some of the magic present on Blue Moon Swamp.
Premonition
Released: 1998
Rating: 8/10
Track Listing: 1. Born On The Bayou/ 2. Green River/ 3. Susie Q/ 4. I Put A Spell On You/ 5. Who’ll Stop The Rain/ 6. Premonition/ 7. Almost Saturday Night/ 8. Rockin’ All Over The World/ 9. Joy of My Life/ 10. Down On The Corner/ 11. Centerfield/ 12. Swamp River Days/ 13. Hot Rod Heart/ 14. The Old Man Down The Road/ 15. Bad Moon Rising/ 16. Fortunate Son/ 17. Proud Mary/ 18. Travelin’ Band
The very first (and so far only) Fogerty-solo live album and probably better than his previous live releases with Creedence too. Sure, the backing band is a bit too clean and nice in places, lacking the dirty sounds of CCR on some of the tracks, but Fogerty does a good job as a front man. His guitar playing is hot, especially during the longer solos in Susie Q, The Old Man Down The Road and I Put A Spell On You, but also Green River and Travelin’ Band has gotten a bit rawer and dirty, even if still technically improved. Novices probably won’t be able to tell the difference in the arrangements, but there are some minor changes. Mostly in Fogerty’s own playing. Still, this would probably be considered a note-by-note recreation of the original performances. Fogerty’s voice is just as strong as on Blue Moon Swamp and shows no sign of getting worn out or tired.
The song selection is a bit too predictable here. Only the more recent picks from Blue Moon Swamp is somewhat surprising. Too bad, because when looking at bootlegs and set-lists from the tour, might have been more interesting to hear properly recorded. For instance I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Wrote A Song For Everyone, Working On Building, Long As I Can See The Light among others). Judging from the DVD of the very same show that this CD was taken from, it was recorded in a TV-studio (in Germany, I think) in front of a polite, grown-up audience. The album would probably have suffered better had it been recorded in a real rock club instead. Moreover, whilst the backing band probably are excited to play with the CCR-legend, they are, after all, session musicians. Good and competent, but hardly burning of desire to show the world that they are indeed worth some attention.
Fogerty, however, doing his (as far as I know) first tour performing his old songs, excited about being in the spotlight and eager to play. Especially with his improved guitar playing and to perform his new songs that he obviously is very proud of. Also, the material is strong. I mean, we’re talking about some of the finest songs ever written in the history of pop and rock music. Despite whatever problems there might be, John successfully pulls it off.
Deja Vu All Over Again
Released: 2004
Rating: 6/10
Track Listing: 1. Deja Vu (All Over Again)/ 2. Sugar-Sugar (In My Life)/ 3. She’s Got Baggage/ 4. Radar/ 5. Honey Do/ 6. Nobody’s Here Anymore/ 7. I Will Walk With You/ 8. Rhubarb Pie/ 9. Wicked Old Witch/ 10. In The Garden
You cannot accuse Fogerty of writing complex music and his songs may seem very simple, but the simplicity never came across as banal. From the very first album with Creedence Clearwater Revival to 1997’s Blue Moon Swamp, the songs were always kept simple and enjoyable (except for Eye of The Zombie, which forgot to include the enjoyable-part). Despite being so simple, they sounded great, sophisticated and meaningful. That’s why it is somewhat of a surprise to hear Deja Vu All Over Again. It’s just a decent album, filled with short, lightweight songs. Pretty similar to Paul McCartney’s Ram, but obviously with the Fogerty-stamp. Songs such as Honey Do, Rhubarb Pie and Sugar-Sugar (In My Life) might raise a smile and maybe make the listener tap his foot discretely, but hardly anything more. I do enjoy them, but they are not exactly as hard hitting as Rockin’ All Over The World.
However, when John tries to focus on more serious topics than eating pie and spending the day with his family, he often comes off as a bit clumsy. It is only the Who’ll Stop The Rain?-cousin title track that succeeds. The lyrics and music may be simple and not very deep, but the song works. The lyrics draws understandable comparisons between Americas current international situation to the Gulf War and Vietnam. When John offers his point of view on the American youth today in Nobody’s Here Anymore, he falls flat, though. He appears as very old-fashioned and conservative man as he complains about the kids wasting their lives with all the new technology. Which may be true, for all I know, but it sounds like the groaning and whining from an old man unable to keep up with the modern world. Fittingly enough, the song features Mark Knopfler on guitar. Knopfler himself, often accused of being too cranky. The song sounds a lot like early Dire Straits too, and Fogerty even tries to sing in a similar tone as his guest guitarist.
Although some of the songs are plain bad, as the case is with Nobody’s Here Anymore, or anonymous, like most of the album, there are still room for good songs. The punk-inspired She’s Got Baggage is a good rave up (although still a bit too clean) and the tender I Will Walk With You has some good memorable steel guitar parts. Sugar-Sugar is acoustic country-pop with a nice rhythm and good melody. The album has a warm feeling surrounding it, perhaps a bit too soft around the edges sometimes. A lot of it is based around acoustic guitars and it all sounds good, but rarely interesting. The songs are enjoyable, but fails to stay with the listener when the album has stopped spinning in the CD-player. Unlike his other albums, I’m afraid Deja Vu All Over Again will be nothing but a parenthesis in the career of John Fogerty.