Creedence Clearwater Revival
Chronicle

THE REVIEW

I can't believe no one has reviewed a Creedence album yet. Guys, what can I say? Let’s start from the Holy Scriptures. Ecclesiastes, chapter 3: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. [...] A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." Today, they would have added a time for De Andrè and a time for Creedence. Put aside the great geniuses of music, the poets, the socially engaged songwriters for a moment. Put on a Creedence album, hit the play button and let yourself be carried away by the music of these four cheerful good-for-nothing southerners. Let’s start..

"Born On The Bayou". Damn... Unfortunately, I was too young when I heard it for the first time. I wish I could remember the effect it had: you feel it coming from afar... slowly it grows, takes shape... the sinuous opening riff makes its way into the recesses of your mind... the rhythm becomes relentless, powerful, confident. And then the voice. "NOW, WHEN I WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY.." it sounds like it was shot from a rifle. And there it is, becoming one with the music... wow.
Snubbed by critics, considered by some "the most mediocre of the great rock bands", little more than car music, yet I challenge anyone in any bar, pub, or even the subway not to tap their foot or at least perk up their ears if the speakers shout a Creedence song in your face. Listen to the covers: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye they've turned into a ten-minute acid rock nightmare, punctuated by Doug Clifford's pulsating and precise drumming (without this hick, rock wouldn't have been what it is) and hypnotic guitar solos. They’ve entered legend as Creedence songs, not as songs by their respective authors. "I Put A Spell On You" by Jay Hawkins in the hands of John Fogerty becomes a heart-wrenching and furious soul ballad, perhaps his best vocal performance ever. I would have loved to see Van Morrison’s face when he heard it. Listen to that stuff... it seems like it came out of a Tarantino movie. "Suzie Q" makes you feel like a badass. It's cheeky. "I like the way you walk/ and I like the way you talk/ Suzie Q./ Oh Suzie Q. ...". Do we always have to be poetic? "I really like you a lot, Suzie Q. Shall we go to bed, Suzie Q?". "Bad Moon Rising"... drove me crazy as a kid, I wore out that cassette. "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" is the best, it’s among the best rock tracks of the '70s. "Run Through The Jungle" provides a brief pause. It’s a stunned reaction to the Vietnam War, a dark, imaginative song.

In short, what I want to tell you is: go on winmx, type "Creedence" in the search form and download the songs I mentioned. Or if you're wealthy, go buy yourself a Greatest Hits, or Cosmo's Factory, or Bayou Country... still here?