I was going to argue with you about this, Sgt. Robo, but then I thought about it for about five seconds and figured you're probably right. I mean, I used to have CCR's greatest hits album, so I know most of these songs, and I love them (despite my decided lack of an El Camino).
Why? It's just a great ROCK album. While entirely blues-based (which I know bores the hell out of you), it incorporates a broad range of ROCK and R&B and COUNTRY influences (and even some jazzy bass riffs), which wasn't really all that common in 1970. The timbre of Fogerty's voice is still really unique and fresh-sounding, even if the songs sound a little swampy and dated. Too many grooving guitar licks for me to ever get bored with any of the songs, and a lot of tempo changes keep things interested. I know tempo changes aren't particularly uncommon or difficult for classical musicians, but you don't hear them very often in rock/pop.
I'm not sure there are many rock songs better than Travelin' Band. You HAVE to like that, right? Especially given your professed love for punk rock. 2:09 of balls to the wall, screaming, banging awesomeness.
Run Through the Jungle is just cooool, dark and pounding. And it's easy to get caught up in the mess of Ramble Tamble. As for Grapevine...this was 1970, right? I mean, you're listening to guys playing shit for real. Drummer kept that beat the whole time, and was probably not playing along to a metronome, nor was he aided by beat-adjusting production techniques.
Ultimately, then, this album sounds kind of like a musical idiot's masterpiece. None of the musicianship on display is completely impressive or overwhelming, and the music itself isn't very interesting or groundbreaking. But it's all very solid and supports some pretty enthusiastic attempts at creating something daring and expansive, while never NOT being insanely catchy. Guys caught up in a moment and playing above their level and doing great at it. Think: Everclear. or: Me, at my best. No wonder I dig CCR ;)
i have mixed feelings on ccr. i like fogerty's voice. i realllllly like how easily they can make a great simple rock groove. i like their americana and absolutely love how they can sound country at times. i especially like how loose and sloppy they are as musicians, which makes me wonder how the hell they got so damn famous. they're like some idiot savant garage rock band or something. i honestly wonder if the speed changes in some of these songs were intentional or not!
what i dislike about them is similar to what the sarge seems to dislike - sometimes they're way too simple. they fall back on the blues too often, and unless the groove is good, their songs dont bear well for repeated listenings.
i have to say though, ramble tamble kinda blew my mind. especially that 4 minute build up in the middle - mainly because i just sat there listening to it, and hearing in my head amazing ways to improve on it and make that part kick massive ass. on each listening i heard new ways to add more tension, little things i'd improve and such. and if it had lived up to the potential i hear, it would have made an unbelievable album opener, that super-rare kind of opener that actually makes the rest of the album sound better.
ah one more thing about credence. there's a certain aspect to their music i really dig - a rare one. credence songs are the kind of songs that you should learn when you're just starting to play guitar. they're simple, fun to play, and have some great grooves. and to me, this is a hugely positive quality.
there are a lot of bands and songs that are pushed on new guitarists, but very few bands seem so naturally tailored to nurturing budding plectrum-pushers as CCR is. mudhoney comes to mind (for me at least - for gods sake, they even named a couple albums "every good boy deserves fudge" and "superfuzz bigmuff")...but not many other bands. do you know what i'm saying here?? its like...its just feels right that this is where you start. like, your first band that is so much fun but totally sucks should include ccr covers and mudhoney covers that are so easy to play and make you feel like a rockstar. i cant explain it, it just feels right to me, haha. and very few bands fit this niche. sure, you learn 'stairway' and 'smells like teen spirit,' but those are way overdone. ccr songs and mudhoney songs you just kinda learn and cherish. i wish i could explain this better.
"it just feels right to me" speaks volumes. best possible way to say it. i understand robo's intellectual critiques, but CCR just feels right. tangible music.
umm, i have not yet issued my official comment. in fact, i have spoken with disdainty in private and we agreed that CCR is rockstar 101. so you shall HALT your slanders for now good sir.
pitchfork's top 100 of the 70's + top 100 of the 80's, considered, scrutinized, explored, assailed, defended, appreciated and deprecated, fussed over, held up high, kicked to the curb and held back up again. education by fire and a middle finger to disdain. tea, anyone?
can you imagine how hard this was for me?
ReplyDelete11 minutes of heard it through the grapevine? really?
I DO NOT OWN AN EL CAMINO :(
I was going to argue with you about this, Sgt. Robo, but then I thought about it for about five seconds and figured you're probably right. I mean, I used to have CCR's greatest hits album, so I know most of these songs, and I love them (despite my decided lack of an El Camino).
ReplyDeleteWhy? It's just a great ROCK album. While entirely blues-based (which I know bores the hell out of you), it incorporates a broad range of ROCK and R&B and COUNTRY influences (and even some jazzy bass riffs), which wasn't really all that common in 1970. The timbre of Fogerty's voice is still really unique and fresh-sounding, even if the songs sound a little swampy and dated. Too many grooving guitar licks for me to ever get bored with any of the songs, and a lot of tempo changes keep things interested. I know tempo changes aren't particularly uncommon or difficult for classical musicians, but you don't hear them very often in rock/pop.
I'm not sure there are many rock songs better than Travelin' Band. You HAVE to like that, right? Especially given your professed love for punk rock. 2:09 of balls to the wall, screaming, banging awesomeness.
Run Through the Jungle is just cooool, dark and pounding. And it's easy to get caught up in the mess of Ramble Tamble. As for Grapevine...this was 1970, right? I mean, you're listening to guys playing shit for real. Drummer kept that beat the whole time, and was probably not playing along to a metronome, nor was he aided by beat-adjusting production techniques.
Ultimately, then, this album sounds kind of like a musical idiot's masterpiece. None of the musicianship on display is completely impressive or overwhelming, and the music itself isn't very interesting or groundbreaking. But it's all very solid and supports some pretty enthusiastic attempts at creating something daring and expansive, while never NOT being insanely catchy. Guys caught up in a moment and playing above their level and doing great at it. Think: Everclear. or: Me, at my best. No wonder I dig CCR ;)
ha! you both reacted as predicted.
ReplyDeletei have mixed feelings on ccr. i like fogerty's voice. i realllllly like how easily they can make a great simple rock groove. i like their americana and absolutely love how they can sound country at times. i especially like how loose and sloppy they are as musicians, which makes me wonder how the hell they got so damn famous. they're like some idiot savant garage rock band or something. i honestly wonder if the speed changes in some of these songs were intentional or not!
what i dislike about them is similar to what the sarge seems to dislike - sometimes they're way too simple. they fall back on the blues too often, and unless the groove is good, their songs dont bear well for repeated listenings.
i have to say though, ramble tamble kinda blew my mind. especially that 4 minute build up in the middle - mainly because i just sat there listening to it, and hearing in my head amazing ways to improve on it and make that part kick massive ass. on each listening i heard new ways to add more tension, little things i'd improve and such. and if it had lived up to the potential i hear, it would have made an unbelievable album opener, that super-rare kind of opener that actually makes the rest of the album sound better.
ah one more thing about credence. there's a certain aspect to their music i really dig - a rare one. credence songs are the kind of songs that you should learn when you're just starting to play guitar. they're simple, fun to play, and have some great grooves. and to me, this is a hugely positive quality.
ReplyDeletethere are a lot of bands and songs that are pushed on new guitarists, but very few bands seem so naturally tailored to nurturing budding plectrum-pushers as CCR is. mudhoney comes to mind (for me at least - for gods sake, they even named a couple albums "every good boy deserves fudge" and "superfuzz bigmuff")...but not many other bands. do you know what i'm saying here?? its like...its just feels right that this is where you start. like, your first band that is so much fun but totally sucks should include ccr covers and mudhoney covers that are so easy to play and make you feel like a rockstar. i cant explain it, it just feels right to me, haha. and very few bands fit this niche. sure, you learn 'stairway' and 'smells like teen spirit,' but those are way overdone. ccr songs and mudhoney songs you just kinda learn and cherish. i wish i could explain this better.
"it just feels right to me" speaks volumes. best possible way to say it. i understand robo's intellectual critiques, but CCR just feels right. tangible music.
ReplyDeleteumm, i have not yet issued my official comment. in fact, i have spoken with disdainty in private and we agreed that CCR is rockstar 101. so you shall HALT your slanders for now good sir.
ReplyDelete