Disco de Creedence Clearwater Revival: “Bayou Country [Digipak]”

John C. Fogerty is the Huck Finn of rock n' roll (and for as long as he cared to, brother Tom served as his Tom Sawyer foil on rhythm guitar). If Samuel Clemens were alive today, he no doubt would be toe tapping to 'Born On the Bayou' and laughing about Huck "runnin' through the backwoods bare" with his "old hounddog barkin'... chasing down a hoodoo there". And J.C. delivers the vocals on 'Born...' with more gusto than even John Lennon summoned for his gravel-voiced marvel, 'Twist and Shout'.

This to me is the finest CCR album. It doesn't have the most hit songs ('Proud Mary' was [and still is] mercilessly overplayed as a number two hit), but this set hit me square between the eyes between my freshman and sophomore years in high school. I don't know if humans imprint, but indelibly etched in my brain cells is the memory of this album being played while I soaked up a warm summer evening at a beach on Lake St. Clair. Some freaks in the parking lot had 'Born On the Bayou' blaring from their car stereo, and it was one of those moments in early adolescence when you savor your budding sense of autonomy. Of course, in the early 1970's, all manner of freedom was breaking out everywhere, helping to frame this as a touchstone experience for me.

That's not to say there isn't great music on this album which speaks for itself. 'Born On the Bayou', 'Good Golly Miss Molly' (comparing it to Mitch Ryder's #4 hit version is like comparing apples and oranges, so I won't go there... suffice it to say that it rocks every bit as much, and features a driving lead guitar that cannot be denied), 'Bootleg', 'Penthouse Pauper', and 'Keep On Chooglin' (I guess they go chooglin' instead of truckin' down South) hold their own with any other highlights from Creedence albums.

Even more than their first album, 'Bayou Country' is a blues recording, with a thick overlay of the 'pop/swamp sound' that became their signiture. 'Bootleg' and 'Chooglin' are up-tempo blues, while 'Graveyard Train' (the only weak link in this set, and the primary reason this album is being denied 5 star status) and 'Penthouse Pauper' are more laid back. Fogarty's lead guitar solo's bend, fold, and mutilate, and several songs also include John belting out mouth harp (I call it a harmonica) solo's as well. Ironically, the 'odd-song out' is 'Proud Mary', the only composition (aside from 'Good Golly...') with enough 'pop' to make it a Top-40 candidate.

At under 35 minutes (8 1/2 claimed by 'Graveyard Train') this CD won't strain how you budget your time, so take the time to strain your budget to own it. The album declared CCR to be a major playa, and together with 'Green River' and 'Cosmo's Factory', solidified their status as an elite band in rock n' roll's glory years.

..., "Born On the Bayou" (which they continued to open with on gigs until they disbanded--and this was only their second album!), and the blues dirge "Graveyard Train". This one's deceptively repetitive--the same two-measure riff for nine minutes--but over top of it is a man's cry of anguish over an argument with his wife which ended with her roaring off in the car and smacking into a bus. Listen to this song and you'll agree--Our Hero ain't in no shape to deliver the eulogy. Take Johnny Cash's talent for a tale of woe, add Jim Morrison's emotional overdrive, and you've got it. The rest of the album's great, too. This era of music was the high-water mark of the album meant to be listened to a work in its own right instead of half-a-dozen singles glued together.

"Give me a year and I'll show you what we can do", declared John Fogerty. With BAYOU COUNTRY he proved he wasn't just blowing steam. "Proud Mary" has the distinction of being THE song that put CCR "on the map", Bob Dylan said it was HIS favorite song-- and my Dad, a part-time musician, got sick of getting REQUESTS to play it! (Many, MANY years later, he finally started to LIKE it.) Also here is "Born On The Bayou", the unforgettable album opener that to this day Fogerty opens his live shows with. (Hard to believe it was issued as a "B" side! ) And there's a rousing cover of Little Richard's "Good Golly Miss Molly" where CCR makes it their own! The album closes with the lengthy "Keep On Chooglin'", which, until "Travelin' Band", had been CCR's show-closer as well. As an album overall, I actually like their debut more than this one-- but it's a close call. (Now, um-- what exactly IS "chooglin'", anyhow?)

It's been said a million times already, and truthtully all I'm doing is repeating what's already been said by bigger and better people- Creedence Clearwater Revival is truly unique in every sense of the word.

Something must have been seriously wrong with me when I was younger, because "Born on the Bayou" never seemed particularly appealing to me back in the day. NOW however, I realize the error of my ways. Whatever it was I was smoking back then, the fact remains I definitely wasn't thinking or hearing very clearly because this is one HECK of an awesome tune. Best verse melody ever.

"Bootleg" is an extremely melodic little roots rock tune. A perfect song really. At least, a perfect example of what makes CCR so darn irresistible.

Some people have a problem with "Graveyard Train" because, to be honest, the verse melody is somewhat mindless. It sounds extremely simple, however, that's exactly why I love it so much. It's catchy, and the harmonica jam that appears later on is really good as well. An underrated track. Its only flaw is being 8 minutes long because it honestly only deserves to be about 4 or 5 minutes.

Would you like to hear solid proof that todays guitar players can't hold a candle to the older ones? Just listen to the guitar playing in "Penthouse Pauper". Upon hearing it, you can definitely tell it's stuck in the late 60's because a bunch of blues rock bands like Cream and Zeppelin were writing songs with similar implementation of the guitar work, however it's also distinctive enough to stand head and shoulders above most guitar rock of todays generation.

We all know "Proud Mary" to the point of memorization so there's no need to further explain its awesomeness, and the album closes with the very best song- "Keep On Chooglin". BRILLIANT guitar jam, BRILLIANT harmonica work, and BRILLIANT rhythm section. Seriously, it's perfect.

Creedence Clearwater Revival is an incredible band and there's a reason people still listen to them today. There's a reason radio stations still play their classic material. Bayou Country covers all the bands very best points and offers some underrated ones as well.

Bayou Country was the first huge break through for CCR. Technically they only had on single that was popular, but two of their very best songs appear on this collection. Every group has a break through album and this is theirs.

Proud Mary is of course one of the top R&R songs ever recorded and has been covered by numerous artists including Tina Turner.

This album also had Born on the Bayou, which to this day is my favorite CCR song of all times.

This is one of the classic albums of R&R and belongs in any library.