Baker's Dozen

Although best known as the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for the legendary Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty has amassed an impressive, if understated, solo catalog. His post-CCR work finds the journeyman exploring old blues and country standards (The Blue Ridge Rangers, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again), polished pop gems (Centerfield) and, of course, his trademark swamp rock boogie (Revival, Blue Moon Swamp). Here are 13 of my lesser known Fogerty favorites (in no particular order).

“Paradise”

from The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again

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The lead track off his second collection of country and blues standards from the classic American songbook finds Fogerty revisiting John Prine’s wistful bluegrass song, “Paradise.” It’s an ode to the simple pleasures of childhood, memories of visiting his father’s hometown in the hills of Western Kentucky. However, the nostalgia of the track is tempered by the reality of the community’s demise due to the death of the coal mining industry. Fogerty ably handles this bittersweet gem.

“Creedence Song”

from Revival

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Fogerty boldly and blatantly revisits his past in this chooglin’ stomper off Revival. Borrowing a riff from CCR’s “Green River,” Fogerty gives himself a deserved pat on the back as he relates “how you can’t wrong/If you play a little bit of that Creedence song.” I couldn’t agree more.

“Mr. Greed”

from Centerfield

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Anyone who knows about Fogerty’s epic struggles with his former boss at Fantasy Records knows who this song is directed at. The royalties dispute with Fantasy kept Fogerty idle for 10 years until Centerfield was released to great fanfare in 1985. He didn’t waste any time in throwing down the gauntlet, as this bayou burner aims for the jugular: “You bring no honor to the game/you feast upon the blood and pain/But the bones you hoard can only bring you shame/There’s corruption in your path, be that your epitaph, Mr. Greed.”

“Honey Do”

from Deja Vu All Over Again

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A master stylist, Fogerty channels Elvis on this acoustic rockabilly number from 2004’s Deja Vu All Over Again. While arguably best loved for his intense, ominous, and often politically charged CCR anthems (”Fortunate Son” “Run Through The Jungle”), Fogerty can also deliver on the lighter fare, as this charmer about the rigors of farming attests.

“Blue Moon Nights”

from Blue Moon Swamp

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One of Fogerty’s strongest solo records, Blue Moon Swamp is chock full of mid-tempo roots rockers that amble by with ease and grace. A highlight from this collection is “Blue Moon Nights,” a country-tinged track that sounds as classic as vintage George Jones blasting from a juke box.

“She Thinks I Still Care”

from The Blue Ridge Rangers

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Speaking of George Jones, “She Thinks I Still Care” is one of the legend’s great country weepers and Fogerty delights with the version he recorded for his 1974 solo debut, The Blue Ridge Rangers. Not risking a repeat of the acrimony-laden demise of CCR, Fogerty went this one alone, recording the entire album by himself. I guess you can call him the Lone Ranger. There was always a country undertone to CCR’s brand of Southern rock and on “She Thinks I Still Care” Fogerty proves he knows his way around the genre.

“Change In The Weather”

from Eye Of The Zombie

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Eye of the Zombie from 1986 was the one misstep in a solid career that’s spanned nearly 40 years. Overproduced and hollow, the album features uninspired rockers and a few odd R&B experiments that fall flat on their faces. Even Fogerty himself has written off the record, having never performed a track from it in over 20 years …until now, that is. For his 2009 tour and his latest album, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, Fogerty dusted off the one bright spot from Zombie, the mini-epic, “Change In The Weather.” Give it a listen, and like me, maybe you’ll find the one saving grace of a dreadful gaffaw.

“Green River”

from Premonition

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Fans were overjoyed when in 1997, after a 25 years hiatus, Fogerty started to revisit his CCR catalog during live shows. His first solo live record, Premonition, captured this momentous occasion, with Fogerty and his band ripping through a bevy of Creedence gems alongside some of his better solo cuts. The version of “Green River” featured here is a killer, as if the bayou calling him home energized the veteran rocker: “Well, take me back down where cool water flows, y’all/Let me remember things I love.”

“Bootleg”

from The Long Road Home – In Concert

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It seems as if Fogerty caught the CCR bug again. Nine years after his first live solo album, Fogerty returned with yet another stellar collection overflowing with Creedence goodness. This time around “Bootleg” stands out, with Fogerty and his backing band giving the 1969 original a run for its money.

“Haunted House”

from The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again

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Dancing fiddles and deep twangs from an electric guitar fuel this country stomper from The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again. A cover of an obscure ’60s track by Jumpin’ Gene Simmons, Fogerty sounds downright giddy as he defiantly tells the ghost inhabiting his new house that “ain’t no haint gonna run me off.”

“Big Train (From Memphis)”

from Centerfield

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Fogerty channels his inner Johnny Cash on this stellar track from his 1985 comeback album, Centerfield. It features an irresistibly grooving bassline and some magnificent fretwork. I distinctly remember purchasing this record (er…cassette) when I was 13 years old, and it was this bouncy tune that really opened my ears to country music and sent me on a journey to discover more. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon the source…Cash, Buck, Hank…Merle…

“Please Help Me, I’m Falling”

from The Blue Ridge Rangers

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Although I’m a huge fan of Fogerty’s trademark swamp rock that dominated his work with CCR, I tend to gravitate towards his more traditional C&W-flavored solo fare. “Please Help Me, I’m Falling” fits squarely in this camp. A classic country weeper originally recorded by Hank Locklin, the song is the perfect dancefloor ballad, peppered by some great saloon-style piano courtesy of the lone Ranger.

“Rambunctious Boy”

from Blue Moon Swamp

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Fueled by Fogerty’s sitar, “Rambunctious Boy” adds an Eastern twist to a Western-style honky tonk rave-up.

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