JOHN FOGERTY > Revival

Updated:

February 6, 2013 9:20 pm

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Creedence fans waited nearly four decades for this. What a payoff! Revival-as virile and vital as CCR’s classic one-two punch Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys-is the most focused song cycle of John Fogerty’s solo career, at once wistful and wry, leading and loose.

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Label: Fantasy
[Rating: 4.5 stars]

Creedence fans waited nearly four decades for this. What a payoff! Revival-as virile and vital as CCR’s classic one-two punch Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys-is the most focused song cycle of John Fogerty’s solo career, at once wistful and wry, leading and loose. Much attention will be paid to the pure hallelujah energy of “Natural Thing” and “Longshot,” as well as the familiar protest fury of the opening “Don’t You Wish It Was True” and the roots-punk indictment “I Can’t Take It No More.” “You know you lied about the casualties,” Fogerty seethes on the latter. “You know you lied about the WMDs/You know you lied about the detainees.” Pay attention. But don’t let Fogerty’s more mournful moments pass by unnoticed. “Broken Down Cowboy”-a saddle-sore lover’s abiding dirge-might be, in fact, the most stirring four minutes of this entire masterwork.