Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chronicle, Vol. 1: The 20 Greatest Hits
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Free Music Notes for Chronicle, Vol. 1: The 20 Greatest Hits
Free Music Review: Is there really a better rock n' roll album than this???
Hit: 5 Stars
What can you really say about a CD that is this good??
Like millions of others out there, I've had this classic album in my collection for many years. It is an album that belongs in every collection of every rock fan on earth. These twenty rock solid tunes represent some of the most enduring and enjoyable music the world of rock n' roll will ever produce. Song for song, Chronicle is probably the greatest rock n' roll album ever!
Let's be honest. Rock n' roll songs of any era just don't come any better than "Travelin' Band", "Proud Mary", Fortunate Son", "Up Around the Bend", or "Born on the Bayou" which is the only essential song not included here. Although most of the tunes on this CD have been played to death over the years on classic rock radio, they still pack a punch almost 40 years later. Creedence Clearwater Revival produced more great songs from 1968 to 1971 than most rock bands come up with in their whole careers!
The Beatles had a bigger impact on the world and the Rolling Stones stayed together a whole lot longer, but neither band consistently produced as many pure rock n' roll tunes of higher quality than the songs in this album.
As Bruce Springsteen said when inducting these guys into the hall of fame, "they weren't always the hippest rock n' roll band in the world, just the best". If Creedence Clearwater Revival isn't the greatest rock band of the 60's and 70's, there hasn't been a band on the radio in the past 30 years who can touch them!
John Fogerty was a guy who managed to take everything that was great about rock music in the 1950's and make it popular all over again at a time when psychedelic excess and flower power had taken over the world. Creedence offered nothing but "feel-good" rock n' roll with more beat, rhythm, and drive than any other rock band of their era. Their music was simple, direct, raw, powerful, and totally infectious. The everlasting quality of these 20 songs offer all the prove you need that Fogerty is one of the greatest rock n' roll songwriters of all time.
It is nearly impossible to be a rock fan and not like at least a few of the timeless songs on this CD. This is simply as good as rock n' roll gets. It is everything that rock n' roll should be.
Free Music Review: This could have been a better hits package!
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is as frustrating today as it was back when I plopped down the money to buy the double-vinyl version way back when. If only it contained "Born on the Bayou," you would possess an honest greatest hits collection of CCR.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm giving Chronicle Vol. 1 five stars because the songs contained herein are among the finest American rock songs ever. It certainly is a more generous offering than "Credence Gold," which included "Born on the Bayou," but was originally produced on a single-vinyl record and didn't include other top hits on Chronicle Vol. 1.
But here's the rub. If the record company honestly lacked space on this greatest hits package for CCR, there were a couple songs which could have received the boot before excluding CCR's best and most representative signature tune, "Born on the Bayou."
What if you plopped down $15 for the best of Steppenwolf, and they dropped "Born to Be Wild," or the best of the Beatles and they dropped "Hey Jude," or the best of the Rolling Stones and they left "Satisfaction" out?
Well, them smart record company fellas was a-thinkin.' What if we create another double-record set and take the best CCR tune and put it in with a bunch more CCR tunes? And that's what they did and they gave birth to Chronicle Vol. 2.
Yet, today, in this modern age of CDs and smarter and more honest repackages of greatest hits and B-sides, we still have to plop down the money twice for Chronicle Volume 1 and Chronicle Volume 2 to get what should have been on one CD. Of course, you can also buy all of the CCR original studio albums or pay $90 for the box set. There is one more option for those who want a better choice for greatest hits, buy the import version and take your chances with the sound quality.
I've applauded John Fogerty's legal war with his former management for a lot of reasons. But, personally, the one victory I've wanted most was for Fogerty to have control over the repackaging of CCR's recordings, including an honest greatest hits package. I'll be waiting.
Free Music Review: One of the greatest greatest hits albums around
Hit: 5 Stars
This has to be one of the greatest greatest hits albums around. Creedence Clearwater Revival (hereafter, CCR) was a top band on its time, and this CD does a terrific job of showing the listener why. If you didn't know of this group before, this CD explains why they were so well received in their era.
John Fogerty, lead vocal and lead guitar, was a key motive force for the group. His unique voice is displayed well here.
Some classic cuts:
"Susie Q" is a rock classic. CCR does a nice job here. They show off the classic CCR sound. No fancy guitar work, but effective nonetheless. Fogerty's voice captures the spirit of this song well. In addition, some interesting vocal effects.
"Proud Mary" is one of their absolute best works. Many may know it from Tina Turner's version, which is itself a classic. CCR's version is also classic. The start of the song is probably one of the best (and best known) introductions in rock and roll. "Rollin' on a river" is one of the most recognized tag lines, I would guess. As already noted, guitar work and instrumentals generally are basic but quite effective.
"Bad Moon Rising" is a rollicking song. "I see a bad moon rising; I see trouble on the way." One of my favorite CCR pieces.
"Down on the Corner." I can never get "Willie and the poor boys" out of my mind! This is straightforward, unprettified rock and roll. As liner notes mention, CCR went against the grain of psychedelic music, current at a portion of their period of work. This song well exemplifies their body of work.
And then there is "I Heard It through the Grapevine." This was a Temptations' song, and their version is stunning and one of the great moments in the genre. But CCR takes this and makes it their own, too. The instrumental work is well done and Fogerty's voice works well on the lyrics.
So, what's the bottom line? One of the classic compilations of a group's work. You want to know about CCR? There isn't a better way than to listen to this work.
Free Music Review: A Delicious, Vicarious Bayou Experience
Hit: 5 Stars
Creedence Clearwater Revival, a band far ahead of its time, hailed from California, but one would never know it. As a Louisiana native I can attest to the fact that CCR represents the sounds of the south as well, if not better, than any home grown " Southern Rock" outfit. The Bayou clearly courses through John Fogerty's veins, regardless of his geography.
This is a "Best of" that truly spans a remarkable career. The band had a short run ( their most prolific period occurring between 1968 t0 1970), but the talent produced a back catalog of amazing proportion. One rarely likes to recommend a survey when a tremendous library is available, but this work deserves a place at the table.
The songs.... they are three to eleven minute vignettes of pure blues/rock/country-pop magic. Activist by nature, Fogerty wrote some scathing time-piece tunes, like " Fortunate Son" and " Commotion", two fine offerings from this CD. "Susie Q", a gem from Lightnin' Hopkin's treasure trove, drives home a beat and guitar working second to none. " I Heard it Throuh the Grapevine" gets a unique overhaul, quite different from the original in its bluesy delivery. " Lookin' Out My Backdoor" and " Down on the Corner" takes the listener on a quick, sweet journey to the parts of Dixie that are worth experiencing. An innocent, open, fun-loving atmosphere, not qualities usually associated with the south by people from other regions. A transplanted native, even one who was better for the move, can wax poetically about southern summers, remembering fondly "listin' to Buck Owens" while " doing cartwheels", or gathering around the local busker to hear someone like " the poor boys" strut their stuff.
The track list is exhaustive, including all of the hits, plus a few lesser known wonders, such as " Sweet Hitchhiker". Fogerty and the gang didn't solve the world's problems during their heyday, but they sure provided some good music to rock out to. If unfamiliar with CCR, get thee a copy of this singularly great Greatest Hits.... pronto.
Free Music Review: Greatest hits albums don't get any better than this
Hit: 5 Stars
When it comes to greatest hits packages, it's hard to find one better than Creedence Clearwater Revival-Chronicle, Volume 1. Although their existence was brief, CCR's impact on popular music is undeniable. If you listen to a classic rock or oldies station for part of your day, it's virtually guaranteed you'll hear a song by CCR. Between 1969 and 1971, everything songwriter John Fogerty touched turned to gold as every song here was a bonafide hit with most of them hitting the Top 10. When it came to a memorable hook, John Fogerty was the Lennon/McCartney of American music. Despite never having a #1 hit (they had five songs go to #2), few bands could boast as timeless a catalogue as CCR and the proof is right here on Chronicle.
The tracks here are listed chronologically with the band's biggest hits comprising most of the first half. "Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising", "Green River", "Who'll Stop The Rain", "Lookin' Out My Back Door", and "Down On The Corner" are were all huge hit singles and still sound great today. Once you hear these tracks, the melodies stay in your head forever. While these songs were all catchy pop singles under the 3:00 mark, there was also a diversity in Fogerty's work. Whether it was introspective ballads like "Someday Never Comes" and "Long As I Can See The Light", full-out rockers like "Commotion" and "Travelin' Band", or a great anti-war anthem in "Fortunate Son", Fogerty could do it all and do it well. Bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford stay firmly in the pocket while Tom Fogerty plays solid rhythm guitar throughout providing the perfect accompaniment. Other fantastic tracks include their psychedelic versions of the standards "Suzie Q" and "I Put A Spell On You", the country rock of "Lodi", the hard rock of "Hey Tonight", and the AOR staples "Up Around The Bend" and the 11-minute "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." Basically, you've heard all of these songs at one time or another. If there's one greatest hits album to own, this is it. Highest recommendation.