Creedence Clearwater Revival

It should be obvious by now that Creedence Clearwater Revival is one great rock and roll
band. Cosmo's Factory, the group's fifth album, is another good reason why. Four of the
eleven cuts have been on previous hit singles; John Fogerty wrote three of the remaining
seven, only one of which, "Ramble Tamble," is unsatisfying. Apart from prolific writing,
Fogerty's ability to consistently churn out good stuff is largely due to his pencha... More >

A lover of rock and roll, not rock, John Fogerty serves up his progress in modest and reliable doses. The songwriting's not as inspired as on Willy and the Poorboys--no hidden treasures like "Don't Look Now" or "It Came Out of the Sky." But the sound is fuller, the band more coherent, Fogerty's singing more subtle and assured, so that a straightforward choogle like "Ramble Tamble" holds up simply as music for seven minutes. The same goes for the most ordinary three-minute job here--finally, none of them are ordinary. The triumphs are "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," which consummates "Suzie Q"'s artless concept of rock improvisation, and "Lookin' Out My Back Door," in which Fogerty abandons his gritty timbre--so obviously an affectation, yet so natural-seeming--for a near-tenor that sweetly synthesizes spirituality and whimsy. (Grade: A)