Disco de Creedence Clearwater Revival: “Green River”

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]

Be Warned. The quality of the download is not the same as the preview. the sound is grainy with background noise. it sounds like it was recorded in a tunnel!

Three consecutive albums, "Green River," "Willy and the Poorboys," and "Cosmo's Factory," mark the artistic highpoint of Creedence's career. This is the first of those three. "Green River" flows from start to end with one great song after another, all of them propelled by that super awesome trademark Creedence sound. This album is an essential part of any good rock and roll collection.

Although it lacks as many recognizable radio hits that dominate "Cosmo's Factory", this is probably the album with their BEST songs overall. The opening title track was a radio hit and is followed by the heartpounding "Commotion" and then the great "Tombstone Shadow". More good stuff is here in "Lodi", "Bad Moon Rising", and "Wrote a Song for Everyone".

Green River is with out a shadow of a doubt the best album that Creedence Clearwater Revival ever recorded! This was the last Creedence Clearwater Revival I bought, and I own them all so I know this is the best. This has been my favorite of the CCR albums ever since I bought it a few years back. This doesnt have a whole bunch of hit singles, though it does have a few.

'Green River' is not only the best album CCR ever made but its also my personal favorite CCR song. It has John Fogerty's greatest guitar riff, and the song as a whole is just killer! 'Commotion' is another great song of the album, it wasnt a big hit but it sure is a classic! 'Tombstone Shadow' is a really cool and erie song, its one of the best songs on Green River. 'Wrote A Song For Everyone' is one of my all time favorite CCR songs. 'Bad Moon Rising' and 'Lodi' are both big hits for CCR and 'Bad Moon' can get old after a while, but it sure does have a cool political message. 'Lodi' is the better song though. The rest of the album is slightly weak compared to the other songs but it is still very good.

This is the best CCR album you will ever buy, dont buy the best-of's because with a band like CCR you have to buy the albums to get all the really good songs. Dont miss out on this classic rock and roll album!