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: Good Fogerty
Hit: 4 Stars
A lot of good surprises on this CD. Some good reworks on old songs. Definitely worth a listen.Free Music Review: Sometimes I think life is like a rodeo.
Hit: 3 Stars
I have never been a fan of country music, and I suppose John Fogerty isn't considered country. No, he's more country rock--a genre that has all but died out with the 70's. Yet it is Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) that hooked me into anything resembling country or country rock music along with The Eagles. Each Fogerty album is an experiment with something new. I have no expectations for history repeating when I listen to Fogerty, and there's just something about his music that's always solid.
"The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again" introduced some new songs and artists that I otherwise would have never listened to. Now I know John Prine has been around since 1971, but I had never listened to anything from him, and I could not for the life of me name any songs from him either. "Paradise" is a well written song, and I like how Fogerty plays it. I also had heard the name Bonnie & Delany but never listened to them either. I can't say that I am a big fan of "Never Ending Song Of Love". It seemed rather one note to me. I am familiar with Rick Nelson's 1972 hit "Garden Party" and I think this is one of Fogerty's finest interpretations here. Superbly performed with Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmidt. I might even like it better than Rick Nelson's version! I had never heard of Buck Owens, nor had I heard "I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)". I can't say that I am a fan. Again, a rather one note song. I am very familiar with John Denver's "Back Home Again", and try as I might, I found Fogerty's version lacking. You really can't touch John Denver. He brought something very special to his music, and he was one of a kind. Fogerty does a serviceable job with it, it's just nothing special. I had never heard of Ray Price or "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)", and I must say that I like Fogerty's choice, and it piqued my interest in Price.
I don't know what to make of Fogerty doing Fogerty on a revision of "Change In The Weather" from his 1986 "Eye Of The Zombie" album. I've always liked the song to begin with, and this new version didn't really add or subtract anything from the original version. I like the original better. I know who Pat Boone is, but I never listened to his music, but "Moody River" is one of the highlights here. Fogerty does a great job with this song, and it's a well written piece. It's surprising to me that in 1961 this song was a hit considering the subject matter. I had never heard of The Kendalls or their 1977 song "Heaven's Just A Sin Away", and I thought it was pleasant, but nothing special here. Another Ray Price song, "Falling Falling Falling" was okay, not great. Jumpin' Gene Simmons' 1964 hit "Haunted House" was just okay. I know Fogerty and Springsteen singing together for the first time on The Everly Brothers 1960 hit "When Will I Be Loved" was supposed to be a main draw here, and I like all three artists, but this comes across overdone.
So, a three and a half star album. Above average, but not quite great. Here's how this compares to Fogerty's back catalog:
1968 Creedence Clearwater Revival: Three Stars
1969 Born On The Bayou: Three and a Half Stars
1969 Green River: Five Stars
1969 Willie And The Poor Boys: Five Stars
1970 Cosmo's Factory: Four Stars
1970 Pendulum: Three and a Half Stars
1972 Mardi Gras: One Star
1973 The Blue Ridge Rangers: Three and a Half Stars
1975 John Fogerty: Out Of Print! Someone please remaster and reissue it!
1976 Hoodoo: Unreleased--find the master tapes and put it on the market please!
1985 Centerfield: Five Stars
1986 Eye Of The Zombie: Four Stars (yes, four stars, it's a solid album)
1997 Blue Moon Swamp: Three Stars
2004 Deja Vu All Over Again: Three and a Half Stars
2007 Revival: Three and a Half Stars
2009 The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again: Three and a Half Stars
Free Music Review: Blue Ridge Blue Ribbon
Hit: 3 Stars
John Fogerty's first incarnation of his alter-ego ache to record the songs that influenced him, "Blue Ridge Mountain Rangers" was a surprising hit in 1972/73. Creedence Clearwater had broke up, and John recorded that LP on his own, C/W R/B Gospel songs that he loved and glory be! a couple of top 50 hits,"Jambalaya" and "Hearts of Stone".
Now, Blue Ridge Mt. Rangers redux. The songs on this CD has the feeling that JF really liked and listened to mid 70's contempory singer/songwriters John Prine's "Paradise", John Denver (!)"Back Home Again". Who knew?
This collection of apparently his newer/older fave songs is bunches of fun.
1) Paradise the John Prine song sounds fine the vocals are near the CCR growl
2) Never Ending Song Delaney and Bonnie had a Top 10 hit with this laid back so-called motel shot John's version is almost exact from the background yelps of the girls. Nice tribute to D/B!! But, still D/B's version better..
3)Garden Party Rick Nelson's version is the Classic Don Henley (Eagles) assists on vocals sounds like karoke makes Rick's version sound even more important
4) Just as Long as You Love Me A Buck Owens song that John sings as easy as taking a tiger by the tail
5) Back Home Again John Denver had a previous life as a folk singer/w/ '60s friends No one would dispute his talent for writing a fine melody/lyric John F. found it with this version
6) I'll be There a Ray Price rave-up this song could have been standard on the First Rangers LP great fun
7) Change in the Weather A CCR bonus cut maybe not but still a perfect song fitted to "Bayou Country" maybe the best cut on the CD
8) Moody River Pat Boone would NEVER be considered an influence.. or maybe John liked Pat's 1961 #1 hit about the dark river death that took his baby's life. This song with it's bumping bass line and the disquiet pain led to John's vocal ability to tell a story
9) Heavens Just a Sin Away John's gospel voice pure and sweet.
10) Fallin' Fallin' Fallin" Rockabilly as good as it gets
11) Haunted House A fun version of Gene Simmons 1961 hit
12) When Will I be Loved Not maybe can compete with the Everly Bros. Linda Ronstadt had a hit w/this (ugh) others tried mostly awful
this version with Bruce Springsteen on accompaning vocals id the prize of the CD.
This should be released as a single on Country/Adult Comtempory radio A great hit awaits
John Fogerty still records like it is an LP 12 songs 40 mins get the best
Free Music Review: A bit of a disappointment compared with the original sadly....
Hit: 3 Stars
I purchased the original LP of the Blue Ridge Rangers on release in 1973 just as all my old CCR LPs were beginning to show the wear of so much playing after the sad demise of CCR. The post break up issued of live LPs plus the last group release of "Mardi Gras" had proved so disappointing but that 1973 release just blew me away! A full shift into country and gospel music that had only featured in odd tracks on prior CCR releases but what hit you most was the sheer love and craftmanship that had gone into it. 30 plus years on I still listen to it a lot as a very unique one off and the high quality of the overall musicianship, though no credits were ever given to any other musicians involved.
36 years on and John's revisiting of this area after seeing him several times live on tour in recent years was definitely an interesting step. Sadly, the 2009 mock cover of the original 1973 release probably sets the tone overall too well. While the performances are fine the truth is they are mostly just not that great in moving or exciting you. The whole feel is of a crew of very high class quality pickers just having a stroll and a good time in the studio. The overall choice of songs also seems a bit perverse - Rick Nelson's "Garden Party" and the Everly's "When will I be loved" benefit little versus the originals despite the esteemed star company present on each and seem out of place. The very blue collar feel to the overall choice of songs on the original has not been reflected or well replaced in the selection on display here.
The real disappointment though is Fogerty's overall performance. The lack of tightness in parts of his vocal interpretations especially and a feeling that none of the musicians are stretching themsleves possibly shows a lack of the control freak he is often accused of being in not wasting a second or note on any recording.
Like all long time CCR/Fogerty fans I am sure I will listen to this regularly but just doubt it will be anywhere near as often as the original source release.
Free Music Review: Minor Addition to Fogerty Canon
Hit: 3 Stars
Let's face it: John Fogerty has given the world of music enough to retire on his laurels any time he wishes.
This record makes me think that maybe it's time he did think about retiring. It's his first release that seems more motivated by commerce than art and an uncharacteristic triumph of form over substance. His art director wife seems to have contributed more to the project than John himself.
There's just not much of Fogerty on this album of covers. Compared to the original Blue Ridge Rangers album, where John played all the instruments and sang all the parts, this album has him lending lead vocals and some background acoustic guitar parts and leaving the heavy lifting to a crew of young hired guns.
The production is crisp, but the singing and arrangements bring little new to the material. The cover here of "When Will I Be Loved," for example, yields nothing that the Everly Brothers, the originators, or the great Linda Ronstadt have already.
And why in the world do we need a countrified version of John's own "Change in the Weather"?
John is important in rock & roll because of his songwriting, his singing, and his guitar playing, in that order. Unfortunately, only one in three of those roles is spotlighted here, and for anyone but the most rabid Fogerty fans, that's not enough.
Apparently he finds it very painful these days to write new songs, although he clearly still has the ability, as the excellent "Don't You Wish It Was True" on "Revival" proved beyond doubt. One hopes that it's not too late for him to exorcise the demons that have caused him to equate songwriting with getting ripped off by a wide variety of parasites and rediscover the joy of creating the simple but unforgettable songs for which he is justifiably famous.
Until or unless that happens, he might as well devote himself to raising his kids as best he can, preferably giving them love rather than money earned from fans deserving better than this listless effort.