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Rating: During the year of grace 1969, there was a man in America named John Cameron Fogerty, who sang and played the guitar and a great number of other instruments in a band called Creedence Clearwater Revival. Creedence was a name of a person (it seems the person in question was called Creedence Newball), Clearwater was inspired by a TV commercial about cleaning rivers (it said "It's cool, clear water"), while Revival was indicative of the group's way of understanding the traditions and roots of all music that could fall under the term "americana". At that time, the inspiration of John and his companions Tom, Doug, and Stu was at its peak and continued to churn out an impressive series of top-notch albums and singles, including this gem titled "Willy and the Poor Boys".
There are ten episodes, all (perhaps excluding "Poorboy Shuffle," little more than a folk improvisation) of enormous quality, starting with "Down on the Corner," probably one of the greatest ever-greens of all time, "It Came Out of the Sky," yet another example of how a rock'n'roll track should be, simple, direct, and powerful at the same time. The obligatory cover is "Cotton Fields" by Huddie Ledbetter, a song about the slavery of blacks who cultivated cotton fields. "Feelin' Blue" is a sharp swamp-song with John Fogerty’s essential guitar riff. With "Fortunate Son," it's rough rock'n'roll with John Fogerty's voice dirty and deadly at the same time. "This is a country song I wrote a short while ago". With these words, John used to introduce "Don't Look Now" in concerts, a fast country of just over two minutes. One of the many peaks of the album is the wonderful adaptation of a traditional American folk song, "The Midnight Special," a piece that probably had to have passed by Woody Guthrie's territory (I don't remember the author, but perhaps it was him), a song about trains, stations, and the poor life. The instrumental "Side O' the Road" is an example of the band's great cohesion, featuring excellent solo guitar by John and the precision and metronomy of Doug's bass and Stu's drums. The closing "Effigy" is a rock-blues of great impact that also leaves room for guitar improvisations (never over the top, to be honest, and always within certain parameters as was typical of the CCR).
An absolutely fantastic record that every good fan of American music must have in their personal collection. Here, we talked about simple and direct pieces. Probably simplicity was the number one prerogative of the CCR; it may seem like a limitation, but in music, it absolutely isn't; let's remember that being simple in music is NOT absolutely simple, quite the opposite. Enjoy listening.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Down on the Corner (02:49)
Early in the evenin' just about supper time,
Over by the courthouse they're starting to unwind.
Four kids on the corner trying to bring you up.
Willy picks a tune out and he blows it on the harp.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Rooster hits the washboard and people just got to smile,
Blinky thumps the gut bass and solos for a while.
Poorboy twangs the rhythm out on his kalamazoo.
And Willy goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
You don't need a penny just to hang around,
But if you've got a nickel, won't you lay your money down?
Over on the corner there's a happy noise.
People come from all around to watch the magic boy.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet.
02 It Came Out of the Sky (02:57)
Oh, It Came Out Of The Sky, landed just a little south of Moline.
Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn't b'lieve what he seen.
Laid on the ground a-shakin', fearin' for his life.
Then he ran all the way to town screamin' "It Came Out Of The Sky."
Well, a crowd gathered 'round and a scientist said it was marsh gas.
Spiro came and made a speech about raising the Mars tax.
The Vatican said, "Woe, the Lord has come".
Hollywood rushed out an epic film.
and Ronnie the popular said it was a communist plot.
Oh, the newspapers came and made Jody a national hero.
Walter and Eric said they'd put him on a network T.V. show.
The White House said, "Put the thing in the Blue Room".
The Vatican said, "No, it belongs to Rome."
And Jody said, "It's mine and you can have it for seventeen million."
Oh, It Came Out Of The Sky, landed just a little south of Moline.
Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn't b'lieve what he seen.
Laid on the ground a shakin', fearin' for his life.
Then he ran all the way to town screamin' "It Came Out Of The Sky."
Oh!
03 Cotton Fields (02:57)
When I was a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was down in Louisiana
Just a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home
It may sound a little funny
But you didn't make very much money
In them old cotton fields back home
It may sound a little funny
But you didn't make very much money
In them old cotton fields back home
Oh when those cotton balls get rotten
You can't pick you very much cotton
In them old cotton fields back home
It was down in Louisiana
Just a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home
I was over in Arkansas
People ask me what you come here for
In them old cotton fields back home
I was over in Arkansas
People ask me what you come here for
In them old cotton fields back home
04 Poorboy Shuffle (02:25)
(at the very faint beginning:)
Poorboy Shuffle.
OK. Is it workin'?
You heard it. Ha Ha Ha!
Hey Rooster! Hey, Rooster!
(laughter)
HEY!
(instrumental)
06 Fortunate Son (02:22)
Some folks are born made to wave the flag
ooh, they're red, white and blue
And when the band plays "Hail To The Chief"
oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no senator's son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman come to the door
Lord, the house look a like a rummage sale, yes
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no
Yeah, some folks inherit star spangled eyes
ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask them, how much should we give
oh, they only answer, more, more, more, yoh
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no military son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no no no
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate son, no no no
08 The Midnight Special (04:15)
Well, you wake up in the mornin', you hear the work bell ring,
And they march you to the table to see the same old thing.
Ain't no food upon the table, and no pork up in the pan.
But you better not complain, boy, you get in trouble with the man.
CHORUS:
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine a everlovin' light on me.
Yonder come miss Rosie, how in the world did you know?
By the way she wears her apron, and the clothes she wore.
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand;
She come to see the gov'nor, she wants to free her man.
CHORUS
If you're ever in Houston, well, you better do the right;
You better not gamble, there, you better not fight, at all
Or the sheriff will grab ya and the boys will bring you down.
The next thing you know, boy, Oh! You're prison bound.
CHORUS
CHORUS
10 Effigy (06:34)
Last night
I saw a fire burning on
The palace lawn.
O'er the land
The humble subjects watched in mixed
Emotion.
CHORUS:
Who is burnin'?
Who is burnin'?
Effigy.
Who is burnin'?
Who is burnin'?
Effigy.
Last night
I saw the fire spreadin' to
The palace door.
Silent majority
Weren't keepin' quiet
Anymore.
CHORUS
Last night
I saw the fire spreadin' to
The country side.
In the mornin'
Few were left to watch
The ashes die.
CHORUS
Why?
Why?
Why?
Effigy.
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