Previous Review
After the release of Cosmo's Factory, Creedence Clearwater Revival won numerous awards from such publications as Billboard, Soul Magazine, and The New Musical Express. The music world anxiously awaited their next release. The new release, Pendulum, was a recording laden with organs and saxophones. It is good for a band to experiment and some of these new sounds work quite nicely. However much of this new format went against the raw energy that Creedence had rode to success. In addition, this album suffered from poor effort, mediocre songwriting, and spotty arrangements. Why had the band slipped so much? Well behind the scenes Tom Fogerty was becoming disenchanted with brother John's dominating role in the direction of the band. His playing is very limited and uninspired. Two months after the album release, Tom Fogerty left the band to pursue a solo career. The end result: Creedence's most disappointing record.
Pagan Baby - This album starts off strong. This song is based around superb guitar solos by John. Doug and Stu provide nice support, but Tom's contributions here are inconsistent. The lyrics are brief but forgivable.
Sailor's Lament - The first of many songs dominated by an organ and/or a saxophone. The initial groove is fairly catchy at first. However, the lack of a secondary theme and some uninspired lyrics causes me to lose interest. The bands performance seems suddenly stale. "Shame, Ain't It A Shame".
Chameleon - Now this beat has more staying power than the previous tune. However, halfway through the song the lyrics run out. Where the band's performance is better here, its sad to here John repeat the same lyrics over and over again. The lack of guitars is badly missed on this upbeat number.
Have You Ever Seen The Rain? - Descriptive lyrics and a beautiful melody make this the best song on the album by daylight. The organ is very appropriate here without competing with the beauty of the song. The cymbals on the last repeat of the chorus add a nice touch.
Hideaway - This song seems to bring out a sensitive side of John. The lyrics seem to directed towards his brother. John seems to wish he could avoid his responsibility to the band and leave like his brother did. You have to be in the right mood to appreciate this piece as the funeral like atmosphere created by the organ and lyrics is a bit unsettling.
Born To Move - This songs starts out very upbeat with some good guitar, although brief. However, the fateful organ returns for a solo that outlasts its welcome. A guitar solo for part of the finish would be an ample substitute. Stu's bass solo is executed smoothly without any excess flash.
Hey Tonight - Only Stu and Doug are worth listening to on this overplayed number. The screechy vocals are somewhat annoying and the lyrics carry little meaning. Easily the worst song on the Chronicle Compilation.
Its Just A Thought - A very nicely written song as the music and lyrics fit together well. However, the execution is definitely lacking. Tom's rhythm guitar playing is devoid of any inspiration. The lack of a strong guitar part yields too much of the melody to the organ. What this song needs is a wall of sound. Phil Spector where are you?
Molina - Now this song is both written and executed well. So what's wrong? How can you bury your guitars on a song that screams Rock and Roll?!
Rude Awakening #2 - A beautiful guitar passage opens this song. Finally a guitar! The rest of the band joins in and after a half minute I think I'm listening to a real gem here. Before I can ask myself, "What's the name of this song," I am rudely awakened by squealing organ sounds that belong more in an Stravinsky concerto than on a Creedence record. A horrible ending to a disappointing album.
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
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