Sunday, January 19, 2014

Best Driving Music?

Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Concert
1980, Fantasy Records
produced by Russ Gary

John Fogerty - guitars, vocals, harp (harmonica)
Tom Fogerty - guitars, vocals
Stu Cook - bass, vocals
Doug Clifford - drums

Creedence received much radio play on classic rock stations around the time I started buying music for myself. I went to the record store to purchase something that had Fortunate Son on it, and since I had an aversion to "best of" albums at the time (something to do with wanting to seem like a "genuine fan", whatever that meant) I passed on the Chronicles album, which has some of my favorite Creedence songs like Looking Out My Backdoor, and Long as I can See the Light, and instead bought this one.  

Performed and recorded at the Oakland Coliseum in 1970, this show is actually one complete show, unlike some other "live" albums of the late '60s and early '70s that were a mash up of several dates (see Live Dead by the Grateful Dead, Roxy and Elsewhere by Frank Zappa, and Bless Its Pointed Little Head by the Jefferson Airplane, among others).  

I like the sound of this album. Being a live performance, the recording is not so crisp and clean as studio tracks, which is excellent for experiencing the southern roots rock blues sound of one of the pioneers of country and blues inspired rock and roll. Although some of my favorites are not on this set list, all of the tracks are great songs.  

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