Playin in Travelin’ Band
 |
John Fogerty The Long Road Home In Concert 4 out of 5 stars Reviewed for Coffeerooms by Mike Jefferson |
For more than thirty years, John Fogerty was unable to perform any of the songs that made the acronym CCR instantly recognizable. A lawsuit against Fantasy Records, the small independent label that had fleeced millions from Creedence Clearwater Revival catalogue, kept Fogarty in limbo. Fogerty steadfastly refused to play any of Creedence’s music live, unwilling to pay Fantasy royalties for songs he’d written. On the rare occasions when Fogerty did sing live, he was forced to rely on his solo work, little of which rivaled his seemingly endless stream of hits he’d had with Creedence between 1969 and 1972. Fogerty finally settled with Fantasy in 2005, but felt he also had to deal with former band mates Stu Cook and Doug Clifford, who were playing gigs using the bands name. The resulting compromise (Cook and Clifford now tour as “Creedence Clearwater Revisited”) satisfied no one and quashed any hope of a CCR reunion.
With the lawsuits and Creedence behind him, Fogerty was finally able to tap into his legacy. The question that hung over him as he prepared for a lengthy concert tour was whether or not he still the chops to recapture the swampy vitality that had made Creedence an FM staple. That question is answered emphatically on “The Long Road Home In Concert.” Fogerty tears into every song with the ferocity of a hoodoo chasing a hound.
The two disc CD was recorded on September 13, 2005 at the Wiltern Theater in Hollywood. The six man band, which includes former Fleetwood Mac front man Billy Burnette and underrated bassist George Hawkins, is the tightest unit Fogerty has ever played with. Nearly all of CCR’s hits are here, played with reverence alongside songs culled mostly from Fogerty’s best solo effort, “Blue Moon Swamp.”
Fogerty leaves no doubt about the strength of his voice or his endurance from the start, tearing into “Travelin’ Band,” one of Creedence’s more demanding songs. Hawkins’ walking bass accompaniment proves the equal of Stu Cook’s original take, and 61 year-old Fogerty sings with the enthusiasm and grit of a man reborn. When Fogerty tells the crowd “What I’m about is playin’ rock and roll, so let’s get to it” and the band rips into “Green River,” the party doesn’t stop until the last note on disc two. Fogerty’s vocal on “Green River” and many of the other songs are cleaner than they were on the original L.P.s (thanks to technology and the simple fact he’s playing live.), and he no longer tries to phony up his accent in order to sound like a southerner. What you get here is unadorned, straight ahead guitar-dominated rock with throat-ripping vocals.
The highlights are numerous, including a mini-guitar war between Burnette, Fogerty and Britt on “The Old Man Down the Road,” and “Keep On Chooglin’,” in which Fogerty conjures up visions of harp-God Paul Butterfield with a lung-stretching solo. Fogerty seems to have traveled back in time to his salad days in the 70s for his remarkably emphatic performance of “Have you Ever Seen the Rain,” and “Bootleg” stomps with the type of bayou-infused authenticity found in Tony Joe White’s or Bobbie Gentry’s material. Uninspired in its original form, “Hey Tonight” is vastly improved by Billy Burnette’s rich back up vocal and Hawkins’ muscular bass. “Looking Out My Back Door” remains faithful to its perky studio arrangement, thanks to Burnett’s studied intro, which draws a well-earned compliment from Fogarty -- “Playin' that chooka chooka guitar, that's Billy Burnette!” Fogerty still sounds like he’s singing “There’s a bathroom on the right” on “Bad Moon Rising,’ and develops an unexplained cockney accent mid way through, but the band is spot on. Framed by Bob Britt’s predatory guitar work and Booker T. styled organ from Matt Nolen, “Tombstone Shadow,” exhibits a streak of fiery grit that far outstrips the studio version. When Fogerty snarls “Every time I git some good news, there’s a shaadooh on my back!” there’s no doubt that the California-born Fogerty’s fertile imagination was attuned to the Bayou.
There are few letdowns on either disc, but as one might expect, they come in the form of Fogerty’s weaker solo material, which leads one to suspect that Cook, Clifford and Tom Fogerty had more to do with overall Creedence’s sound than Fogerty has let on in interviews and lawsuits. But even the lesser songs have bright moments. The road song “Hot Rod Heart” chugs along peacefully like a classic Thunderbird on a hot Arizona road, and “Rambunctious Boy” has an appropriately blistering lead from Bob Britt. “Déjà vu All Over Again,” a poignant ballad about the foolishness of war, quietly closes the first CD. A couple of Creedence songs stumble a bit in their more rockin’ incarnations, but are still infinitely listenable. “Run Through the Jungle” loses its menace as a straight rocker and “Proud Mary” pumps along at such a super-heated pace you’ll expect Tina Turner and the Ikettes to dance out chirping “Get up do-do-do-do-do do.” The only outright stinker on either CD is “She’s Got Baggage,” which borrows heavily from the Ramones “I Wanna Be Sedated.” If you’re going to steal a riff John, swipe something good.
The only other misstep is the presence of ham-fisted drummer John Molo. Molo has virtually no skills, beating away at his kit like a caffeine-driven blacksmith abusing an anvil. Sometimes he accelerates the beat to such a dizzying speed you expect to hear Fogerty gasp, clutch his chest and sing “It’s the big one, Elizabeth,” before he crashes to the stage. Fortunately, Fogerty seems to relish the hectic pace and rest of the band makes up for Molo’s elementary skills.
“The Long Road Home In Concert” proves you can go home again. Especially if you’re an artist with as much energy and determination as John Fogerty.
Posted October 30, 2006 Permalink
