Ticket 2 Ride

Most people know the story of John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival, they released a lot of rock and roll in a short period of time, had an acrimonious split, and Fogerty would lose control and ownership of the songs he wrote.

Skip ahead 50 years and he made a deal with Norman Lear’s Concord Records (I don’t know the specifics of the deal) so he’d begin receiving royalty payments from those songs. Recently, Fogerty chose 20 CCR songs he wrote, to re-record them, sticking as close to the originals as possible, and release his version of them, owning the master tapes. Others have done this, notably Taylor Swift, it’s a great business decision. This way, Fogerty’s family owns these versions and has an income stream after he’s gone, although spry at age 80, Fogerty may outlive Keith Richards.

Fogerty and his sons, Shane and Tyler, who are part of his band, anchor the musicians who made this album. Tony Berg, Don Was and Bob Clearmountain were involved in the recording process, but mainly it was Fogerty.

So, are these exact recreations of the originals? Close, but no, most of them sound different. Is that bad? Not at all. Fogerty’s arrangements are loyal to the originals, but the playing and recording make subtle and sometimes significant changes. If Fogerty had taken the original master tapes and remixed them using current technology, and tweaked how each instrument and vocal track were in each song, without changing what was recorded, the result would be different than the original. Like a painter, he has painted the landscape, but he’s sharpened or softened some colors, his eye interprets the same information differently, and the pressure of his brushstrokes have a slightly different contact with the canvas.

Stated differently, is this a faithful recording of classic songs by the composer, yes. He has preserved the integrity and if anything, there’s a warmth in the new recording. If you want to listen to the hits, buy this album or stream this playlist, because these versions are very good. If you want specific albums in their entirety, because you remember the exactness of the experience, play those albums. John Fogerty gives you a new option.

“Up Around the Bend” – 2:44
“Who’ll Stop the Rain” – 2:29
“Proud Mary” – 3:06
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – 2:42
“Lookin’ out My Back Door” – 2:34
“Born on the Bayou” – 5:12
“Run Through the Jungle” – 3:04
“Someday Never Comes” – 4:03
“Porterville” – 2:21
“Hey Tonight” – 2:39
“Lodi” – 3:12
“Wrote a Song for Everyone ” – 4:51
“Bootleg” – 3:04
“Don’t Look Now (It Ain’t You or Me)” – 2:11
“Long As I Can See the Light” – 3:32
“Down on the Corner” – 2:44
“Bad Moon Rising” – 2:21
“Travelin’ Band” – 2:08
“Green River” – 2:33
“Fortunate Son” – 2:17