: Tony Thompson
: Creedence Clearwater Revival Every Album, Every Song
: Sonicbond Publishing
: 9781789524277
: 1
: CHF 8.70
:
: Musik
: English
: 128
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB

Creedence Clearwater Revival were a San Francisco band of the 1960s that had nothing to do with Human Be Ins, Timothy Leary, or the Summer of Love. They were, for a time, the most popular band in the US but never scored a number one hit. They were headliners at Woodstock but didn't appear in the film or on the soundtrack LP. They shared a radical 'back to basics' sensibility with The Band but were not embraced by the emerging rock press with anywhere near the same enthusiasm. While the punks were hunting dinosaur bands to extinction in 1977, Richard Hell covered one of their songs on his debut album. In the 1980s, as their songs became staples of 'classic rock' radio, they were revered by underground bands like The Gun Club, The Minutemen and The Scientists. As Butch said to Sundance, 'Who are those guys?'
In this book, a track-by-track analysis of all the band's recorded output, Tony Thompson rolls up the sleeves on his plaid shirt and prepares to answer the big questions. Who's Jody? What is chooglin'? Where is Green River? Why can't the singer leave Lodi? Who was the fortunate son? Is the bathroom on the right?


Tony Thompson is a Canadian writer based in Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of The Doors on track (Sonicbond 2021), Summer of Monsters (Walker Books 2014), and Shakespeare: The Most Famous Man in London (Black Dog Books 2009). His articles on books, music and education have appeared in The Age, The Australian, The Daily Review Australia, toppermost.co.uk and Eureka Street. He is a well-regarded speaker and has been a regular guest at the Melbourne Writers Festival and other literary events throughout Australia. He plays blues harmonica with great enthusiasm.
Chapter2

The Creedence Sound: Players, Influences, and Precursors


There is no one Creedence sound any more than there is one Rolling Stones sound or a single Beatles style. On every one of their seven albums, CCR experimented with different genres from song to song. Yet there is no mistaking one of their songs when it comes on the radio or a playlist. There is a difference between ‘Born on the Bayou’, for example, and ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain?’ but there is something, a particular quality, that identifies them as CCR songs.

Until their sixth and penultimate release,Pendulum, few other instruments are heard on Creedence albums. The ‘Buddy Holly’ formula – two guitars, bass, drums – is all that you are hearing on the majority of their 60 or so songs. By late 1960s standards, that qualified as minimalist in rock and roll and it set them apart. John Fogerty was a versatile and inventive guitar player, but he couldn’t have created the range of Creedence sounds alone.

The Players

Doug Clifford, drums

He is an underrated drummer and a key part of the Creedence sound. In 2013, John Fogerty recorded several Creedence songs with other acts for an album calledWrote A Song For Everyone. It has some charming moments, but I defy you to listen to any of the songs without feeling an immediate need to hear the original. There is something about Clifford and Fogerty’s chemistry that is missing in the updated versions. Clifford was never only a timekeeper. He’s following Fogerty’s vocal and lead guitar work at every step. There are great drummers and there are drummers who listen. Clifford is the latter. His timing, his ability to play rockabilly rhythms, and his poignant rolls are all integral.

Stu Cook, bass

His bass work is also underrated. Cook grew into the job. He was always a rock-solid part of the rhythm section, but by theWillie and the Poor Boys LP, a much more melodic side begins to emerge. Stu never overplays. He is part of that elite group in rock and roll of ‘smart’ bass players. Like Clifford, he is a listener who locates his place in the arrangement. He can fill it up or he can step back. The rockabilly style comes naturally, but he also shines on the R&B material and the more acoustic songs. Listen to thePendulum album on headphones with the bass turned up slightly. There is a lot going on.

Tom Fogerty, rhythm guitar

What was wonderful about Tom Fogerty’s guitar work was that he took his title seriously, meaning he wasn’t the frustrated second guitarist, riffing and slyly slipping in bits of lead work. He was part of the rhythm section. His style is a key element in their sound. Sometimes he is playing in tandem with John, sometimes, he’s quietly providing gentle up strokes way down in the mix. Creedence’s arrangements never sound busy or crowded. If he had been a different kind of player, they might have sounded, guitar-wise, more like Buffalo Springfield or even the Stones. There is no gladiatorial axe battle here. Like the others in the rhythm section, Tom used space rather than simply filling it.

John Fogerty, guitar, voice, harmonica, keys, saxophone

John Fogerty’s voice