Ccr - Green River (Dig)

swamp rock

One of my first albums. Still holds up after all this time. How could these guys not be from the swamp! November 11, 2008

The Great American Band's first completely original effort

With Concord Music Group having purchased the Fantasy catalog, the fortieth anniversary of Creedence Clearwater Revival's debut LP provides a suitable opportunity for a fresh round of reissues. All six of the original foursome's albums (from 1968's Creedence Clearwater Revival through 1970's Pendulum) have been struck from new digital masters and augmented by previously unreleased tracks. Those who purchased the 2001 box set can pick up most of the bonus tracks separately as digital downloads (the two longest bonuses are CD-only). Those who didn't buy the box, and think they'll buy all six reissues may want to consider the box set for its inclusion of pre-Creedence work from the Blue Velvets and Golliwogs, the seventh CCR album Mardi Gras, the 1970-71 live recordings and several box-only bonuses. But for those just wanting to pick up a few favorite albums, these reissues are the ticket. Each is presented in a digipack with original front and back cover album art and a 16-page booklet with photos, credits and new liner notes.

Creedence's third album (their second for 1969), Green River, is their first completely original effort as a band. Gone are the lengthy San Francisco jams, replaced by concisely written and arranged songs that concentrate Fogerty's evocations of an idealized South. The album opens with the title track's sumptuous memory of a mythical childhood, a song so deeply soaked in Southern swamps that it's hard to imagine it being written in the urban hills of California's Bay Area. The Fogerty brothers intertwine their twangy electric guitars with familial telepathy. The sound first explored on Bayou Country is now heard on every cut, mellowing the blue "Tombstone Shadow" and providing an introspective stage for Fogerty's ballads. Even the frantic "Commotion" is given a Cajun base for its lyrics of a country boy demolished by the city's hyperactivity. Fogerty's social conscience stretches biblical allusions to then present day situations on "Wrote a Song for Everyone," and with "Bad Moon Rising" the visions turn catastrophic. There's a great deal more darkness here than on any other Creedence LP.

Fogerty's guitar could be sinewy or ring with the influences of Chet Atkins, as does his solo on "Cross-Tie Walker." Country music also makes an impact on the sorrowful, highly personal lyric of "Lodi." The album closes with its sole cover, a slow rockabilly take on Ray Charles' blue-soul "The Night Time is the Right Time." The 2008 CD's bonus tracks include a pair of pre-LP backing tracks that were never completed, the country-shuffle "Broken Spoke Shuffle" and the twangy "Glory Be." Also here is a trio of live tracks from the group's 1971 European tour. "Bad Moon Rising" is rushed (as are so many songs played live), a medley of "Green River" and "Suzie Q" is condensed to four-and-a-half-minutes, pointing out the two songs' similarities more than giving the latter its full due, and "Lodi" is a fittingly weary lyric for a band reduced to three of its original four members. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com] October 5, 2008

2008 Reissue of "Green River"

"Green River" is one of Creedence Clearwater Revival's best albums. Of course, all 6 albums released by CCR in 1968-1970 are essential, but "Green River," an album that yielded 4 hit singles and went to #1, was the album that really established CCR's fame. Before this album, they only had one true hit, "Proud Mary." Personally, I probably prefer "Willy and the Poorboys," but since all 6 true CCR albums are so solid, it is hard to choose a favorite.

"Green River" features the best non-hit CCR song, "Wrote a Song for Everyone." All of the songs are great, with a dark undertone to all of them, except the cover "Night Time Is the Right Time," the weakest track here. It is easy to see why this album was so popular in the summer of 1969, a time of intense turmoil for the country. This album perfectly reflected a time when the country might be seen as teetering on the brink of implosion.

The album sounds great on this reissue, but the original album sounded great too. I wouldn't expect the bonus tracks to be revelatory, since a band that released 6 albums in little more than 2 years would hardly have left much on the cutting room floor. There are 5 bonus tracks on "Green River," 2 unfinished studio cuts (no vocals) and 3 live tracks from the 1971 European tour. "Glory Be" actually sounds like it could be a great song, a real fast rocker a la "Commotion." "Broken Spoke Shuffle" is a generic instrumental workout. The 3 live tracks show that CCR merely duplicated their songs in live performance, without straying very far, only offering an extended solo on "Green River" that segues into "Susie Q."

This is a great album, but if you already own it on CD, you're not getting much from this reissue but some non-essential bonus tracks and a slightly improved sound. October 2, 2008

just rock on guys

If you've heard at least three CCR songs in your lifetime and enjoyed them, guess what? You WILL find a lot to like about Green River. It's an entire albums worth of that same raw bluesy sound and style. It's just a great album if you like that sound, and nothing more really needs to be said, so please, pick it up as soon as you possibly can and experience just one of many reasons why the classic rock of the 60's and 70's deserves to be loved and remembered forever (oh, and sorry for sounding like a classic rock fanboy).

May 20, 2008

Of Course It's A 5

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RUJD3FD64FBL3 I can't add anything to the 5 star reviews except to demo how good "Bad Moon Rising" is for JumpRock. I wish I could give it an 8 to offset the three 4 star reviews, none of which give a reason for the downgrade. It's not that I'm obsessive, it's just that I care about justice so very, very, very much - especially for millionare (I assume) rock and rollers like CCR - and good on 'em. February 21, 2008

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