John Fogerty - The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
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Free Music Notes for The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
Free Music Review: A good collection of country and rock, with some surprises!
Hit: 4 Stars
This musical sequel could be a twist on the movies. We have all the original members of the Blue Ridge Rangers. Wait a minute; they were all John Fogerty. This time he's not playing all the parts, musically or vocally. He's got some very good help. I'll have to admit limited knowledge of his solo career. My brother, a big Creedence fan, had the 45 of Jambalaya from the original Blue Ridge Raiders LP. Check out my Orangehornet57 storefront and find a cassette of Centerfield. But he's still sounding good after all these years. This CD has some interesting choices. There are even a few connections. We get a Buck Owens song. Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band featured Owens' former steel player, Tom Brumley. John sounds fine on Garden Party. But that song was very personal. He and Don Henley could have substituted Creedence or Eagles songs in the lyrics. Fogerty's take on John Denver's Back Home Again was excellent. A very surprising choice was Moody River. It's one of my favorite Pat Boone. That refrain matches the haunting lyrics. Hearing it with guitar instead of piano was a little strange. Some songs I wasn't familar with before. But there's one I really wished he'd left off. Heaven's Just A Sin Away was one of the worst country songs of the late 70s. I found the lyrics very offensive. The Kendalls weren't one of my favorite duos either. I still think they did one of the worst covers of Leavin' On A Jet Plane. John also sings with the Boss! Everly Brothers songs remain excellent choices for duos. The video for When Will I Be Loved showed some guys having fun. You can hear that on the CD. I'd be very surprised if John Fogerty ever sees this review. But just in case, I want to say hi. Also, life is too short. Make peace with Stu and Cosmo. Your actions at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony were inexcusable. Why not bring them up to perform with Springsteen and the other guys? Your next project should be a Creedence reunion album.Free Music Review: Not as good as the first one from 1973
Hit: 4 Stars
Expectations were very high for this new CD, more than three decades after the first opus titled The Blue Ridge Rangers The Blue Ridge Rangers. Let's be clear: John Fogerty is far superior compared to any contemporary artist and in my view ranks among the Top 10 All-time best songwriter and arranger in the USA. This new CD proves and confirms it again. What was groundbreaking with the 1973 The Blue Ridge Rangers was that he selected standards in various fields (country western, but also bluegrass, spirituals like "Someone Listening for My Name") and revisited them with a tasty rock sauce, which was unusual and innovative back in the 1970s. It was then a kind of hybrid CW album made for rock audiences by one of the greatest rockers of music history. Another thing is that John played all instruments, including his very powerful, rockin' drumming (for example on "Jambalaya" and "Hearts of Stone").
Here, in 2009, we get very good songs and excellent interpretations (hence the four stars), John still sings perfectly well, helped by very good musicians; but there are few elements that are as innovative as the first one, which in my view still deserves its five stars even after so many years. Therefore, if I cannot give as much to this brand new one as the first one, I would nevertheless count until four stars for "Rides Again".
Among many great moments, the duet with Bruce Springsteen is outstanding, and John's compositions are great; on the other hand, the weakest piece remains "Never Ending Song of Love".
I know comparisons are often unfair, but even the CD's title invites us to the comparison with the original one. One thing is sure: those who like this "Rides Again" will certainly love the first CD by The Blue Ridge Rangers, which was then 100% John Fogerty, and remains a masterpiece.
Free Music Review: John Fogerty did not play all the instruments on this Blue Ridge Rangers album.He stopped doing that after Centerfield.
Hit: 4 Stars
I looked forward to this CD release and when it arrived I was very happy with the sound.It is a good collection of country cover songs.These songs really agree with John Fogerty`s voice as it is these days.The version of *Moody River sounds like it is right out of the 50`s or 60`s,and he has made it his own now I think.
I like the way he and the band cover most the other tunes on the CD,but *Change In The Weather sounds out of place here.It also could have used a lead guitar solo.I would have given this CD 5 stars if not for that tune.
No John Fogerty did not play all the instruments on this Blue Ridge Rangers album.He stopped doing that after Centerfield.He now has a great band and this time he let them be the other rangers.He included *Garden Party by Ricky Nelson and the words to that song probably express the way Fogerty felt about this release.
The price was right on this CD I pre-ordered my copy.I did not know there would be a CD/DVD version of The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again(Is it just me or shouldn`t that be Ride Again?)Anyway you might want to get the issue that includes the DVD.
Free Music Review: great record
Hit: 4 Stars
Many highlights on this record, the best is a sublime cover of Rick Nelson's "Garden Party," this version featuring Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmidt of the Eagles. The background harmonies are perfect, the steel guitar breaks are spot on, and Kenny Aronoff's drumming is second to none. Also, a rocking cover of Buck Owens' "I Don't Care," almost cuts the original. The Everly's "When Will I Be Loved" (a duet with Springsteen) is great. The best song is "Change In The Weather." He gets right back into rocking swamp mode, and fires on all cylinders--hinting has voice may be best suited for his own brand of self-penned country/rock. Few do it better. There's nothing as strong as "Almost Saturday Night," but he still rocks almost as hard as he did on Revival. The special edition CD+DVD is only a few dollars more, and well worth it for the acoustic version of some of these songs, and a mini-doc of the recording process with a true American post-war music giant. Is he in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame twice?Free Music Review: If this winter gets cold, you've got some great covers to warm you
Hit: 4 Stars
The first Blue Ridge Rangers album was in 1973. That effort covered such greats as "Jambalaya", "Today I started loving you again" and "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues."
Fans of the first project have waited mostly patiently for the past thirty-six years. I don't think they're going to be disappointed. The line-up for this redux includes such greats as Buddy Miller (Universal United House of Prayer) on the guitar.
The latest version includes twelve country gems, including "Haunted House" the tale of a poor soul who's just bought a home which includes a pre-existing tenant, "Garden Party" a remake of the song Ricky Nelson got his fame from, and "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" just to name a few.
As you'd expect, the production values are excellent and so's the musicianship. I can't say this is a collection for Fogerty fans, because there are a lot of CCR people who aren't going to make the shift from rock to country, but if you enjoy country music done well, I think this collection is going to be one you'll enjoy.
Rebecca Kyle, December 2009