Disco de Creedence Clearwater Revival: “Creedence Clearwater Revival”

As others have mentioned here, the musical content of this record is of the highest quality, but the sound quality of the remaster leaves a little to be desired. It may be the best CD version of this album yet, but as seems to be the case with many 70s remasters (like Zeppelin) modern day engineers insist on clipping the digital signal on the disc, which is especially evident here on the cymbals. I understand the need to make these classic rock albums sound more "loud", "rock" and "hard hitting", but not all of us listen to these albums on our car stereo or home theatre system. Not to sound like an old record, but the original vinyl is still leagues better than this remaster. I look forward to hearing the SACD.

CCR had been playing together since 1959 and as early as early as 1964 were releasing singles in Southern California as the Golliwogs--including "Walking on Water" (in 1966), which would be re-recorded for their Fantasy debut.

Despite the lengthy jam on the 8-minute cover of Dale Hawkins' "Suzie Q," CCR had turned its back on the psychedelia of the San Francisco sound and present a fresh, back-to-basics sound on their debut. Although all the CCR trademarks were in place--John Fogerty's smooth-as-sandpaper vocals and swamp-rock lead guitar work--only "Suzie Q" dented the Top 40. Another cover, "I put a Spell on You," only reached No. 58. Their debut featured yet another cover, Wilson Pickett's "Ninety-Nine And a Half."

While Fogerty provided strong originals like "The Working Man" and "Porterville," it wouldn't be until their sophomore effort that the band would chart with a John Fogerty-penned song. [It's worth noting that though the band had 7 million-selling singles and four of them reached the No. 2 spot over a span of four years, CCR never had a No. 1 single.]

While their self-titled debut is not the strongest of their career--that honor goes to Green River and Willy & the Poor Boys--this is required listening to fully appreciate the CCR history. Buy this album and enjoy one of the greatest American bands in popular music history. RECOMMENDED

As a fan of all the CCR music, I found this cd quality and sound to be of excellent quality.

Not many people would cite Creedence Clearwater Revival's debut LP from 1968 as their favorite CCR album, but I wonder how many people would join me in ranking it number two or three? My personal favorite is 'Bayou Country', but this raw opening act from John Fogerty and company doesn't rank far behind. There isn't a poor track on the disc, and because each CCR album possesses its own particular flavor, there is really nothing else like it. This CCR disc is distinguished by its raw, youthful energy, and the absence of the 'swamp sound' that permeated much of their later work. It's heavy into a blues-rock sound, supported by three exceptional covers.

Creedence Clearwater has always been one of the finest cover bands on God's green Earth, and it all began with their eight and one-half minute cover of Dale Hawkin's 'Suzie Q', which rose to number eleven on the national charts in September of 1968. It's pretty standard rock and roll, with radiating lead guitar solo's from John Fogarty, and mere hints of the psychedelic, acid-rock sound that was permeating popular music at the time. The original vinyl also included a robust cover of Screamin' J. Hawkins 'I Put a Spell On You', the opener for side one, and Steve Cropper and Wilson Pickett's 1964 composition, 'Ninety-Nine and a Half', which opened side two. 'The Working Man' is the second track, the first John Fogarty composition offered, and perhaps the most undistinguished track on the disc.

Side two was composed entirely of tracks written by John, with some help on 'Gloomy' from brother, and rhythm guitarist, Tom. While side two really couldn't hold a candle to side one, each track has something tangible to offer. The weakest track was the generic blues opener, 'Get Down Woman'. That track, along with the following number, 'Porterville', both possess catchy vocal hooks, while the two remaining tracks, 'Gloomy' and 'Walking On the Water', owe their claim to worthiness to instrumental hooks.

This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the stunning quality of the 20 Bit K2 Super Coding remastering process being employed on CCR's discs. I owned this disc on vinyl in the 1960's, and I never heard such vibrant tones as this process produces. It's well worth the extra expense involved to acquire this state-of-the-art technology. Aside from that, the only other stand-out aspect of the package is the elegant, Southern bayou feel and charm of the cover photograph of the band and graphic frame. I've always considered it one of the more appealing pieces of art from 1960's album covers. If you've never had the opportunity to hear CCR's debut LP, do yourself a favor and indulge.

When I first heard "Suzy Q,", the single on pop radio, I hated it. The simple lyrics were inane. When I heard the album version of the song in its entirety, I thought the song as a piece of musical brilliance. The instrumentation just screamed a darker vibe than "I love you my Suzy Q." (By contrast, "Bad Moon Rising," which is the first song on the "Green River" album, has extremely dark lyrics completely unsupported by a toe-tapping joyous musical beat). This first album by Creedence shows raw emotions in tasteful solos and steady rhythms. It's their most bluesy album. What has always made Creedence stand out as a band has been their uncanny ability to play music that has roots, yet have a commercial appeal at the same time. This album, unfiltered by any previous success, puts John Fogerty with artistic rage written all over it. Check out the songs. You could feel the alienation in "Porterville," the paranoia in "Walk on the Water," the domination in "I Put a Spell on You." and the pure joy and plaintiveness of "Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)." As an artist, he and the band convey it all, convincingly. This album may not be as accessible to the general public as say "Willie and the Poor Boys," but this group deserves all the accolades it gets in this album for tapping into a true and satsfying musical assault.