John Fogerty might say his rock and roll journey has been fraught with switch-backs, dark tunnels, and dangerous thieves along with way … occasionally interrupted by breathtaking vistas. A founding member of The Golliwogs — which later became Creedence Clearwater Revival — Fogerty wrote some of the most memorable songs of the late '60s and early '70s (including "Proud Mary," "Born on the Bayou," "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" and "Fortunate Son"), which were graced by his whiskey-gruff voice and decadent swamp-rock guitar riffs. The group (Fogerty, his brother Tom, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford) played at Woodstock, sold millions of records, and in a sad and common tale, imploded violently amidst financial and legal troubles. CCR's bitter split in 1972 is the stuff of rock legend and it haunted Fogerty, and deeply affected his artistic choices, for decades.
Fogerty's inspired solo efforts Centerfield (1985) and Blue Moon Swamp (1997) were high-points in between years of self-imposed seclusion. Each reinforces his depth as a storyteller and musician — and his ability to craft deceptively simple rock songs subtly embedded with biting political opinion, pop culture observations, and heart-felt declarations.
Ironically, Fogerty's newest recording is on Fantasy (which was recently bought by Concord Music Group), CCR's former label with which he was embattled for so many years. His clear-eyed 2007 release, Revival, embraces the best of Americana's rebellious spirit and resonates like he's reconnected with his Creedence-era muse.
Provenance: Berkeley, California
Latest release: Revival (2007)
© 2007 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.
John Fogerty
