Sound: John Fogerty, best known for his unique singing voice and rhythm guitar playing for the band CCR, released Revival in October 2007. The record stays true to that swampy, boogie-style rock that made CCR so famous in the 1960s and early 1970s. There are plenty of great lead lines punctuating Fogerty's singing (Creedence Song is a tour de force of blues guitar fury) and the drums and bass stick to that tight rock n' roll niche that his fans expect. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: Fogerty really outdid himself on the lyrics for this album. The first single, "Don't You Wish It Was True", is packed with social commentary and personal memories. A master of the protest song, John Fogerty revisits the powerful anti-war song-style perfected with the days of "Fortunate Son" with the tunes "Long Dark Night" and I Can't Take it No More". My favourite set of lyrics comes from "Creedence Song," the way that the words come out sound like he's pissed off at people only caring about his CCR songs/years! John's a fabulous singer, his gritty tenor outline all his lyrical ideas from start to finish. He still writes and plays like no time has passed in his career, giving his original fans (like myself) the wonderful oppurtunity to enjoy the past but live in the present. // 9
Impression: Revival was my favourite record of 2007. Key tracks are "Gunslinger", "Don't You Wish it Was True", and "Long Dark Night", but skip over "It Ain't Right". I love the record, but I really dislike the packaging. I can't stand the flimsy cardboard case that they chose to use, it always seemed to me that maybe the cover could rip off too easy or something. If anybody stole this album, I buy it again for sure. It's a great buy, especially because summer is coming up and you can't get anymore summer than John Fogerty/CCR! // 8
