John Fogerty - Revival (Dig)
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Free Music Notes for Revival (Dig)
Free Music Review: John Fogerty is BACK...with a BANG...BANG...KABOOM...
Hit: 5 Stars
Well, it is about time. As good as his solo albums were they never quite hit the mark. They never equalled his output of the CCR days. But not anymore. Look at the title of the CD, "Revival". Look at one of the included songs' title..."Creedence Song". Two references to CCR on one CD. This seems intentional to me. It does not take much to figure it out...this is John's attempt to match the highwater mark set by CCR long ago...and he succeeds. Perhaps he had to get pissed off enough with the state of affairs of this country of ours: to wit, "Gunslinger". It does not take much imagination to deduce the "town" he is talking about is really the good old US of A. "someone let the fences down"...a reference to illegal aliens? Perhaps. Whatever it is, it works. As I see it, there are two "albums" on this CD. Songs 1-6 and songs 7-12. For my tastes songs 1 thru 6 are the best. Very reminiscent of songs such as, "WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN", "HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN" AND "LONG AS I CAN SEE THE LIGHT". These last three are among my very favorite CCR songs.
Well, if John is feeling nostalgic about his old band is he feeling nostalgic about his old bandmates? We know the tragedy of his brother, Tom. Tom died prematurely a good while back. But as for Cook and Clifford will JF see his way to patch up old differences? Time will tell. But for now this is as good a CCR record as any of the earlier ones. I caught CCR live back in the day at the Fillmore East. John was not much for 'rapping' to the audience back then. Neither was anyone else in the band because song would follow song, hit after hit, and all you would hear in between was "thank you....and the next one is called...." Okay, that is cool, just get down to business. John did not need to preach, he did that to good effect in his music, just refer to "Fortunate Son". And this CD follows the same paradigmatic bent...good song follows good song follows great song....one by one...they just keep on coming. I am happy for John. He is a trooper to say the least.
peace...
Vince DeLucia (aka, Vince Lucie).
Free Music Review: Can't go wrong if you play a lil' bit of that Creedence song.
Hit: 5 Stars
Fogerty takes his own advice on this album: the attitude of this album would fit snugly on an old Creedence record. Never fear, though--Fogerty isn't retreading old ground, but blazing new pathways. This is easily his best solo album since CENTERFIELD, and in many ways is superior to some of his Creedence work (though not all of it; I'm a CCR fan 'til the day I die, and I'm not the least bit ashamed to say it).
Fogerty's solo albums have been hit-and-miss; they've all featured some great songs, pasted alongside some truly regretful ones. There aren't any REAL regretful songs on here, though I think "Natural Thing" is a bit too hokey to be placed alongside the rest of the material (great rhythm, though). It surprised me to find that most of this album is a keeper. It IS a bit politically charged, of course, and that's something you'll have to grit your teeth and bear. No matter what your stance on politics in music is (I'm usually against it), or what your personal political viewpoints are, you have to admire Fogerty's honesty. The rage you hear in "I Can't Take It No More" is genuine, and this song is easily one of the album's best, politics aside. "Long Dark Night" and "Gunslinger," the other two majorly political tunes, are also standouts. "It Ain't Right" takes aim at celebrities, and you can hear true bitterness in Fogerty's vocals, as well as a little tongue-in-cheek sarcastic wit. That sarcasm is full-blown in "Creedence Song"--yet is melded with a heartfelt love for the music. And "Don't You Wish It Was True" just shines on so many levels, I can't even begin to go into it.
This is one of Fogerty's most rockin' records since his CCR days, and is easily his best solo effort since CENTERFIELD (some will even argue that it is superior; I'm not going to get involved in that debate). REVIVAL (I hate to admit it, but it took me a moment to "get" the title...in my defense, I was exhausted) is a truly great rock/folk/country record. It is John Fogerty, an American rock icon, singing, writing, and picking from the heart. He is one of music's best. Period.
Free Music Review: Fogerty at his best
Hit: 5 Stars
This is, indeed, a strong piece of work from John Fogerty. As others have noted, there is some of the energy from his prime days, lyrics that ring true for listeners (at least this listener). The simple straight ahead music and his voice playing with the words. It all works nicely.
The CD begins with a wistful song, "Don't You Wish It Was True." The recurring lines: "Don't you wish it was true." A counterpoint to his hopes, expressed in lines such as "There'll be no more armies, no more hate"; "Everybody under the sun was happy just to live as one." And so on. The end result is a sense of being hopeful and regretful at the same time.
"Creedence Song" appears to look back at the days of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The final line for each verse is the phrase "If you play a little bit of that Creedence song." A happy ending to this tune!
"Summer of Love" begins with heavy electric guitar work. The focus is on the summer of love, when "Freedom was in the air," with "Flower children lookin' for the truth." An interesting song, again looking back.
A final example of the work in this CD is a topical song, "I Can't Take It No More." He begins with the title, then sings "Sick and tired of your dirty little war," and "You know you lie about the casualties, You know you lied about the WMDs." An angry, swift paced song. The final verse features lines that typify the song: "Your daddy wrote a check and there you are, another fortunate son."
This represents a strong bit of work from John Fogerty. For his fans, this will be a good addition to their library. For those not necessarily his fans, it is a strong effort on his part and well worth listening to.
Free Music Review: Wonderful!
Hit: 5 Stars
John Fogerty's "Revival" sounds like music Sun Records would be making today if Sam Phillips was still cutting tracks.
There is a lot to like on this CD.
"Gunslinger" is just about the best song I have heard this year.
Some astute Nashville country singer could have a huge hit covering "Broken Down Cowboy"---an exceptional song that speaks volumes.
As a sixties rocker, he has the obligatory song bashing President Bush. However, the wordsmithing of "Long Dark Night" is so quick and witty, that it offends me (a Goldwater Republican) not a whit. It is easy to appreciate.
His paean to all things Britney, Lindsey, Paris and the like ("It Ain't Right") is a lively satire that gives you ear-to-ear grins.
"I Can't Take It No More" is the mandatory antiwar song---a 21st century update of 1969's "Fortunate Son" from the Viet Nam War. Since he was making music in San Francisco during the war, one could say he was just as fortunate as those of us ensconced in institutions of higher learning during that war. Therefore, I will give him a push on it.
There is not a clunker on the disc. The musicianship is first rate. The vocals are strong and the lyrics are not to be faulted.
Perhaps the best part is how quickly you find yourself singing along with the songs.
Only a pair of tunes exceed four minutes---so this is not some artist indulgence.
It is just a big pleasure. Welcome back, Mr. Fogerty.
Free Music Review: Back in the Groove
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, I did not go into listening to this CD hoping to hear a carbon copy of Creedence. Fortunately, what I heard was a singer/songwriter who has gone back to what he does best: writing great rock and roll with catchy melodies and great guitar work. Sure, there are some definite tips of the hat to Creedence with tunes like "Creedence Song" and "Long Dark Night", but Fogerty also gives us his country side with "Gunslinger" and a tribute to his rockabilly heroes with "It Ain't Right". I love the nod he gives Bo Diddley with the song, "Natural Thing". Upon hearing "Broken Down Cowboy", there is no doubt that Mr. Fogerty has done some serious soul searching over the years. In my opinion, John Fogerty is one of the top American songwriters in the history of American music. Lyrically, he reminds me of Chuck Berry who always told stories with his songs. Fogerty's criticims of the Bush administration are right on, and they are short, sweet and to the point. They say life is a journey and if anyone had told me 38 years ago when I bought my first Creedence record, that at age 48 I'd still be listening to John Fogerty with the same enthusiasm and joy, I'd have said they were nuts. But fortunately for all of us, John Fogerty has continued on his musical journey (although there were a couple of detours along the way). It seems that John Fogerty has found his musical center and is truly happy. Hopefully for us fans this means a few more new batches of music before he hangs up his guitar strings for good.