John Fogerty - Revival

Grow up!

First let me say I think John Fogerty is one of the all time great voices in Rock and Roll. I loved CCR and I think Premonition is a great CD but let's get real. I had great expectations for Revival but one listen and it goes into the case to rarely be played again. Listening to it will only piss me off. Flower power was great when we were 25 and thought that the world would like us if only we were nicer. Enough with the rock stars who haven't matured past the stage of naivety. There are bad folks out there and they want us dead for no bigger sin than envy. I am an American and proud to be so. I am also a veteran and have served my country. I am not sure what qualifies the singer as an expert on foreign or domestic policy.

When we were young we all thought we had the answers. It was all black and white. We were so sure we were right that we were incredulous that the world just wouldn't listen to us. Then we grew up. At least some of us did. If you're in show business however you don't have to. You still have all the answers.

Great ! Live in your dream world. Remember however that there are some of us out here who have to live in the real world and we just want you to entertain us to take our minds off of our everyday trials and tribulations of trying to be good citizens, husbands, fathers, and grandfathers. We love rock and roll. We want to rock, not be lectured to by someone who's expertise on these matters is no more than our own.

John, not all rock and roll fans are liberals. June 23, 2008

John Fogerty-Revival

This is another great CD by John Fogerty. It has hints of CCR but for the most part all Fogerty. If you like CCR or Fogety your collection won't be compete without this CD. May 27, 2008

Fogerty's Back

Hard to believe, but John Fogerty is his old self again. He's shelved his acrimonious differences with former bandmates and record labels and gotten back to what he does best - writing great heartland rock songs. Fogerty hasn't sounded this enlivened since his Creedence heyday. I thought his "Centerfield" album was good, but this is even way better.

For a famous roots rocker, he draws inspiration from some interesting sources. "Summer Of Love" sounds like a hybrid pastiche of Cream's "White Room", Hendrix's "Foxy Lady", and the Doors' "Hello, I Love You". "Somebody Help Me" also seems influenced by these same artists. With its laundry-list lyrics of Bush administration failures, "Long Dark Night" is a nod to Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues". "I Can't Take It No More" is another anti-Bush diatribe that clocks in at just over a minute and a half, and reminds me of "Judy Is A Punk" by the Ramones. Is it possible Fogerty's been listening to them? Equally unlikely, the album closer "Longshot" borrows the riff from Deep Purple's "Woman From Tokyo".

Whatever it is he's doing or listening to - it's working for him. His voice is as good as ever, and all the songs still come out sounding like vintage Fogerty. This is a masterful return to form, and one of the best rock albums of recent years. May 11, 2008

I Dreamed John Fogerty Found the Fountain of Youth...

...then I woke up, bought "Revival" and discovered my dream had come true. Did you see the video of "Don't you Wish it Was True"? where he's got a whole shirt made from Snoop's blue Crips' bandana, can you believe it? I know, I jest. Man, this is his best since the "John Fogerty" album (you know, the one with "Almost Saturday Night"). I judge 4 of the first 5 songs on this CD as excellent; I particularly find revelatory, cut #5, "River is Waiting" which lets us know (maybe?) that John's been listening to the Subdudes Staxy-organy/gospilly--John Fogerty-esque sound? or not. Either way, sounds GREAT.! Did you know this guy can REALLY sing? Of course you did. IF the latter half of the CD has more ordinary chooglin/blues-based material, remember it was John who showed us how one could breath new life into that genre with killer, interesting or topical lyrics ("It Came out of the Sky" anyone?), and in this regard as well, this CD does not disappoint, "Brownie's in the Out house, Katrina on the line, gulf is a disaster, but Georgie says it's fine, Rummie's in the kitchen, messin' with the pans, Dickie's in the back stealin' everything he can...be a long dark night before this thing is done..."

"It Ain't Right" (Such a Waste of Life) is similarly great, and MIGHT be self-criticism concerning as it does the rock-star's life, rehab and whatnot...doesn't matter, either way it's a killer rocker, as is the next song, "I Can't take it no More,": "you know you lied about the casualties, you know you lied about the WMDs, you know you lied about the detainees, all over the world, Stop talkin' bout stayin the course, you keep a beatin that old dead horse, you know you lied about how we went to war, I can't take it no more...sick and tired of your dirty little war, I can't take it no more..." If like me you really appreciate good lyrics--so naturally, have been buying more hip-hop CD's than rock during the past 20 years or so, you can't help but be moved by the couplet John uses in "Somebody Help Me": "Somebody Help me, there's somethin' goin' wrong, somebody help me, I can't do this alone..." Do what alone? Save rock and roll, save the country, or save the world?

For God's sake: help the man out, people!!



A show of credentials: on childhood family vacation to Memphis, we got aboard a multi-story paddle boat, and there was a juke box. Could there be? I mean, there MUST have been a CCR song on there, to hear his voice as we chugged along the Mississippi, right? Well, no "Proud Mary," but they DID have their most recent hit, "Sweet Hitchhiker" and yes, it sounded great. Later, when I moved to the Bay Area from Texas in 1981, I chose El Cerrito to live, because that's where I read John and CCR were from. I think I got it off the back of a Golliwogs album...Now, where is that Duckee Market from "Poor Boys"...? Is THAT it? etc. April 28, 2008

CCR Part II

I love this man. You know all about CCR. Like them? Then take my advice and go buy this gem. April 22, 2008

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