Creedence Clearwater Revival recorded for a little less than four years but managed to generate a boatload of hits in that time. They released seven Gold or Platinum albums during that span, and put 11 songs in the Top 20 of Billboard’s Hot 100.
But the classic rock band did not manage to score a #1 hit. Instead, they are the ultimate bridesmaids, with five different singles (and seven songs) hitting #2 — a frustrating record.
Sometime last year I decided to shed my lifelong aversion to horror films.
I’ve traditionally avoided the genre for a pretty simple reason — I don’t like feeling afraid. I particularly don’t like to be startled (you should see me cringe in the presence of a party balloon). A jump scare is my kryptonite.
So naturally I’ve stayed away from movies likely to scare me. But in doing so I’ve cut myself off from a treasure trove of cinematic artistry.
My final example of (alleged) musical copyright infringement is the curious case of John Fogerty’s ‘The Old Man Down the Road,’ a song he was accused of stealing from… himself.
Fogerty, the lead singer and principal songwriter of Creedence Clearwater Revival, had an acrimonious break-up with the band in 1972 before going solo. He was still tied to a shit-show of a contract with Fantasy Records. His first solo album underperformed, which Fogerty blamed on Fantasy’s lackluster promotion, and he refused to record anything new. Fantasy sued him.
As I continue my dive into the best albums of 1970, I’m focusing this week on unfamiliar albums by artists I otherwise know pretty well. I own, or at least know, some material by each of these artists but I don’t have these particular records.
First up is Creedence Clearwater Revival with Cosmo’s Factory, the band’s fifth album and widely considered their best.
The Random iTunes Fairy has a nice sense of symmetry. A week after serving up Credence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Proud Mary,’ she has let the needle drop on the band’s classic protest song ‘Run Through the Jungle.’
Given John Fogerty’s opposition to the war in Vietnam, and the song’s title, many listeners believed this track was about the war. Fogerty says it is actually about the proliferation of guns in America.
Meet Me In Montauk 