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: The Basics of Rock and Roll Music.
Hit: 5 Stars
When Rock and Roll music first came out in the mid 1950s with the sounds of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, it was a simple, basic, fun, and easy to play music. There was rarely any fancy drumming, no overbearing rythm section, and even the finest guitar players never went overboard and kept their sound rather subdued compared to many artists that broke out in the late 60s. Although many bands and performers who came in the 60s and 70s playing "Rock" and Popular music had talent and were worthy of the fame they achieved, few of them really played down-to-earth, basic roots "Rock and Roll." Bands like the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, and many of the later albums by the Beatles may have had incredible listening power, but few of them played true Rock and Roll music. Perhaps that is why Creedance Clearwater Revival stood out as they did. In a time where the most popular songs were played by long haired hippys with psychodelic overtones or political protests, and many experimenting with the tools the studio had to offer, CCR came out with the sound of basic Rock and Roll music. Like the punk bands of the later 70s, CCR made music fun, easy, and enjoyable. They used bits of county, rockabilly, and cajun influences to spice things up. Although their sound was inspired by the artists of the 1950s, when CCR made it big in 1968 their style was truly unique to them. This album has 20 Classic Rock and Roll tunes from one of the greatest Rock bands in history. Energetic and full of sound, these boys from California wrote some of the most memorable sing-along rock songs in memory. Its hard not to wanna tap your toe and turn up the radio when you hear these songs playing. Even if you've only heard a few of these songs on the radio, this album is a great investment. I can almost garuntee you will be playing this over and over again and fall in love with just about everything you hear. This is Rock and Roll music at its finest.Free Music Review: This Got Me Started on Classic Rock
Hit: 5 Stars
My father is not a huge fan of rock and roll. He is an avid jazz fan who sees rock as a simplified form of his favorite genre. My father loves CCR. I remember the first time he played this compilation, and sitting amazed as I listened to John Fogerty send forceful grit flying from the speakers. To me, no American band can match Creedence Clearwater Revival's groove, melody or intensity. This collection provides 20 examples of their fine work.
CCR is perhaps the most concise band in history. The vast majority of the songs on this album clock in at under three minutes, yet never suffer from underdevelopment. It's been said that great bands build their style around their limitations, and CCR embodies this doctrine fully. Nearly every song begins with an insanely catchy, simple riff, while the rhythm section pounds out a tight groove, waiting for John Fogerty to command the world to listen to him. With the exception of the extended piece, "I Heard It Through The Grape Vine," the songs never stray from these basic elements, and that's a good thing.
Most of the songs here are justifiably common fare on classic rock radio, but these songs are so raw and elementally good that I will never tire of hearing them. Fogerty is a tremendous lyricist, and his topics range from love to life on the river to politics without ever sounding like products of their times. There is no pretention, no attempt at stardom, nothing trite in these songs, just the gritty sound of honest Americans. CCR shares stylistic element with the Rolling Stones, but to me is the far better band, obtaining a more serious, intense sound.
This album is probably the best compilation I have heard, and an excellent introduction to this truly classic band.
Free Music Review: Pure Essence of Rock 'n Roll
Hit: 5 Stars
All greatest hits collections are a disappointment, missing half the gems and always incorporating an embarrassment or two. This is the exception that proves the rule.
Rather than get fancy, Fantasy just picked the 20 chart toppers by Fogarty and the boys, the actual greatest hits. And whether because Creedence was just a consistently fine, every B side an A side, band, or because the public for once was right, this has all the songs the casual fan would demand. The one substitution I'd make is to trade in "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" for "Born on the Bayou", but every cut here is a keeper. That pieces like "Lodi", "Commotion", and "Long as I Can See the Light" don't get the steady airplay they deserve on classic rock outlets makes them no less classic.
The more time goes by, the clearer it gets how good Creedence Clearwater really was. Because they followed no fashion and set no fashion, there's nothing here to get dated. No extended guitar-hero solos, just unforgettable tunes, relentless or rollicking rhythms, bass lines built like a brick outhouse. Fogarty wrote simple, visionary lyrics that dug for and struck a deeper and more universal root than the era's protest songs. His vocals never call attention to themselves with self-conscious phrasing like Jagger's do (much as I do love Mick); they just serve the song, conveying through energy alone a world of timeless anger, joy, or endurance every time.
Everyone must have at least one Creedence album. Unless you intend to buy four or five, this is the one you must have. Every other compilation falls short.
Free Music Review: Essential Music From America's Band
Hit: 5 Stars
This disc contains EVERY single that charted (including b-sides) during CCR's brief career. As such, it makes it an indispensable part of any serious music fan's collection. Beginning with their first million-seller "Susie-Q (Part I)" through their 11-minute version of the Motown classic "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (released in 1976, three years after the breakup of the band, when it peaked at No. 43), CCR put out a string of hits unparalleled by any other artist of the era. With John Fogerty's gift of melding a variety of influences into a truly American brand of rock 'n' roll, coupled with his signature guitar sound and smooth as sandpaper vocals, CCR produced such classics as "Proud Mary," "Green River" and "Travelin' Band." Although CCR never had a No. 1 single, they did reach the No. 2 spot five times. In addition, eleven of their singles sold more than a million copes and five sold over two million! As further testimony to their popularity, CCR did something few bands other than the Beatles had accomplished--many of their b-sides also charted, including "Lodi" (No. 52), "Commotion" (No. 30), "Fortunate Son" (No. 14), "Who'll Stop the Rain" (No. 13), "Run Through the Jungle (No. 48), "Long As I Can See the Light" (No. 57--it went to No. 20 in the UK!), and "Hey Tonight" (No. 90). If you're going to own only one CCR album, this is it. Chronicle Two contains no hits, but plenty of strong album tracks (including part II of "Susie-Q"). ESSENTIALFree Music Review: Essential singles and album tracks
Hit: 5 Stars
No anthology can really do justice to CCR. Like The Beatles, Stones, Who or any other band from that era, CCR is best appreciated by a quartet of classic albums; Bayou Country, Green River, Willie & The Poorboys and Cosmos' Factory. Still, this is a great overviw of the band's essential singles and album tracks. What's missing are some important songs (Effigy, the scorching version of Good Golly Miss Molly and It's Just a Thought among many others) but hardly essential for the novice or casual CCR fan.This fine collection's flaw is the sound quality. The original mastertapes sound like they weren't used on some of these tracks. The entire CCR catalog (with the exception of Live Europe which is available as part of the boxed set)has been remastered with stunning results. The sound quality here is tinny and flat by comparison. The "sound" of any CCR recording is as essential as the song itself and, in that regard, this collection is definitely lacking.
John Fogerty's songs have stood the test of time. Born on The Bayou, Down on the Corner, Who'll Stop The Rain and many of his other songs still retain the freshness they had decades ago. Hopefully Fantasy will remaster this collection. I'd recommend purchasing the quartet of albums mentioned previously. Additionally, Fogerty's first solo album (entitled John Fogerty)and available as an import has a number of moments equal to his best CCR songs. In fact, most of Fogerty's solo recordings although not as essential as CCR, are important and strong albums (the exception is the misguided Eye of the Zombie).