Album Reviews

Grand Funk Railroad proclaimed itself “an American band,” but CCR was arguably, the American band of the late '60's early '70's rock era. Even if Fogerty and Co. was not your premier domestic purveyor of rock'n roll, the group's sound has stood the test of time and actually grown in stature. Dredged from blues, swamp, and rhythm and blues, and overlaid with a now-classic propulsive '60's rock sensibility, CCR today still sounds fresh and remarkably pure, even as so much of the music from back then sounds “of the time.”

Between 1968 and 1972, the quartet released 7 studio LPs, beginning with its eponymous debut. While the music on the album immediately established the distinctive template from which all of the group's music would spring, the cover art's pseudo-Civil War look was trite from the get-go. The set's highlights, “I Put a Spell on You,” and an extended version of “Suzie Q” were covers, but Fogerty's big, raspy voice fronting the band's hard-edged sound made both new again and helped establish the group's identity with the record buying public. A shortened version of “Suzie Q” reached #11 on the Billboard charts.

Bayou Country, with its strong set of “hanging moss” tunes, and thickly textured swamp sounds made these boys from the Bay area sound as if they hailed from Louisiana, which was fine with Fogerty, who was digging musical roots more than the then fading San Francisco psychedelic scene. “Born on the Bayou,” “Penthouse Pauper,” and of course “Proud Mary,” further established the group's sound, and Fogerty's skill as a tunesmith.

The fall of 1969 saw the release of Green River, a harder-edged set including more “instant classic” Fogerty tunes like “Green River,” “Commotion,” “Tombstone Shadow,” and of course the ominous “Bad Moon Rising,” and “Lodi.” As a mood capturer and as a statement of musical purpose, the album was the group's pinnacle and included Fogerty's most forceful and focused writing.

Willy and the Poorboys came next. It was folkier, darker yet, and with the inclusion of the bitter “Fortunate Son,” more political, but not overtly so.

Cosmo's Factory containing the anti-Vietnam war “Who Will Stop the Rain,” was yet another chart topper. It was jumpier and edgier than the previous album, and came packed with lesser known hits like “Travelin' Band,” and “Up Around the Bend.”

Pendulum recorded in the Fall of 1970 was the group's sixth album in two years and the last John Fogerty would produce for the band. It included the aching “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” and signaled the band's eminent break-up. Fogerty's older brother Tom had been standing in the shadows all of this time and wanted more mike time. When it wasn't forthcoming, he quit the group.

The group's bitter finale, Mardi Gras recorded winter of 1972 includes “Sweet Hitch-Hiker,” recorded earlier and the memorable, bittersweet “Some Day Never Comes.” The set included tunes by the two remaining group members, drummer Doug Clifford and bassist Stu Cook. They had their final say and then CCR was no more.

The parting must have been extremely acrimonious. As with The Rascals, if CCR regrouped and toured, fans would turn out in droves, but apparently the acclaim, not to mention the money is not enough to mend the broken fences.

In 1975, “Bad Moon Rising,” and “Proud Mary,” originally mixed “narrow,” so they could be easily summed to mono for radio airplay, were remixed in “wide” stereo and in quad for release on a quadraphonic LP. As Steve Hoffman notes in his part of the annotation, neither of these mixes has the “magic” of the original, nonetheless they are exciting to hear, and the 3 other tunes at 45rpm (“Lodi,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” and “Penthouse Pauper,” sound explosive mastered at the higher speed on the bonus 12” 45.

The box isn't cheap, but it is a collection of classic albums-there's not really dud in the bunch- and they have never sounded better, which is not to say they all sound great. Not even Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray can work miracles. You can't make a mediocre recording sound great, but these guys make the most out of what's on the tapes, some of which were very good.

Finally there's the presentation, which is first class. The full sized, full color booklet includes veteran rock writer Ben Fong-Torres's lucid liner notes, and a collection of fabulous publicity shots sumptuously presented. The last page includes Steve Hoffman's notes about the reissue production and information on the original recordings and mixes, along with tape box photos.

It all comes in a sturdy box, with foil embossed cover. A numbered, limited edition treasure. CCR fans rejoice! The rest of you can pick and choose from among the individual albums, also available from Analogue Productions on both LP and hybrid SACD. Also available: an SACD box set, a special set of box highlights pressed at 45rpm and individual “best of”s pressed at 45rpm.