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CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
CREEDENCE
CLEARWATER REVIVAL (1968)
RATING: 7
PLAY THESE: I PUT A SPELL ON YOU, SUZIE Q, WALK ON THE WATER
SKIP THESE: GLOOMY
Gotta love Creedence! They're quite possibly my favorite American classic rock band of all-time, although I must admit that up until this point I'd only heard a few of their best-of compilation albums. As a result, I guess I'll soon find out whether I agree with the common (but far from universally-held) perception that these guys were primarily a singles band.....The band's sound has sometimes been described as "swamp rock," which is essentially a mix between Stax R & B, rockabilly, blues, and a subtle dose of psychedelia. Lyrically they tend to focus on classic "Americana" themes, as well as on many of the social concerns dominating the American socio-political scene in the late 1960's/early 1970's.
The most famous band member, of course, is John Fogarty, whose abrasive Little Richard-influenced yowl is one of the most distinctive feature voices in rock history. Since he also wrote most of the songs and played lead guitar, John is undoubtedly the focal point of the group, but the other band members also played vital roles in Creedence. I've always loved drummer Doug Clifford's ramshackle, loose style of skin bashing, and even though you don't necessarily notice bassist Stu Cook's simplistic playing that often, he's an important component of the band's rhythm section. These guys really knew how to lay down a groove, that's for sure. Tom Fogarty was no slouch on the rhythm guitar either, and is often overlooked in that regard by many fans and music critics alike. A great band - one of the best ever, if you ask me.
As for the first album, what we have here is essentially a young pub band just starting to find its feet. Of course, CCR is already miles ahead of most of the faceless, nameless bands that littered the American music scene during the late 60's, but when pared down to essentials Creedence is basically still a covers band at this point. Indeed, it is telling that the two strongest tracks on the album are covers ('I Put A Spell On You' and 'Suzie Q'), and that all of the rest of the songs are basically three-chord bar-room blues rock, with a bit of R & B thrown in for good measure (I do like the cover of Wilson Picket's 'Ninety Nine and a Half' quite a lot though). In truth, John's songwriting is still developing, so there aren't really any knock-out originals to be found, although the infectious proletarian blues rock of 'Working Man' and the depressing 'Walking On The Water' are fairly impressive in their own way. On the down side, the faux-Stax 'Porterville' is a bit annoying (I don't know why, but the backing harmony vocals reminds me a lot of The Who), and the druggy, draggy 'Gloomy' is just plain bad, although I do like backwards guitar bit.
The boys do get the psychedelic thing just right on 'I Put A Spell On You' though - John's chunky-but-stinging guitar tone alone is worth the price of admission, and his gut wrenching vocals are riveting, to say the least. The "groovy" cover of 'Suzie Q' is almost as good, although I must say that at eight-and-a-half minutes it could have benefited from one or two fewer guitar solos. Still, it's a classic track, and it sure as heck beats the pants of The Rolling Stones' overrated limp-wrist version.
When all is said and done, this album isn't quite a classic, but the two aforementioned classics are among the best things the band ever recorded. It won't change your world, but this album is a pretty solid debut, and there are a few minor gems to be found if you're curious enough to check them out.
RATING: 8
PLAY THESE: BORN ON A BAYOU, BOOTLEG, PROUD MARY
SKIP THESE: GRAVEYARD TRAIN
Sophomore slump? Not a chance. Bayou Country delivers the goods on nearly all fronts, and as such it's pretty hard not to love just about everything about this album. The most important aspect of Bayou Country, though, is the emergence of John Fogarty as a top-notch songwriter, as the singer/guitarist was able to come up with an album's full of impressive material. There's only one dud to be found ('Graveyard Train'), and the group only has to draw upon one cover tune in order to pad the record ('Good Golly Missy Molly'), but the latter tune is such a rollicking performance that it really doesn't matter that it's technically filler.
Unlike the first album, the best two songs are both Fogarty originals, both of which rank among the best in rock music history: 'Born On The Bayou' and 'Proud Mary.' Both songs employ a semi-narrative "Americana" lyrical style that would become Fogarty's bread and butter of the years, and both feature the classic CCR southern "swamp rock" sound that everyone knows and loves. 'Born On The Bayou' is the "swampiest" of the two tracks, with a dark, primal sound and sensual groove propelling the song to untold sonic heights. It's also got a standout vocal performance from John - great stuff. The song seems to be a vague anti-Vietnam protest, but the "all-American" reference to being "born on the fourth of July" was probably enough for the track to get past the censors.
Meanwhile, 'Proud Mary' has a more country/Stax thing going on, but it too carries the blueprint for CCR's future music. The track chugs along nicely, but once again the lyrics are what make the song, as Fogarty tells the tale of a city slicker who quits his job to ride a paddle-wheel steamboat along the Mississippi. The words match the mood of the music to a tee, to the point where you can actually smell the (polluted) river water, and feel the gators nipping at your toes. It's the perfect song - no doubt about it.
The other Fogarty originals aren't quite as gripping as the two aforementioned songs, but there are some other worthwhile tracks to be found. The good time rockin' 'Penthouse Pauper' is sure to get your feet moving, and the acoustic-guitar driven 'Bootleg' is a great country/rock track that deserves better than its obscure status would suggest. The only major qualm I have is with the way-too-long Fogarty composition 'Graveyard,' which seems to be attempting to recreate the hypnotic groove of 'Suzie Q' but falls way short of the mark. It is essentially just a simple five note riff stretched over nearly nine minutes, with no dynamics to speak of, and none of the manic guitar soloing that such an "epic" would normally require. Still, it doesn't come close to blemishing this fine second album, which is essentially a coming out party for John Fogarty. A classic album, and one that I plan to revisit often.
RATING: 10+
PLAY THESE: GREEN RIVER, WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE, BAD MOON RISING, LODI
SKIP THESE: NONE
I had been been debating it over the past few days, but I have finally come to a decision: I'm giving Green River a coveted 10+ rating. It's really that good. I mean, it's almost a CCR best-of collection in its own right, as half-a-dozen or so of the tracks have become staples on Creedence compilations. A few of the standout tracks on Bayou Country had hinted at CCR's future greatness, but Green River is the point where you can confidently say that Creedence found its own musical niche.
Gone are the overlong jams and the cover tunes (well, OK, they do cover the R&B classic 'Night and Day,' but it rocks), and in their place are eight super-duper Fogarty compositions that prove he is one of the greatest American songwriters of all-time. I especially like the fact that even though all of the tracks have the signature CCR sound, none of the tracks sound alike. Whether it's the crunching guitars of 'Green River,' the barroom stomp of 'Tombstone Shadow,' or the searing electric blues of 'Commotion,' every note on this album is interesting. True, CCR doesn't break any new musical ground here, and the band stubbornly clings to its basic two guitars/ bass/ drums formula on every single song, but the quality of the songs and the emotive quality of the performances renders these criticisms meaningless.
John Fogarty's storytelling abilities have become even more impressive, as evidenced by the great narratives on tracks like the 'Lodi,' in which Fogarty tells the depressing tale of a lousy pub band playing dives, set to a laid back country-rock shuffle. Other standout tracks include 'Wrote A Song For Everyone,' which serves as the template for a slew of future CCR ballads. My personal favorite, though, has got to be the almost criminally catchy 'Bad Moon Rising,' a jaunty little blues-rock tune married to "doom and gloom" lyrics that predict an impending disaster (e.g. "hope you've got your things together/ hope you're quite prepared to die"). In fact, much of the album has a feeling of unease about it, whether it's the dark humor of 'Tombstone Shadow,' or else the depressing 'Sinister Purpose,' which has a rather self-explanatory title.
In the end, Green River is a huge step forward for the band, and remains one of the greatest albums of its era. CCR were never innovators, but why experiment when you're the ultimate pub rock band?
WILLY
AND THE POOR BOYS (1969)
RATING: 10
PLAY THESE: DOWN ON THE CORNER, IT CAME OUT OF THE SKY, FORTUNATE SON
SKIP THESE: NONE
Well, this is certainly a stellar album, even if it slightly inferior to Green River. There are a couple of bluesy instrumental jams ('Poorboy Shuffle' and 'Side 'o the Road'), and a couple of covers of traditional Southern tunes ('Cotton Fields' and 'Midnight Special'), which indicates the band was experiencing a bit of difficulty coming up with an entire album's worth of material. If I were picky, I would call them filler, but the instrumentals are salvaged by John Fogarty's stinging guitar tone, and both of the covers are freakishly enjoyable. Plus, this is Creedence's third album in the year 1969, and the fourth in less than a year and a half, so I guess we have to cut them a break!
The album also signals a slight but perceptible change in sound for the group. Apart from the gloomy 'Effigy,' Willy and the Poor Boys features a much brighter, happier sound than the dark, sinister Green River, and it seems to work quite well. I mean, what's not to like about the infectious, good-time hoedown party tune 'Down On The Corner,' or the joyous three chord guitar-chug of 'It Came Out Of The Sky,' one of Fogarty's most underrated compositions?
However, it's not all smiles and chuckles here. The band taps into the turbulence of Vietnam War-era America with 'Fortunate Son,' which puts a twist on John F. Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for you" speech by boldly thumbing its nose at the American establishment (e.g. "and they ask you how much should you give/ and the answers only more, more ,more, MORE!"). In so doing, John Fogarty was speaking for the millions of young Americans who weren't "no Senator's son," and whose parents couldn't afford to buy them out of the draft. The fact that the song happens to be one of the most rockin' tunes in music history also helps its cause, and again the guitar riff/tone and John's fiery vocals make it a sure-fire classic. If ever there was a song that explained what CCR were really about, this would be it.
But there are other great moments as well. If you're in the mood for finding a great obscure CCR song then look no further than the R&B powerhouse 'Feelin Blue,' which is one of the band's catchiest and grooviest tunes, and the rockabilly 'Don't Look Now' is a standout track in its own right. In summary, Willy and the Poor Boys is an extremely enjoyable album, and by all rights should lay to rest an accusations that CCR was merely a "singles band." Ten out of ten.
RATING: 9
PLAY THESE: LOOKIN' OUT MY BACK DOOR, WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN, I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
SKIP THESE: RAMBLE TAMBLE, OOBY DOOBY
Well, this is another excellent album. It spawned no fewer than six Billboard Top 40 singles, and to suggest that CCR were on an impressive commercial and artistic high would be a gigantic underatement, to say the least. The only problem is that the other five songs aren't really up the high standard set on CCR's previous two albums. We get another four covers, and of these the only truly great cut is the group's eleven-minute jam on 'I Heard It Through The Gravevine,' although I suppose the version of Bo Diddley's 'Before You Accuse Me' is quite good as well. The retarded cover of the appalling 'Ooby Dooby' is as painful as the title would suggest, and Arthur Cradup's 'My Baby Left Me' sounds too much like Elvis' 'That's Alright (Mama)' to be truly gripping.
That being said, the rest of the Fogarty originals are just as good as ever, with the California country shuffle of 'Lookin' Out My Back Door' leading the pack in terms of catchiness and pure joyous energy. The subtle anti-Vietnam protest song 'Run Through The Jungle' is also excellent, with a dark, sinister sound harkening back to the band's Green River era. Fogarty's growl sounds downright spooky, and the pagan beat certainly conjures up images of US soldiers fighting a demoralizing guerilla enemy in the jungles of southeast Asia. Fogarty also pulls a couple of memorable ballads out of his hat as well, as both the emotional 'Who Will Stop The Rain' and the gospel-influenced 'Long As I Can See The Light' are among the best singles the band ever put out - and the still rock hard. If you want rock 'n roll excellence, you can choose from either the melodic-but-tough 'Up Around The Bend,' or else the fast 'n furious 'Travellin' Band,' which sounds almost like a novelty single in some respects. At any rate, it's very catchy, so I'm not going to complain too much.
What's left to say? Another winner from CCR, although there are a more than a few hints the band was on a slow downward slide. Nine out of ten
RATING: 7
PLAY THESE: PAGAN BABY, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN, IT'S JUST A THOUGHT
SKIP THESE: MOLINA, RUDE AWAKENING NO. 2
Heralding a significant change in musical direction for the band, Pendulum sees Creedence Clearwater Revival get into experimental mode for the first time. OK, OK, it's not exactly the second coming of Frank Zappa or anything, but the group definitely makes an effort to broaden its sound, as instruments like organs and horn sections make an appearance on a CCR album for the first time. The results are mostly good, although a few of the tracks fall flat. The nearly prog-like instrumental 'Rude Awakening No. 2' is unspeakably dull, and the overall sound on many other tracks is a little bit too tame for my liking. Also, whoever is responsible for the amateur-sounding horn arrangements on some of the songs - such as the otherwise great 'Chameleon' - needs to be shot. They don't even sound like horns, dag nammit! I also find the generic fast rocker 'Molina' to be quite irritating, even if it does have some energy going for it. To me, it's just one of those songs that sounds like it was thrown together in about thirty minutes - and not in a spontaneous, inspired kind of way, either.
Still, there are some winners on the album. The ferocious 'Pagan Baby' rocks like the CCR of old, right down to John Fogarty's abrasive guitar and the loose ramshackle rhythm section - it's the last truly great CCR rocker. Also recommendable is 'Hey Tonight,' which features an ear-catching guitar riff and classic neck-vein-popping vocals from John. If you're in the mood for another one of those great CCR ballads then look no further than 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain,' a fantastic track played with more passion than most bands could ever hope to muster. I'm not sure why I always notice the marvelous bass guitar line on this one - it's deceptively simple, but it really holds the track together quite well. Well done, Mr. Cook, sir! The slow burning, organ-driven groove rocker 'It's Just A Thought' is also quite good, and with some louder guitars 'Born To Move' could have been a classic.
Overall, this album is quite good. It's appeal isn't as immediate as most of CCR's other albums, but it's merits become more apparent with each successive listen. Give it a chance, and you'll be rewarded in the long run. Seven out of ten.
RATING: 3
PLAY THESE: SOMEDAY NEVER COMES, SWEET HITCHHIKER
SKIP THESE: TEARIN' UP THE COUNTRY, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?, SAIL AWAY
It's never a pleasant experience to watch a great band implode before your very eyes, but CCR's pathetic final record, Pendulum, may be the very worst example of a group not knowing when to call it a day. Rhythm guitarist Tom Fogarty flew the coup before this album was recorded (due to ego clashes with his brother John), and CCR unwisely decided to continue as a trio. This may not have been such a bad move in and of itself, but the remaining three band members also decided to divide songwriting/singing duties equally amongst themselves for the first time - with tragically pathetic results. Drummer Doug Clifford and bassist Stu Cook are below average in terms of their singing abilities, and neither of them have the natural talent and/or practice required to compete with John Fogarty's stellar songwriting.
It remains unclear as to why CCR decided to democratize at this critical juncture - Cook and Clifford claim that Fogarty was creatively spent, while Fogarty says he was tired of fighting the others for control of the band and simply let them have their way - but regardless of this the end result is awful. The tracks still kind of sound like CCR, but they come off sounding more like a crappy pub band than the mighty Creedence of yore. Worst of the bunch is Clifford's moronic country-influenced ditty 'Tearin' Up The Country,' although I suppose 'What Are You Gonna Do' takes the cake in terms of being the purest generic, corny drivel you could ever imagine. Put it to you this way, there aren't very many times when I prefer my crappy singing voice to somebody else's, but this is one of them. Atrocious.
Unfortunately, the problems don't end here. John Fogarty isn't exactly on top of his game, contributing only two songs that even come close to matching his previous output (those two being the heartfelt ballad 'Someday Never Comes' and the classic CCR rocker 'Sweet Hitchhiker'), while the mellow-to-the-point-of-boring 'Lookin' For A Reason' absolutely screams "outtake." The only other Fogarty moment is the lame, off-the-cuff cover of 'Hello Mary Lou,' which isn't horrible per say, but aims far too low by the usual Fogarty standards.
In the end, this is a poor way for CCR to close their illustrious career, and one can only feel grateful that this is their last album. Perhaps the band had lost all of its creative spark, or maybe John intentionally sabotaged the band's career by letting the lunatics take over the asylum, but regardless of the reasoning behind it, Mardi Gras stinks.