Vinyl Vault

What a year 1969 was for Creedence Clearwater Revival. The San Francisco-based quartet followed up their 1968 debut album with three more smash records and four hit singles. Today we’ll take a look back at Bayou Country and Green River, their first two albums from that momentous year, putting them to the song-by-song review test to see what made 1969 so special for CCR.

Side A

  A1. “Born on the Bayou”
Much like Canadian Robbie Robertson painted some of the most definitive pictures of the American South, John Fogerty, hailing from the Bay Area, told the stories that gave many Americans their mental image of the Bayou. Sailing over a locked-in groove highlighted by Doug Clifford’s cymbal-heavy drums, Fogerty unleashes that unforgettable riff and banshee wail. We may not know exactly what it’s like to be “chasin down a hoodoo,” but it sure sounds exhilarating.

  A2. “Bootleg”
Fogerty’s slurred vocals (some in French) are a hoot, and the acoustic groove is hard to deny, but the track doesn’t grab your attention.

  A3. “Graveyard Train”
The band aims for bluesy transcendence here, and Fogerty howls like a man possessed in this dark tale. But at over eight minutes, the groove is just not powerful enough to warrant the excess. Cool harmonica solo, though.

Side B

  B1. “Good Golly Miss Molly”
The band was always an expert at cover material, and this is no exception. Very few men could approach the singing chops of Little Richard, but Fogerty is one of them. His guitar solos are scorchers as well, and Clifford stars with his peppery beat and fills.

  B2. “Penthouse Pauper”
The rhythm section of Clifford and bassist Stu Cook is right on top of this bluesy track, allowing Fogerty to go on squealing lead runs while indulging in some lyrical boasting, before he reveals that he’s actually a great pretender.

  B3. “Proud Mary”
John Fogerty finds salvation on the river, an idyllic setting free from the pressures of city life. Brother Tom’s rhythm guitar gives the song a nice hint of melancholy, but the track, for all its exalted status, has always seemed a bit sleepy to me.

  B4. “Keep on Chooglin’”
So what’s your definition of “chooglin’”? Or, as Fogerty pronounces it throughout the song, “chew-glay-in”? My guess is that it’s the exact sound produced in the torrid guitar and harmonica solos that sizzle above the insistent double-time beat. Too much fun to take to task for its self-indulgence, this song is a blistering way to send the people home.

Side A

  A1. “Green River”
This band seemed to have riffs for ages, didn’t they? The backwoods nostalgia is downright irresistible here on this smash single that reached #2 on the pop charts.

  A2. “Commotion”
Even though Fogerty’s pleas to escape the hubbub of civilization are a bit well-worn, the stomping beat and gritty guitar work carry this song over nicely.

  A3. “Tombstone Shadow”
The band’s energy never wavers and they always turn in a solid performance no matter the song, but this blues doesn’t really bring anything new to the table.

  A4. “Wrote a Song For Everyone”
Fogerty proves he can turn the energy down when necessary on this ballad. The band shows a light touch as well, bringing out the soul and gospel flavors while never losing their identity. One of CCR’s lost masterpieces.

Side B

  B1. “Bad Moon Rising”
One of Fogerty’s greatest strengths as a songwriter is his ability to couch modern concerns in seemingly ancient language. Many people in 1969 likely heard the “voice of rage and ruin” every time they turned on the news. A true evergreen, and deservedly so.

  B2. “Lodi”
A gentle performer’s lament becomes a universal paean to loneliness and the pitfalls of striking out on your own in this unforgiving world. Suddenly that mythical home in the swamp sounds like the best place on Earth.

  B3. “Cross-Tie Walker”
It’s got a similar groove to “Bad Moon Rising,” although with more of a bluesy twist. Not bad, but it suffers in comparison to the classics elsewhere on the album.

  B4. “Sinister Purpose”
Fogerty embodies pure evil on this track, and it never sounded so enticing. This is a blistering effort by the band, setting an apocalyptic groove as the frontman sings “Burn away the goodness/You and I remain.”

  B5. “Night Time Is the Right Time”
Taking on an R&B chestnut might seem like an odd choice, but the band’s clear affection for the impeccable source material makes all the difference in the world.

The Bottom Line

Green River has a much higher batting average than Bayou Country, which gets a bit mired down at times in its longer songs. But there’s no doubt that there have rarely been any bands on such a hot a streak as the one that Creedence rode in the late 1960’s.

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