“The Odyssey of Captain Blood” by Rafael Sabatini’s fine pen outlined the situation of the Irish in the British Empire. The British used these negligent Celts until the Dutch brought blacks to the New World. Despite everything, few people will remember the real English writers, because English literature was written by negligent Celts.: Scott, Stevenson, Wilde, B. Shaw, Danceny, Conan Doyle et cetera. In 1964, the band, called Tommy & The Blue Velvets, was given the nickname Golliwogs by Fantasy Records, where they recorded, without the consent of the musicians, allegedly as a response to the “British Invasion.” Golliwog is an ugly and creepy doll depicting a “nigger” with a gaping smile framed by thick blood-red lips. Bulging whites of the eyes complement the pancake-like bread. A deep insult not only to Blacks, but also to the Fogerty brothers and their team. The quartet did not notice the sophisticated bullying, continuing to produce dashing garage action films like “Fight Fire” under the leadership of Tom Fogerty. In “Walking On The Water”, you can already hear the characteristic approach to the guitar sound of the younger Fogerty, and Stu Cook shows himself to be a good keyboard player, worth the little finger of Manzarek, at least.
The year 1967 suddenly arrived, with its hairy pacifists and the Summer of Love. The younger Fogerty, hereinafter referred to as John, was drafted into the US Army. Fortunately, it was then, according to General McNamara’s plan, that the mentally retarded, cretins, and morons began to be rounded up for deployment to Vietnam. The new military units were nicknamed the “Dolbojobs of McNamara.” John was not suitable to be sent to the front due to the absence of oligophrenia, Forest Gump took his place. After six months of intensive training at Texas bases, John Fogerty came to profound conclusions, the foundations of which originated in Catholic schools, while his ancestors were fighting at home. The decision on the suitability for service in the reserve ranks (everything is different for the Yankees) John was sabotaging by portraying a marginal element with a penchant for dope and goofiness. However, here’s the interesting thing: exactly during the service, he caught the right nerve by writing “Porterville.” The song became the last single for Golliwogs. It would still be half the battle, but…
The Golliwogs – Porterville
Suddenly Fantasy Records was outbid by Saul Zaentz. Zayentz, one of those “genuine Ukrainians”, suggested that the four Irishmen change their name (“What did you Guys think for yourself when you took such an unepical name?!”- “It was Mr. Weiss, sir…”-“It’s sad to talk to this helmet, boys”). Happily agreeing, the quartet renamed itself Creedence Clearwater Revival. And it was the last act of collective creativity.
One day, John gathered the guys in a pizzeria and said: stop laughing and banging on tambourines. Decide who goes back to work at the gas station and who goes with me. Tom, Stu, and Doug agreed.
The great Creedence albums that followed the pizzeria are the result of John Fogerty’s work as the sole author, lead guitarist, most powerful vocalist and sound engineer.
Having invented the swamp rock style and released six great albums, John finally faced the ambitions of his colleagues. Tom, the older brother, has already been the leader of the band, the same Tommy in Tommy & The Blue Velvets. He left the band immediately after the recording of the album “Pendulum”. Stu and Doug wanted to, too. Something. At least they wanted something. John, giving in and letting go of his brother, who was not only the rhythm guitarist, but also the glue that held the quartet together, allowed Clifford and Cook to roam on the album “Mardi Gras”, as it turned out, the last for the band. While Doug Clifford was trying to portray a rockabilly hiccup in “Tearing Up Country”, Stu Cook completely failed the vocal part in the excellent author’s “Need Someone To Hold”. Every cricket knows its own pole. John’s songs were great, but Tom’s lack of guitar took its toll: that extraordinary groove that made the band a band was gone. But there was the final nail: in 1972, the bassist and drummer suddenly realized where to put their talents, and left one of the most iconic bands of their time for dubious solo work.
The Sixties are over. They were completed one way or another by Morrison, Joplin, Hendrix, The Beatles… Perhaps Creedence musicians also felt the end of an era?
Anyway, John Fogerty released a solo album in 1973. Without an ensemble. Under the name Blue Ridge Rangers. Incognito, as Batman used to say. Suddenly, the album, which consisted of country songs from the fifties, played by the author on all instruments on his own, began to sell well, and John did not expect success at the level of the Creedens.
He abandoned the music business for decades, returning triumphantly first in 1985 with the baseball “Centerfield”, and in 1997 with his best album “Blue Moon Swamp”. We’re going to sniff this album today, Moon Dogs!
02 Hot Rod Heart
03 Blueboy
04 A Hundred And Ten In The Shade
05 Rattlesnake Highway
06 Bring It Down To Jelly Roll
07 Walking In A Hurricane
08 Swamp River Days
09 Rambunctious Boy
10 Joy Of My Life
11 Blue Moon Nights
12 Bad Bad Boy
13 Just Pickin’
14 Endless Sleep
Listen online or download John Fogerty – Blue Moon Swamp (1997) 20th Anniversary Edition (mp3, 113 Mb)
Southern Streamline is rockabilly pretending to be country. It’s like Looking Out My Back Door. The bluegrass gentlemen from The Lonesome River Band perfectly complement the leading voice.
Hot Rod Heart is fast-paced and contemplative at the same time. A smarmy action movie. Hopefully, the term “hot rod heart” will not enter medical terminology.
Blueboy is an absolutely soulful “swamp” rock, which is good for making gumbo or any other soup. The Waters family plays vocal harmonies.
A Hundred And Ten In The Shade perfectly illustrates how the air melts, flowing down the red-hot skin. The greatest southern rock gospel band supported by the greatest gospel band, The Fairfield Four, known for playing the undertakers singing “Lonesome Valley” in the Coen brothers’ most musical film, “Oh Where Are You Brother?”
Rattlesnake Highway is an impossibly Credence blues rock of the Louisiana spill. With a touch of mature cynicism.
Bring It Down To Jelly Roll is a song where cowboys measure themselves by the size of their spurs and belt buckles. And even when, without coming to a consensus, the gentlemen start hitting the glass on the felt, they will do it to the rhythm of this song.
Walking In A Hurricane is disturbing and fast-paced with piercing guitar phrasing. Chad Smith is behind the drums, unexpectedly giving out an adequate rhythm, to which Flea, it seems, would have nothing to do.
Swamp River Days is a roaring, mewing Fogerty with six-stringed oversteps that even alligators wag their tails to. There is another modern mastodon on drums – Vinny Kolayuta.
Rambunctious Boy is another country rock masterpiece. Judging by the rhythm, it suggests racing along the highway with the lights off in the predawn gloom.
Joy Of My Life is dedicated to Julia’s wife. Only such songs should be given to loved ones. To make the whole world sing along.
Blue Moon Nights is a magical moonlight rockabilly.
Bad Bad Boy is a Latin rock band with guitar nods to Carlos Santana. It’s extremely good for tequila and shootouts with drug cartels.
Blue Moon Swamp is an amazing work where there is not a single passing song, where the spirit of lonely roads and mosquitoes itching over the pools, where tired elms bow to the rampant sun, and the smell of cooking jambalaya with shrimp wafts from every porch. The romance of the Southern States in all its diversity. Grammy for Best Rock Album at the 40th Awards. It remains only to envy those who will hear this record for the first time. The 2004 reissue includes the instrumental “Just Pickin'” by bluesman Freddie King and the macabre rockabilly “Endless Sleep” by Texan Jody Reynolds.
Next time we’ll talk about the stupidity of the dealers who decided to accuse Fogerty of stealing his own song. And why can’t Zantz the piglet dance? And why Blue Ridge Rangers “rideS again”.
Fogerty’s weakest album, apparently the author did not listen attentively to others.
Evgeny, there is no dispute about tastes, I personally liked the album. And don’t presume to assert what you don’t know. The author listened to all Fogerty’s albums, and the purpose of the article was not to identify the best of them, or to compare his solo work with CCR.