It seems to be an American day on here. Creedence were one of my earliest musical memories. My father had a couple of their singles hen we were growing up in Zimbabwe. I think Bad Moon Rising, and Long as I Can See the Light b/w Lookin' Out My Back Door. They were good things to hear first in the sun. I imagine most people now suffice themselves with Greatest Hits / Singles Compilations. Creedence were one of the greatest singles machines there has ever been. Some of their albums can get a bit samey listened to end to end. But there are also some golden, little known gems well worth
discovering. Albums one to six reward investigation on their own terms. Mardi Gras should be left well alone.
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival
Born from their garage band, the unfortunately named Golliwogs. There's a lot of hoodoo on here. It sounds a bit like a second soundtrack to the Oscar winning film In the Heat of the Night, which came out the year before. The band are still edging towards the bayou sound which they realised over the next couple of years. But John Fogerty's extraordinary rasping howl is first unleashed here and the band already sound tight; locked in a groove. The last three songs, Porterville, Gloomy and Walk on the Water are particular indications of a band under a spell and a sign of the greatness to come.
2. Bayou Country
'I can still hear my hound dog barking. Chasing down a voodoo there.'
This is where the band hit paydirt. It's obvious from the opening bars of first track on Born On The Bayou. They weren't of course but they certainly sounded as if they were. I remember being completely hypnotised by this song in my late teenage years. The rest of the record carries on chugging in much the same vein. It's like a steam train. Other highlights are Proud Mary of course, but also Bootleg, Good Golly Miss Molly and Penthouse Pauper.
3. Green River
John Fogerty's own favourite. This is golden shafts of American sunlight and scenery throughout. Like a set of glorious short stories about chasing the dream. Again the greatness involved is evident from the off with the title track. The record also has two more of the band's absolute finest moments Bad Man Rising and Lodi. But also Tombstone Shadow, Wrote a Song for Everyone (where you can hear exactly where Springsteen comes from), Cross-Tie Walker, Sinister Purpose. Fogerty may well be right about it being their best. The disillusion that eventually set in within the band isn't evident here. They're having a ball.
4. Willy & the Poor Boys
Extraordinarily their third album released in 1969 which was surely their year. Did any band ever achieve anything similar. Another storming record. Here they reimagine themselves as a street corner band bringing their music to the people. Highlights, singles Down on the Corner and Fortunate Son of course but also It Came Out of the Sky instrumentals Poorboy Shuffle and Side 'O The Road, Feelin' Blue, Effigy and Don't Look Now. Cotton Fields is possibly a step too far. But they're such a confident, assured band by now. The Beatles, The Stones, The Doors, The Band and Dylan must all have been looking warily across at this point.
5. Cosmo's Factory
Often thought of as their great record. Having listened to both this morning I'd give that honour to Green River. This is more of a collection of great songs than a great album. The band were beginning to grate on one another by this point. Opener Ramble Tamble is a marvellous rolling moment. The singles and b sides, Who'll Stop The Rain, Lookin' Out My Back Door, Up Around the Bend and Long As I Can See the Light probably give it the status it's been granted. But the album cover is shocking whichever way you look at it and the ten minute version of I Heard it on the Grapevine a blot on their copybook.
6. Pendulum
Where the rot is thought to begin to set in There are still some great moments on here. I think it's unfairly maligned. It has Have You Ever Seen The Rain, amongst their absolute finest singles. Sailor's Lament, Chameleon, Hideaway, Born to Move, Hey Tonight,Molina and very odd closing instrumental Rude Awakening are just great. More brass and organ in the mix. It's all slightly darker but America was getting darker and relations within the band were fraying. For any other band it would have been seen as a career high point but given what had come before, for Creedence it was a slump they never came out of.
7. Mardi Gras
Pretty much a disaster. Tellingly the only sleeve not to feature a photo of the group as to all intents and purposes they weren't really a band anymore. The other members had rebelled from John Fogerty's grip on proceedings and demanded that their songs featured equally on the album. They couldn't write or sing and the playing sounded ragged, exhausted and hungover. They sound like a poor bar band. A truly shocking record. It sounded their death knell. The few decent moments were John Fogerty inspired. A very sad end to a truly great band.
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