Rating: 10 out of 10
The long-awaited album from John Fogerty does not disappoint! The former frontamn fro Creedence Clearwater Revival returns in fine form, with 12 stunning songs spanning 58 minutes that fully demonstrate his considerable musical and songwriting abilities. The songs run the gamut from pleasant, melodic singles, rootsy blues, country and western flavoured material, and flat-out rockers! Except for a handful of songs, there is very little post-production - the tunes generally have a raw, live feel to them. Fogerty's fine vocal and guitar work is expertly backed by John Robinson on drums, Neil Stubenhaus on bass, and Bobby King and Willie Greene Jr. as background singers. Let's hope that this album is the big success it deserves to be, because we definitely don't want to wait ten years for the next Fogerty masterpiece!
Shades Of Autumn (3:12) - The album begins with a serene and pleasant instrumental that puts listeners in a good mood, though the rest of the album is much more upbeat and rocking. Fogerty's acoustic guitar and piano playing is soothing, but I'm still glad the rest of the record isn't like this.
Dreams (4:41) - The lead single begins even as the final piano notes of "Shades Of Autumn" are dying out. It is getting wide airplay on both rock and pop radio stations. The motivational lyrics about never giving up and always pursuing your dreams and goals seem a little cheesy to me, but the melodic hook snags you and can go through your head for hours!
Bayou Blues (6:27) - Fogerty and his band get down to business with this excellent piece of swampy rock. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, but what else do you expect from the blues? Fogerty's throaty voice is wonderful, as are the harmonica interludes between verses - an all-too-rare elemnt of his solo career. The ending is hurried and unpolished, but that just adds to the raw appeal of the song.
Small Car (From Nashville) (4:02) - The most countrified song Fogerty has released since The Blue Ridge Rangers but an uptempo tune about a cross-country trek by two young lovers that is great to listen to while in your own car. The slide guitar overdub and background vocals add good elements to the song.
The Thought of a Memory (3:53) - The just-released second single off the album, accompanied by a great whimsical video where Fogerty plays a pirate sailing the seas, contains the best lyrics on the record. They have little to do with the video, but it's hard to film reflections on life, and reliving past experiences. Unfortunately, this probably won't be as big a hit as "Dreams" because radio stations tend not to play "wordy" songs with subdued music.
The Old Man Comin' Down the Road (5:49) - This moving ballad, somewhat reminiscent of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road", tells the tale of an old man (presumably Fogertry himself, though he isn't quite so ancient yet!) who felt lost and unwanted, but then decided to continue living, and walk down the "road of life". The guitar solo at the end, after the man's rebirth, is mellow but still spectacular.
Voodoo Woman (5:22) - All the songs are great and it is difficult to pick the best ones, but if forced to choose, this would probably be my favourite. The lyrics tell of a woman he is so captivated with that she completely controls him, but the real heart of the song is the stunning musical performances - Fogerty's guitar has rarely sounded better! My only complaint is the fade-off ending, but Fogerty isn't known for his song-ending abilities.
Paul the Greedy Pig (3:36) - The original title was "Saul the Greedy Pig", but Fantasy bigwig Saul Zaentz thought the song was a slight against him, and threatened a lawsuit if it wasn't changed - it appears Fogerty hasn't learned his lesson yet! The songs seem innocent enough, with a rollicking country beat, and about a pig who tries to fleece the other barnyard animals, but lyrics like "His fantasy was to steal all our money" are a dead giveaway.
Nearly Thursday Morning (Jody's Lament) (3:20) - Fogerty's favourite character is back, and this time he's desperately trying to raise money to pay off the mob, who want the cash by Thursday (we're never told how Jody blew the $17 Million he got in the Creedence classic "It Came Out of the Sky"). This funny tune recounts his frantic escapades to a quick start and stop beat a bit similar to CCR's cover of "Ooby Dooby".
Between the Headlines (4:56) - I have a feeling this will be the third single. Fogerty once again decides to go political, and the lyrics state that he feels the news that is reported to the public is not complete and totally accurate. The thundering bass and drums sound great, and there are several searing guitar licks. This is probably my favourite of the three singles.
Running Away (4:28) - Not a surprising "final" track, since Fogerty ended three other albums with songs called "Flyin' Away", "On the Run", and "Sail Away". As with these three, the lyrics deal with escaping from the hectic trials of life. The guitar strumming is very rapid to simulate running, and I really like the way he ends the song - the bass and drums stop, and Fogerty continues playing rapid notes for over thirty seconds to finish nicely.
Midnight Storm (8:17) - This hidden, unlisted track starts after three minutes of silence following the last notes of "Running Away". It is a superb instrumental, but I have dubbed it "Midnight Storm" because of the thunder and twelve clock bongs at the beginning - sort of a cross between the Doors' "Riders On the Storm" and AC/DC's "Hell's Bells". The only vocals are occasional "ooh" and "aah"'s by the background singers, but the rest is basically an impromptu jam between the band members (with the sound effects added later of course). There are neat bass lines and Fogerty switches his guitar for a harmonica in two places, but overall, the jam is probably too long. Still, extending playing like this is virtually non-existent in the Fogerty solo catalog, and I welcome it with open arms!
Rating: 10 out of 10
NOTE: Before you start mailing me asking where you can get it, THIS ALBUM DOES NOT EXIST! I made it all up just as a creative whim to express what I would like to see in the Fogerty album. When it is actually released, I will have a real review shortly after.
Back to Reviews Page