| "John Fogerty" was first released in 1975, some two years
after his enigmatic debut, "The Blue Ridge Rangers", where Fogerty hid his own
identity behind that mysterious pseudonym. But where that first album was made up of
country favourites, "John Fogerty" saw the singer return to a more orthodox, one
closely mirroring that of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the group Fogerty had led as a
singer, guitarist and songwriter. Under his hand, Creedence had become hugely successful,
recording a string of hit singles (‘Bad Moon Rising’, ‘Proud Mary’
etc) and a succession of strong albums, before breaking up in 1972.
In following the path of his erstwhile group, Fogerty combined a spoonful of
rock’n’roll classics with a slew of excellent brand new songs, much in the same
way as he’d done on "Bayou Country" or "Cosmo’s Factory".
The arrangement proved how time hadn’t weathered Fogerty’s intuitive talent. Two
songs in particular, ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’ and ‘Almost Saturday
Night? can be counted amongst his best; the former is a tough, hard-rock workout which
provided a hit for Status Quo, while the latter boasted a gorgeous tune and arrangement
and saw versions cut by a succession of artists, none of whom could match the depth and
resonance of the original. As always, Fogerty’s choice of cover songs was perfect,
with ‘Sea Cruise’ and ‘Lonely Teardrops’ slotting neatly into the
collection without any unease.
The result was an album equaling the best of Creedence, one which took that first
group’s constituent parts while adding a new solo perspective. "John
Fogerty" proved, if any proof was needed, that Creedence was his unique vision, and
that Fogerty’s special talent had survived the trauma of the break-up intact. His
solo career now seemed secure, yet a lone 1976 single apart, Fogerty would lay low for
almost a decade. That single, ‘You Got The Magic’ b/w ‘Evil Thing’ was
only a very minor US Hit, a position which didn’t reflect its musical worth, and
closed Fogerty’s association with the Fantasy label.
On leaving, Fogerty switched to Asylum but although his projected album for them,
"Hoodoo" was given a catalogue number, it would ultimately be shelved, a
decision which saw the singer in seclusion until 1985, when he re-emerged with the
marvellous "Centerfield" [sic].
Since then, John Fogerty has deservedly re-established his career, playing the same
individual, uncompromising styles as he did on this release, where his unerring empathy
for America’s pop heritage provided Fogerty with yet another essential collecton.
[sic]
Brian Hogg - 1987
Rockin’ All Over The World (J C Fogerty)
You Rascal You (S Theard) EMI Music Pub Ltd
The Wall (J C Fogerty)
Travelin’ High (J C Fogerty)
Lonely Teardrops (Berry Gordy, Tyran Carlo) Jewel Music Pub Co Ltd
Almost Saturday Night (J C Fogerty)
Where The River Flows ( J C Fogerty)
Sea Cruise ( Huey P Smith, John Vincent) EMI Music Pub Ltd
Dream Song ( JC Fogerty)
Flying Away ( J C Fogerty)
Arranged and Produced by John Fogerty
All Titles Warner Bros Music Ltds.
Running Time: 45 mins 24 secs
Post Production by The Exchange
Marketed by Ace Records Ltd 48-50 Steele Road, London NW10 7AS |
