Artist Retrospective #28 — Creedence Clearwater Revival

Hopping over to the other side of the Atlantic for our next installment, we have pioneers of Swamp Rock, Creedence Clearwater Revival, a band for whom most songs would feel right at home in the voice of a Louisiana Bayou-Dweller who’s smoked 20-a-day for the past 30 years (impressive for music written and performed by a 24 year old from California).

A slight variant on our “Yer Da” theme, this is more “Yer Pa” rock.

An exceptionally prolific band (check the dates, barring their difficult 7th and final album they released 6 albums in 3 years), they have a solid and reliable blues rock sound, but did start to push into more experimental places as they went on (again, ignoring their last one, which you don’t need to listen to).

While Cosmo’s Factory is my ultimate recommendation, I’m almost inclined to suggest a full run through yourself, as the early albums are short (~30 mins) and are consistently at least ‘good’, with frequent stone-cold classic hits throughout, but they are a little rudimentary and straightforward. Having that context when Ramble Tamble begins to unspool into a vamping, accelerating wail of a jam session out of nowhere, makes the the opening of Cosmo’s Factory hit like a train.

Were it not for the Trainwreckord of Mari Gras they’d be tied at the #6 slot on the list, unfortunately the BATMAN system isn’t that flexible.

7 — Mardi Gras (1972) — 3/10
6 — Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968) — 6/10
5 — Bayou Country (1969) — 6/10
4 — Pendulum (1970) — 7/10
3 — Green River (1969) — 7.5/10
2 — Willy and the Poor Boys (1969) — 8/10
1 — Cosmo’s Factory (1970) — 9/10

Bob Average ᵀᴹ — 6.64/10