Album: Willy & The Poor Boys
Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Born: El Cerrito, California
Released: November 1969
Genre: Americana
Influenced: Bruce Springsteen, Black Crowes, The Strokes, Kings of Leon
One of my best Glastonbury moments was seeing John Fogerty live. Aged 60, he hadn't lost any of his passion and energy, or talent as a guitarist and singer. I'd always assumed that CCR were born on the Bayou, but it turns out their swampy blues-inspired rock was more a tribute than a reflection of their roots. Lead Belly in particular looms large over this record, with Cottonfields and Midnight Special both great examples of how the band shaped the blues into their own brand of southern rock. After scoring a huge hit in 1968 with a cover of Suzie Q, Fogerty started writing his own string of best-selling singles, from Proud Mary to Bad Moon Rising, and by the time Willy & The Poor Boys was released the group was one of the biggest acts in the US. This success gave Fogerty the platform to highlight some controversial issues on this album, such as how the class system enables the elite to send the poor off to fight their wars (Fortunate Son). The late 60s produced many anti-Vietnam songs, but none matched this for intensity and directness, based as it was on Fogerty's own experience with the draft system.
There's nothing earnest about CCR though. On album opener, Down On The Corner, the band show how they were just as accomplished at producing laid-back rock & roll. The funky guitar riff and drums summon up the image of the band on the album's front and back cover, playing on a street corner with their homemade instruments and gospel harmonies. Don't Look Now is another great track on the album, with Fogerty summoning up the sound of Elvis while singing about the disenfranchised. Poorboy Shuffle and Side O' The Road highlight how tight a unit the band were, but of all the blues-inspired songs, Feelin' Blue is the most convincing. Effigy is by far the darkest song on the album, played at a much slower tempo and out of step with everything that precedes it, alluding to revolution and social upheaval. Effigy is one of several great CCR songs that rarely features on one of their many "best of" albums, and points to the strength of Willy & the Poor Boys as the best testament to the band's wide range of styles.
One of my best Glastonbury moments was seeing John Fogerty live. Aged 60, he hadn't lost any of his passion and energy, or talent as a guitarist and singer. I'd always assumed that CCR were born on the Bayou, but it turns out their swampy blues-inspired rock was more a tribute than a reflection of their roots. Lead Belly in particular looms large over this record, with Cottonfields and Midnight Special both great examples of how the band shaped the blues into their own brand of southern rock. After scoring a huge hit in 1968 with a cover of Suzie Q, Fogerty started writing his own string of best-selling singles, from Proud Mary to Bad Moon Rising, and by the time Willy & The Poor Boys was released the group was one of the biggest acts in the US. This success gave Fogerty the platform to highlight some controversial issues on this album, such as how the class system enables the elite to send the poor off to fight their wars (Fortunate Son). The late 60s produced many anti-Vietnam songs, but none matched this for intensity and directness, based as it was on Fogerty's own experience with the draft system.
There's nothing earnest about CCR though. On album opener, Down On The Corner, the band show how they were just as accomplished at producing laid-back rock & roll. The funky guitar riff and drums summon up the image of the band on the album's front and back cover, playing on a street corner with their homemade instruments and gospel harmonies. Don't Look Now is another great track on the album, with Fogerty summoning up the sound of Elvis while singing about the disenfranchised. Poorboy Shuffle and Side O' The Road highlight how tight a unit the band were, but of all the blues-inspired songs, Feelin' Blue is the most convincing. Effigy is by far the darkest song on the album, played at a much slower tempo and out of step with everything that precedes it, alluding to revolution and social upheaval. Effigy is one of several great CCR songs that rarely features on one of their many "best of" albums, and points to the strength of Willy & the Poor Boys as the best testament to the band's wide range of styles.
Comments