Cincinnati Babyhead

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Album : Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival

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Opening riff of the first song  Green River,  yup that’s what CB wanted.  The voice,   beat, vibe.  The CCR sound.   The lyrics of this song are some of CB’s favorite.  The song conjures up so many images and feelings .  What a way to open up an album.  The next cut ‘Commotion’ is rock n roll the way Babyhead likes it.  Hard and gritty with an edge to it.  John Fogerty’s guitar and vocals do it.  ‘Tombstone Shadow’ continues with more no bullshit rock.  Nothing slick just straight ahead with more great lyrics, guitar and vocal.  ‘Wrote a Song’ changes the pace but is still in the same vein with the music, more of a country feel.  Love Fogerty’s lyrics and vocals on this one.  Not a bad song on the first side.   These guys played music that moved CB, simple as that.

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Side two opens with ‘Bad Moon’.  It’s just a good song.  They let their country influences into this one.  CB could see the ghost of Cash in this one.  ‘Lodi’ sticks with this vibe.  Some great vocals and lyrics in this one.  We’ve all been stuck in a “Lodi” sometime in our lives.  Fogerty just wrote real good songs.  ‘Cross – Tie Walker’  for all us train people and anyone who has walked on the rails.  The band gets back to a harder edge with ‘Sinister Purpose’.  Fogerty’s guitar always sounded good to CB and it sounds good on this one.  Liked his solos.  ‘Night Time’ ends the record.  A little do – wop thrown in with some more great vocals and guitar.   Rock n blues.   Listen to John wail and bend the strings on this one.  Fantastic!  No wonder I liked these guys.

Babyhead loved this music.  It hit a nerve with him and opened his ears to all sorts of influences.  It would help lead CB to more traditional country.  CCR was some of the earliest rock n roll he heard and it set a certain tone.  For one thing he didn’t need to think about whether he liked it or not.  It was instant and it had staying power.  A good album by a good band.

“I can hear the bullfrog calling me”  Think I’ll go catch one of them rascals.

 

 

 

 

40 comments on “Album : Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival”

  1. Vinyl Connection
    September 10, 2017

    Weren’t they just a fine rockin’ band? Don’t have much at all on vinyl, but the complete catalogue on CD is a must!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Aphoristical
      September 10, 2017

      Even Mardi Gras?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • cincinnatibabyhead
        September 10, 2017

        I don’t have that one. Or maybe I have it buried.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Aphoristical
        September 10, 2017

        It’s the last one, where John Fogerty shared songwriting and lead vocal duties with the rhythm section.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        September 10, 2017

        I dont have it. Other than a bunch of best of, the last studio album I think I have is Pendulum. There are some good cuts on Mardi Gras. Johns songs. Plus the Ricky Nelson tune who he was a big fan of.

        Liked by 1 person

    • cincinnatibabyhead
      September 10, 2017

      I remember you did a take. I just checked and it was ‘Bayou Country’. A fine take indeed. What are a couple spaced out guys like you and me (me anyway) listening to this “as raw as you can get” music? I think of ‘Bayou and ‘River’ as one. It really is good stuff!

      (All your travels in vinyl land and not much CCR?)

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  2. Thom Hickey
    September 10, 2017

    True classic. Such drive. Thom.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. hotfox63
    September 10, 2017

    The debut of CCR – short, clean and direct.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Jim S.
    September 10, 2017

    I was reading this and when I saw ‘Lodi’ I immediately went and spun that song. Fogerty had that whole down-home bayou sound in his voice. But he was born in California and spent about as much time on the bayou as I did! A true original. Springsteen worships the guy.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • cincinnatibabyhead
      September 10, 2017

      This early Fogerty stuff had such an impact on a young CB. The main thing is he rocks like crazy (Good Golly Miss Molly). The Bruce thing is a no brainer and he always gives a nod to John. One of the first Bruce shows I seen he closed with ‘Travelin Band” Bruce gets his head out of NJ same as Robertson and Canada. 3 of my faves.

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      • Jim S.
        September 10, 2017

        Come to think of it, one of the closing tunes he did when I saw him last year was “Rockin’ All Over the World.’ Frankly I would much rather have heard “Travelin’ Band.” Great tune.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        September 10, 2017

        Another Blogger just sent me the link for the 1970 Royal Albert concert. I’m already digging into it. I forgot how much John liked to rock out on his guitar. They have so much good music. Bruce would have done justice to ‘All Over the World’. ‘Travelin Band’ is just such a strong encore song. Fogerty and Springsteen are cut from the same cloth. Rock n roll.

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      • Jim S.
        September 10, 2017

        True enough. But Bruce also tends to travel down the ‘what’s the meaning of life’ road more, sometimes albums worth. Fogerty does that sometimes on a given song but is basically a rocker!

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        September 10, 2017

        I agree. But Bruce gets dragged back to the bar guy he really is. If the two gig together you know it’s going to be Chuck, Little Richard, Jerry Lee, Elvis….

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      • Jim S.
        September 10, 2017

        You nailed it, CB. At the end of the day even Bruce will admit he’s a bar guy.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        September 10, 2017

        Doc , CB, Bruce, Mitch Ryder, J Geils, the Band .. we are all bar guys. I think the Beatles were big bar guys.

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      • Jim S.
        September 10, 2017

        Yeah. The Cavern was mostly teenagers. It was the bars in Hamburg where they played to all manner of rowdy crowds that really made them.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        September 10, 2017

        Yeah it was the Hamburg scene i was thinking of.

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  5. Yeah, Another Blogger
    September 10, 2017

    CCR live in 1970

    Liked by 1 person

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    • cincinnatibabyhead
      September 10, 2017

      Now that is some good stuff! Open with the first cut of this album. Bare bones straight ahead rock n roll. Dig the stage show. Old school. I have that album if it’s the same concert. Thanks Neil I will bracket some time and watch the whole thing. Like getting a present!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. Jim S.
    September 10, 2017

    I think the other guys got more say on Mardi Gras because Fogerty called their bluff on having more creative control. He always said the band’s sound was him. He kinda proved them right as the only hits were his compositions.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      September 10, 2017

      Yeah it was obvious. I always thought there was an album the remaining members did. I guess Mardi Gras was the one i was thinking of. I know the songs he wrote, never even heard the other ones. Had a little listen. Not the same without John.

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  7. 1537
    September 10, 2017

    Interesting, I’ve always loved the cover – I only own a cheap, shitty K-Tel Greatest Hits effort though.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      September 11, 2017

      A vinyl guy like yourself. I’m so out of touch I thought CCR albums would be easy to come by. Maybe CB’s sitting on a gold mine. It is a cool album all round.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • 1537
        September 11, 2017

        They might be easy, I’ve neve tried – bit worried they’d be a bit too countryfied for me.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        September 11, 2017

        Early CCR just rocks and boogies. John started to feel his country side as he went along. I probably am less interested in mainstream country than 1537 but I do like a lot of the hidden gems and …ah hell i love Merle Haggard all to hell!

        Liked by 1 person

  8. catchgroove
    September 12, 2017

    CCR had the groove. You can’t fake the groove.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. dcw0731
    September 17, 2017

    Having been to Lodi a few times in my travels I like your sentence “‘Lodi’ sticks with this vibe. Some great vocals and lyrics in this one. We’ve all been stuck in a “Lodi” sometime in our lives” because this song pegs the town to a tee even to this day.
    Great album choice CB I have played the shit out of this on in my days.

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    • cincinnatibabyhead
      September 17, 2017

      The first few CCR albums really colored my tastes. John had his finger on some kind of cool”vibe”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • dcw0731
        September 17, 2017

        John really did have his finger on something. Some of the tunes from those early albums sound just as good today to me as they did the first time I heard them.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        September 17, 2017

        I agree. It’s just straight ahead rock n roll. Not dated to these ears.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. christiansmusicmusings
    September 19, 2017

    CCR are one of my favorite bands. I pretty much dig all their stuff. I think they are a perfect illustration that rock music oftentimes is best when it’s three or four chords. Add to this a great vocalist like John Fogerty and you got the necessary ingredients for great rock & roll!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      September 19, 2017

      We are in the same club. Just listened to a solo John ‘Change In the Weather’ it is a perfect example of what you said. John laying down some cool vocals then ripping a few of his guitar solos.

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This entry was posted on September 10, 2017 by in 1969 Albums, CCR, Country Rock, John Fogerty, Rock N Roll and tagged , , , .

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