Creedence Clearwater Revival-1st Album

Creedence Clearwater Revival

This was the debut album by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It established their highly original sound, which was a lot different than any of the other bands that came out of the San Francisco scene (like CCR did). While they did have their sound down, John Fogerty's songwriting wasn't quite as good as it would later be. It's notable that the two chart singles from the album, "Suzie Q" and "I Put a Spell On You" are covers of songs from the '50s (by two guys named Hawkins who were of no relation to each other). The other cover song on the album was the more recent "Ninety-Nine and a Half" by Wilson Pickett. John Fogerty's original songs are good, but he got ever better as he went along. The best original song on the album, in my opinion, is "Walk on the Water", which Tom Fogerty co-wrote with John. This song actually dates from the pre-Creedence days, when the band was known as the Golliwogs. This is a very good album by CCR, but the best was yet to come.

An interesting aspect of this album is that it shows the development of the band. Three tracks (Spell, Susie Q and 99 ½) are covers, exciting live act staples and honed to the max. Two are self penned blues, Working Man ("don't take me on a Friday Lord, that's when I get paid..." ) bearing resemblance to the slower Penthouse Pauper from Bayou Country, and Get Down Woman, a straight slow blues sung and played well. The final three album tracks which include the first single Porterville, are a hangover from their days as The Golliwogs pop rock unit, similar in parts to The Yardbirds, Electric Prunes and Nuggets' series garage bands. The songs are replete with background vocals, harmonies and psychedelic guitar breaks, but the lyrics portend some dark destiny, later realised more fully in Bad Moon Rising, Run Through the Jungle and Fogerty's solo Old Man down The Road.

CCR-Pendulum

Pendulum

For some reason,a lot of CCR fans dislike PENDULUM .True,it is not as good as COSMO'S FACTORY,GREEN RIVER or WILLY AND THE POOR BOYS;however,I place it ahead of CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL,BAYOU COUNTRY,and MARDI GRAS.By this stage,CCR had more chart success in three years than most band only dream about.John Fogerty wanted to experiment with keyboards and saxaphone(all group members could play more than one instrument).Several styles of rock were played with:reggae(SAILOR'S LAMENT),soul(CHAMELEON,BORN TO MOVE),old rock'n'roll(MOLINA),progressive instrumental rock(RUDE AWAKENING NO.2),and hard boogie rock(HEY TONGHT,PAGAN BABY).The old CCR style was still present,however(HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN,IT'S JUST A THOUGHT and HIDEAWAY).As a result of the experimentation,most critics complained that PENDULUM was a wildly uneven album.I prefer to think of it as a noble musical experiment.Also,as a result of John's perfectionism,Tom Fogerty quit the group not long after PENDULUM's release.This paved the way for CCR as a trio and MARDI GRAS.But that,as they say,is another story.  The major sticking point for most is the departure from the CCR formula into some different kinds of music - most of it kinda Soul-y. John Fogerty, always an underrated musician, had already mastered guitar and drums and was now playing organ and sax.

The opening "Pagan Baby" really rocks out, if you like "Ramble Tamble" from COSMO'S FACTORY you'll love this - Fogerty truly achieves guitar-hero status! Both sides of the then-current 45 ("Hey Tonight" and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" - the latter covered to charming effect by REM in concert back in 1985) are first-rate. There's also some neglected gems like "It's Just a Thought" and "Hideaway". Top notch stuff. Even the villified instrumental "Rude Awakening #2" (where #1?) has a beautiful opening section. I play this more than any other Creedence LP, 'nuff said.

Creedence Clear Water Revival -Biography

Creedence clearwater revival

The Goliwags morphed into Creedence Clearwater Revival, after a friend of a friend of Tom's, Credence Nuball. The first name, with its connotations of believability and integrity, appealed to the group. Clearwater also had two meanings. It came initially from a beer commercial, but also resonated with the burgeoning environmental movement of the time. Revival, however, had one meaning. It was the band's aspiration, that after four years as the Golliwogs, after ten years of playing together, this new change in their fortunes would take the band where they all knew it could go. John would often say, "The most important part was revival."

The newly named band released a single, Porterville, then went into the studio to cut their album. One of the tunes they cut was an extended version of one of their live favorites, Dale Hawkins' "Susie Q." Even before the album was pressed, "Suzy Q" was on the radio. KMPX one of the more popular free-form FM stations in the Bay Area, played tapes the band brought them after the band had supported a DJ strike, playing a benefit concert, and the like. So even before the record came out, it started to generate excitement on the West Coast. They played to a packed house at the LA club The Cheetah. Bill Drake, one of the most powerful people in pop radio at the time, decided he really liked the tune and suggested it to the radio stations that used his services.

At this juncture, though, the band couldn't go too far from home. Doug and John still had to get to reserve camp one weekend a month. This impediment disappeared as they both got discharged from the service at almost the same time. In 1969 the group charted with three separate albums. Their eponymous debut, Creedence Clearwater Revival peaked at #52. Bayou Country peaked at #7, largely on the strength of the monster hit single, "Proud Mary." That tune topped out at #2 on the charts, beginning of a long history of songs by the band that go shut out of the top spot on the chart. The third LP of the year, Green River also hits #7, the song "Bad Moon Rising" peaking at #2.

The band headlined at Woodstock, although by the time they got on, following the Grateful Dead, it was three in the morning. Few people were awake to see them. They didn't want to be in the film because none of them were particularly happy with the performance. They weren't on any of the albums because Cotillion (the label on which the film soundtrack came out) couldn't strike an agreement with Fantasy for release rights on their biggest money maker. Anything CCR, at the height of their fame, came out on Fantasy. (The 1994 Atlantic Records release of the four-CD remastered Woodstock set features 5 Creedence songs from their performance.)

Willy and the Poor Boys, appeared near the beginning of 1970, peaking at #3 on the album charts. The single "Down on the Corner," released late in 1969, foreshadowed the album. The a-side of the singe reaches a chart peak of #3. The flip side, "Fortunate Son," has a chart peak of #14. The album also featured several other notable songs, like a reworking of Leadbelly's "Midnight Special." "It Came Out Of the Sky" showed John's prescience as a songwriter, taking one of the first musical swipes at Ronald Regan. The band toured all over America, mostly playing weekends.

After ten years of struggle, the year and a half of astonishing success started to spawn dissension in the band. Fogerty took the reigns hard. When the band recorded "Down On the Corner," one band member complained, `This isn't rock and roll.' Looking for outside satisfaction, Doug produced a record for Mark Spoelestra. Cosmo's Factory came out in September of 70. The album has a chart peak at #1, both in America and in England, the band's only #1 album over there. "Traveling Band" had already had a chart peak at #2. "Who'll Stop The Rain," the single's B-side, hit #13. One of Fogerty's first public political statements (aside from the gentle jibe in "It Came Out of the Sky,") the song is an allegory about the situation in Vietnam.

When the Beatles announced their break up in the winter of 1970, CCR became the most successful band and the biggest singles act in the world, despite never landing a #1 single. Always very private, the group never became stars personally to befit their status on the pop charts. They sought to change that with the release of Pendulum. Before the album's release, they had a fan type book written. Called "Inside Creedence", the book took about six weeks from the time it was conceived until it was actually published, coincidental with the release of Pendulum. In fact, many copies of the book were sold packaged with the record. The band also made a television special and had a $30,000 press junket to ballyhoo the album. The record shipped a million copies.

There were signs of internal dissension at the junket party. Stu Cook beefed to Rolling Stone about lack of respect he felt the band received. "We're tired of that riff about John Fogerty's back-up band." Tom Fogerty, although one of the instigators of the party, became reticent during the event. He's the only band member not directly quoted in the coverage.

In 1971, Tom left the band. "I started out in this business in 1958 as a stand up singer," he said later. "I got really frustrated at not being able to be everything I wanted to be when I started out�I left because of a falling out between John and I about the music itself and how much I could contribute."

The band decided to continue as not only a trio, but a democracy. Unfortunately, the members all had different ideas about how to democratize the band. The result is Mardi Gras, referred to as the worst record ever made by a major band. After touring Europe as a trio, the band called it a day on October 16, 1972.

Album List

    Creedence Clearwater Revival
    Bayou Country
    Green River
    Willy And The Poorboys
    Cosmo's Factory
    Pendulum
    Mardi Gras
    Creedence Gold
    More Creedence Gold
    Live In Europe
    Chronicle
    The Concert
    Creedence Country
    At The Movies
    Chronicle 2
    Creedence Clearwater Revival [BOX SET]
    Best of Creedence Clearwater Revival
    CCR Medley
    Greatest Hits
    Hot Stuff
    Rollin' on the River
    Ultimate Collection

The Website
http://www.creedence-online.net/

CCR-Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras

Creedence Clearwater Revival released their final album, 'Mardi Gras', four years after thier amazing self-titled debut rocketed them to superstardom. This album, was to be however, their most unique, misunderstood, and unsuccessful effort, commercially. It was however, the group's most ambitious album ever. This record never worked for several reasons: First, founding member, rhythm guitarist (and brother of frontman John)Tom Fogerty had already departed prior to this project; Also, Lead guitarist (and up until this album, the only vocalist)John Fogerty had finally relinquished his "lead man" duties to satisfy the musical urges of the two remaining members. The now trio split the songwriting and vocal duties equally. And finally, the formula of this record was doomed because the overall musical feel on this recording was a little unique for CCR - 1972 country, at a time when country simply wasn't cool. Aside from all that, this album should not be taken too seriously, considering its overall fun attitude and lightheartedness. True, this is definitely CCR's worst album, but it is a fun listen if you have an open ear. Lead guitarist John Fogerty was the most obvious example of country delvings in his songs. "Looking For A Reason" will probably remain the oddest choice ever by a constantly successful group for an opening track, and probably the weakest. It was pretty clear Fogerty's heart wasn't put into this album, as he was thinking of future ventures. Despite this, two of his four songs were the only tunes on this album to become minimal hits, and it is fair to say that "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" is an EXCELLLENT rock song. It is probably the only sign anywhere on 'Mardi Gras' of past Creedence triumphs. Bassist Stu Cook brought a unique flavor to this album with his songs. His vocals were mediocre at best, but his songwriting was intriguing at worst. Also, his tune "Door To Door", despite its ridiculous lyrics, was a pretty rocking song. Last but not least, drummer Doug Clifford brought the most enthusiasm and effort on this album. His voice was ear friendly, and harmonizes very well on songs like "Need Someone To Hold". Finally, I gave this album for one reason, and one reason only: Despite being CCR's ugly duckling, I gave this album MANY listens trying to like it and eventually, I did. If you are new to Creedence Clearwater Revival's music, this is definitely the worst representation of their musical legacy as a whole is. 'Mardi Gras' probably won't make a new listener a CCR fan, but it is a fun and care-free final album; perhaps the way all swan songs should be

CCR-Boxed Set

Boxed Set

Maybe you're looking at this boxed set of CCR CDs, wondering if you should buy it or instead focus on the "greatest hits" CDs. Or maybe you're thinking of purchasing all of the individual albums in the form of the remastered CDs that were released in 2000 (or if you're like me, you already did.) I'll make the decision easy for you: buy this box. You'll end up a lot happier in the long run.

Here's why:
Creedence Clearwater Revival officially released 7 studio albums and 2 live albums. Of those 9 albums, 8 are exceptional: 8 classic albums that rock, rattle and roll. 8 albums that have no filler. 8 albums that you'll enjoy listening to repeatedly if you're a rock and roll enthusiast. (The ninth album, Mardi Gras, was the last CCR studio album and is neither up to the standards set by the other 8 albums nor is it the worst album ever released by a major band, as originally reviewed by Rolling Stone magazine; the worst I can say about it is that it's average.)

Don't bother with the "greatest hits" CDs. There's too much good stuff left out. For example: `Ramble Tamble' off of Cosmo's Factory and `Effigy' from Willy and the Poor Boys are only two of the classic CCR tracks that don't appear on the compilation CDs. They're just as good as Proud Mary, Bad Moon Rising or any of the other hit singles (the first time I heard `Ramble Tamble,' I couldn't believe my ears.) Even though CCR is considered a singles band, their albums are amazingly cohesive; listening to each album in its entirety and in the original order makes for a more pleasurable experience.

You could buy all of the remastered albums on CD, but that's a bad choice for a few reasons.
1. Live in Europe has yet to be released in remastered form on CD (as of November 2001) and the original CD sounds horrible. You'll get a remastered version only in this boxed set.
2. The rarities: All of disc 1 of this boxed set is devoted to tracks from The Golliwogs and Tommy Fogerty and The Blue Velvets. While not all of these tracks are up to the quality of the later CCR stuff, most of it's great rock and roll. Also you won't get parts 1 and 2 of 45 Revolutions Per Minute outside of this set.
3. The price: Even though this boxed set is a bit pricey, you'll still save over buying the complete set of remastered CDs.

So what's so great about this set? First, you're getting everything (and I do mean everything) in order on 6 CDs. The Pre-Creedence stuff comes first, then all of the albums in their original order, and all of the tracks come just as they did on the original albums. Everything's remastered and sounds terrific. The two live sets are full of energy. The booklet contains many great essays and many great pictures. Honestly, even without the unreleased stuff, this set is exceptional. Just having "everything Creedence" in one spot, sounding so crisp and full, is worth the price of admission.

Bottom line: If you don't have a complete CCR collection already, and can spare the money, BUY THIS SET. You'll end up wanting it in the long run, so you might as well make things easy on yourself and just start here.

CCR- Willie and the poor boys

Willie and the poor boys

Incredible that (not counting "Mardi Gras" which is best forgotten) the period during which CCR ruled the rock universe lasted just over two years. But during that period, they released six excellent albums - four of which (from Bayou Country to Cosmo's Factory) stand among the greatest rock albums ever. That's a feat that's difficult to comprehend in an age when most artists take 2-3 years between releases and are lucky to have three or four really good songs on each.

One of the tricks, of course, is that each of these great albums had 10-12 songs that clocked in at a total time of about 30-35 minutes (someone was paying attention to the Beatles). But, most important, was that these guys played ferocious gutbucket R&R in a period when bands, like fellow Bay Area alumni The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, were taking the youth of America on a totally different trip. And, in that fertile period, "Willy" has to stand out as my favorite.

This was an ALBUM, when that meant something. There is a cohesive feel to this album that works seamlessly. Even "Poorboy Shuffle", a consciously sloppy blues shuffle, works perfectly as a bridge between "Cotton Fields" and "Feelin' Blue". "Down On The Corner" and "Fortunate Son" (which Rolling Stone once deemed the greatest rock song ever) were the (desrvedly) smash hits from this album. Everything else, excepting Effigy, is every bit as good. "It Came Out Of The Sky" may be a bit silly lyrically, but I can't think of a song that gives a better adrenaline rush blasting out of the car stereo. But one of the greatest accomplishments here is that they took a couple of Leadbelly tunes and made them sound as if they were always meant for a group of white boys. This was accomplished while demonstrating the greatest reverence for the music.

CCR kept the flame of roots rock burning brightly, long before the tentacles of corporate rock could prevent music this fresh and exciting from reaching the mainstream.

CCR-Bayou Coutry

Bayou Country

John C. Fogerty is the Huck Finn of rock n' roll (and for as long as he cared to, brother Tom served as his Tom Sawyer foil on rhythm guitar). If Samuel Clemens were alive today, he no doubt would be toe tapping to 'Born On the Bayou' and laughing about Huck "runnin' through the backwoods bare" with his "old hounddog barkin'... chasing down a hoodoo there". And J.C. delivers the vocals on 'Born...' with more gusto than even John Lennon summoned for his gravel-voiced marvel, 'Twist and Shout'.

This to me is the finest CCR album. It doesn't have the most hit songs ('Proud Mary' was [and still is] mercilessly overplayed as a number two hit), but this set hit me square between the eyes between my freshman and sophomore years in high school. I don't know if humans imprint, but indelibly etched in my brain cells is the memory of this album being played while I soaked up a warm summer evening at a beach on Lake St. Clair. Some freaks in the parking lot had 'Born On the Bayou' blaring from their car stereo, and it was one of those moments in early adolescence when you savor your budding sense of autonomy. Of course, in the early 1970's, all manner of freedom was breaking out everywhere, helping to frame this as a touchstone experience for me.

That's not to say there isn't great music on this album which speaks for itself. 'Born On the Bayou', 'Good Golly Miss Molly' (comparing it to Mitch Ryder's #4 hit version is like comparing apples and oranges, so I won't go there... suffice it to say that it rocks every bit as much, and features a driving lead guitar that cannot be denied), 'Bootleg', 'Penthouse Pauper', and 'Keep On Chooglin' (I guess they go chooglin' instead of truckin' down South) hold their own with any other highlights from Creedence albums.

Even more than their first album, 'Bayou Country' is a blues recording, with a thick overlay of the 'pop/swamp sound' that became their signiture. 'Bootleg' and 'Chooglin' are up-tempo blues, while 'Graveyard Train' (the only weak link in this set, and the primary reason this album is being denied 5 star status) and 'Penthouse Pauper' are more laid back. Fogarty's lead guitar solo's bend, fold, and mutilate, and several songs also include John belting out mouth harp (I call it a harmonica) solo's as well. Ironically, the 'odd-song out' is 'Proud Mary', the only composition (aside from 'Good Golly...') with enough 'pop' to make it a Top-40 candidate.

At under 35 minutes (8 1/2 claimed by 'Graveyard Train') this CD won't strain how you budget your time, so take the time to strain your budget to own it. The album declared CCR to be a major playa, and together with 'Green River' and 'Cosmo's Factory', solidified their status as an elite band in rock n' roll's glory years.

CCR- Cosmos Factory

Cosmos Factory

This album has many popular singles on it, but that's not all. Every single song on this album is amazing and this is by far Creedence Clearwater Revival's best album. I was never really excited by any CCR album as I was excited with this one.
It combines every good quality of CCR on to one wonderful album. It has the extended/jam tracks that are essential to any southern rock album, in my opinion. "Ramble Tamble" is a 7-minute rocker that just makes want to get up and start playing air guitar. While most people dispose of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" as excessive or filler, I find it to be one of the best songs on the album. CCR adapted the song as well as any other artist could have. Surprisingly, John Fogerty puts about a pretty damn good 7 minute guitar solo, proving that he is one of the most underrated guitar players of the seventies.
Also included on this album are the fifties covers/sounding tunes that Fogerty loves so much. "My Baby Left Me" and "Ooby Dooby" are both fifties covers, but are still both awesome. In fact I've come to like the 50's type songs CCR does as well as any of their other stuff because of the ones they do on this album. Truly great.
Of course, there are the wonderfully written and catchy pop-like southern rock (for lack of a better style name) songs that Fogerty and CCR are most famous for. For example "Travelin' Band" which is perhaps my favorite CCR song ever, "Who'll Stop the Rain" which is as catchy as any XTC song, though totally different, "Up Around the Bend" which is catchy in a way only John Fogerty can achieve, "Lookin' Out My Back Door" a tale of a Southern home in a Southern city which is of course another gem, and "Long As I Can See the Light", a good way to end this amazing album on a high, but slow, note.
I cannot stress enough how good this album is. It is up there with such amazing southern rock albums as "Allman Brothers Live At the FIllmore East" and "Pronounced Leh-nerd Skeh-nerd", and may be even more impressive than those two. No matter who you are, you have to have this album!!!!!! Though amazon.com was incorrect in simply calling it a singles album, they were completely justified in rating it an ESSENTIAL ALBUM. Buy it NOW .

CCR- Green River

Green River

On their third album, Creedence Clearwater Revival finally got rid of the sometimes directionless five-minute jams that weighed down their first two records.

"Green River" is probably their tightest album, and their best as well. There is virtually no filler here - the singles are magnificent, and even the album tracks are great.
It opens with the title track, a concise 2 1/2 minutes of tough, "swampy" backbeat and vivid imagery, highlighted by the pithy, intertwined guitar figures of John and Tom Fogerty, and John Fogerty's brief, melodic, less-is-more solo.

Other highlights include the classic rockabilly of "Bad Moon Rising", the melancholy "Lodi", the sinister, soulful blues "Tombstone Shadow", and the slow, mournful "Wrote A Song For Everyone".
But everything is good, really, including the brisk, semi-acoustic country-rocker "Cross-Tie Walker" and the album's only cover song, an energetic rendition of "The Night Time Is The Right Time".

The musicianship is excellent, too. Doug Clifford's stop-start drumming on "Wrote A Song" and "Sinister Purpose" is among his best and most imaginative. John Fogerty plays fiery lead guitar on "Tombstone Shadow", and he and his brother complement each other superbly on the appropriately dark blues-rocker "Sinister Purpose".

Both "Green River" and "Bad Moon Rising" made it to #2, and the album itself was a #1 record back in the autumn of 1969.
There is not a single weak moment on this magnificent fusion of rock, blues, R&B, folk and country, and "Green River" is not just Creedence Clearwater Revival's best album, it is by far the best American rock record of the 1960s.