Even the most in-depth exploration of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Fantasy Records
catalog wouldn’t necessarily reveal that they hailed from the Bay Area.
Their glorious brand of stripped-down roots rock seemed to emanate
straight from the murky swamps of Louisiana and smoky juke joints
dotting the outskirts of Memphis, with a fierce musical attack that was
raw and primal.
CCR was one of the most important and commercially popular bands of the late 1960s and early ’70s, defined by John Fogerty’s whipsaw vocals, slashing lead guitar, and prolific muse. Their seminal albums for Fantasy Records (six platinum, the other gold) are loaded with timeless hits.
CCR was one of the most important and commercially popular bands of the late 1960s and early ’70s, defined by John Fogerty’s whipsaw vocals, slashing lead guitar, and prolific muse. Their seminal albums for Fantasy Records (six platinum, the other gold) are loaded with timeless hits.
Set for reissue on Nov. 11, Creedence Clearwater Revival: Boxed Set contains everything the rockers cut in the studio for Fantasy from 1967 to 1972 — their seven studio albums (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bayou Country, Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys, Cosmo’s Factory, Pendulum, and Mardi Gras)
packed with smashes (“Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down on the
Corner,” “Fortunate Son,” “Green River,” “Travelin’ Band,” “Up Around
the Bend,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”).
There’s nearly a disc-and-a-half
of live material from concerts at the Oakland Coliseum and across the
European continent as well, proving that CCR was as explosive onstage as
within the confines of the studio.
Also
on board are 25 1961-1967 rarities from the days when John, his brother
Tom (on rhythm guitar and some lead vocals), bassist Stu Cook, and
drummer Doug Clifford did business as Tommy Fogerty & the Blue
Velvets and then the Golliwogs. These hard-rocking garage band gems,
collectors’ items all, comprise the entire first disc of this box.
The
big difference between this edition of the CCR box and its acclaimed
2001 predecessor is its sleeker, highly attractive packaging. The
artwork highlights the band’s strong affinity for Kustom amplifiers in
all their Naugahyde-covered glory, paying clever tribute to CCR’s gritty
garage–rock roots in the process.
Its “amplified” cover looks like a
Kustom rig; prominently featured elsewhere is a photo of John and Doug
sharing an onstage high-five with one of those distinctive amps in the
background. It’s featured on the inner sleeve of each disc, divided into
six sections. When laid out together in the correct order, those six
individual sleeves create the full photograph. The joyous image is as
powerful as the music itself.
Comprehensive
liner notes by well-known rock journalists Ben Fong-Torres, Robert
Christgau, Ed Ward, Joel Selvin, Craig Werner, Alec Palao and Dave Marsh
expertly detail CCR’s career in the deluxe accompanying booklet, which
contains a plethora of vintage photos of the iconic band. No box set
will ever cover CCR’s history more comprehensively than this one — or do
it more attractively.
Check out Robert Kinsler's recent live review of John Fogerty in LA here:
http://rockwrite.blogspot.com/2013/10/john-fogerty-revisits-landmark-at-nokia.html
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