John Fogerty - John Fogerty

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Music reviews of John Fogerty

Music Review: Wobbly Start to a Solo Career
Rating: 3 Stars

The album attempts to recreate the successful formula that propelled CCR to the top of the heap so quickly. There is a strong nostalgia feel, recalling the early days of the Sun and Chess labels when rock-and-roll was itself fledgling. Most of the songs are composed by Fogerty himself, but a couple of covers from days gone by bolster the new pieces. Fogerty's voice still has the raw, tobacco-toasted growl of "Proud Mary" and "Fortunate Son."

However, the instruments don't blend well. Some of the guitars jangle loudly, and the bass seems to be lost in a jungle of high-end chords and harmonized lead. The drumming seems plodding at times, and Fogerty's voice seems lost in the instrumentals, making him seem almost like a side man on his own album.

Some of the songs are quite good. His cover of "Lonely Teardrops" captures the Motor City feel of the bevy of versions Tamla/Motown put out back in the day. Two songs, "Almost Saturday Night" and "Rockin' All Over the World," have enjoyed underground celebrity, and were masterfully recaptured in 1998 on the "Premonition" album. Indeed, the album is worth spending a little money on for those three tracks alone.

Many of the other tracks, however, such as "Dream/Song," "The Wall" (not the Pink Floyd tune, which wouldn't come along for half a decade) and "Sea Cruise" seem rather lost in the crush, as though they were written in a hurry to be ready for the scheduled studio time. Perhaps Fantasy Records was pressuring Fogerty to round out his contract, while Fogerty himself was trying to get out (the contract he signed was notoriously bad).

This album is not on a par with his star-making albums with CCR, and it doesn't yet demonstrate the maturity of later solo platters like "Centerfield" and "Blue Moon Swamp." Casual fans may find this disk less than engaging. For long-term fans of CCR and John Fogerty, however, it's a sturdy disk with a good spine, and the reward may well outweigh the cost.

Description of John Fogerty

Classic Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock