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- Date Released: January 1, 1969
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Classic Rock
- Label: Fantasy
The birth of "Proud Mary" and "Born on the Bayou."
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We Say...
CCR leader John Fogerty had a genius for titles: with Bayou Country and its signature, iconic hits "Born On the Bayou" and "Proud Mary," Fogerty, a northern California native, reinvented himself as a son of the swamp. There's more original material on this, their second album, but the groove is still firmly rooted in the same magical relationship between drums and guitars captured by New Orleans producer Eddie Bo on the classic "Pass the Hatchet." In this case, though, the student has outdone the master, because "Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary" are two of the greatest songs ever written about Louisiana. Bob Dylan once called "Proud Mary" his favorite song; that tune and "Born on the Bayou" became instant classics and favorite cover material for countless R&B singers. (Who can forget Ike and Tina Turner's supercharged version of "Proud Mary"?) The band backs up those timeless hits with the terrific swamp-rock groove of "Bootleg" and "Keep On Chooglin'," the eerie "Graveyard Train" and the strutting "Penthouse Pauper," among the first of many astute, class-conscious social commentaries Fogerty would write over the years. The band, whose masterful covers dominated the first album, adds a supremely grooving version of "Good Golly Miss Molly" here.
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They Say...
Opening slowly with the dark, swampy "Born on the Bayou," Bayou Country reveals an assured Creedence Clearwater Revival, a band that has found its voice between their first and second album. It's not just that "Born on the Bayou" announces that CCR has discovered its sound -- it reveals the extent of John Fogerty's myth-making. With this song, he sketches out his persona; it makes him sound as if he crawled out of the backwoods of Louisiana instead of being a native San Franciscan. He carries this illusion throughout the record, through the ominous meanderings of "Graveyard Train" through the stoked cover of "Good Golly Miss Molly" to "Keep on Chooglin'," which rides out a southern-fried groove for nearly eight minutes. At the heart of Bayou Country, as well as Fogerty's myth and Creedence's entire career, is "Proud Mary." A riverboat tale where the narrator leaves a good job in the city for a life rolling down the river, the song is filled with details that ring so true that it feels autobiographical. The lyric is married to music that is utterly unique yet curiously timeless, blending rockabilly, country, and Stax R&B into something utterly distinctive and addictive. "Proud Mary" is the emotional fulcrum at the center of Fogerty's seductive imaginary Americana, and while it's the best song here, his other songs are no slouch, either. "Born on the Bayou" is a magnificent piece of swamp-rock, "Penthouse Pauper" is a first-rate rocker with the angry undertow apparent on "Porterville" and "Bootleg" is a minor masterpiece, thanks to its tough acoustic foundation, sterling guitar work, and clever story. All the songs add up to a superb statement of purpose, a record that captures Creedence Clearwater Revival's muscular, spare, deceptively simple sound as an evocative portrait of America.
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| 01. |  |
Born On The Bayou |
5:15 |
|
| 02. | |
Bootleg |
3:02 |
|
| 03. | |
Graveyard Train |
8:37 |
|
| 04. | |
Good Golly Miss Molly |
2:44 |
|
| 05. | |
Penthouse Pauper |
3:40 |
|
| 06. | |
Proud Mary |
3:08 |
|
| 07. | |
Keep on Chooglin' |
7:40 |
|
07 Total Tracks, 34:06 Total Length
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Credits
- Creedence Clearwater Revival - Main Performer // John Fogerty - Guitar // John Fogerty - Harmonica // John Fogerty - Arranger // John Fogerty - Composer // John Fogerty - Harp // John Fogerty - Vocals // John Fogerty - Producer // Doug Clifford - Bass // Doug Clifford - Drums // Tom Fogerty - Guitar // Tom Fogerty - Guitar (Rhythm) // Tom Fogerty - Vocals // Stu Cook - Bass // Stu Cook - Drums // Stu Cook - Guitar (Bass) // Joel Selvin - Liner Notes // Kevin Gray - Mastering // Shigeo Miyamoto - Mastering // Steve Hoffman - Mastering // Tamaki Beck - Mastering Supervisor // Basul Parik - Cover Photo
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