Album Review #132: Cosmo's Factory (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
COSMO'S FACTORY
1970-FANTASY
Produced By JOHN FOGERTY
- Ramble Tamble
- Before You Accuse Me
- Travelin' Band
- Ooby Dooby
- Lookin' Out My Back Door
- Run Through The Jungle
- Up Around The Bend
- My Baby Left Me
- Who'll Stop The Rain
- I Heard It Through The Grapevine
- Long As I Can See The Light
Is it really better to burn out than fade away? Creedence Clearwater Revival had a two year run that was unbelievable...5 top ten albums with nine consecutive top 10 singles (5 #2's...they never got a #1) between 1969 and 1970. And inside of what may be the worst rock album cover ever is Cosmo's Factory, the 4th of the 5. And it may be their best. The album is loaded with hits, great cover songs, and even two longer jams (John Fogerty's guitar work on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is worth having this alone for). This is a band at the top of their game, firing on all cylinders and cranking out one great song after another, one great album after another. Cosmo's Factory is simply a great album, a must have for any rock collection.
It was also the beginning of the end. John Fogerty was becoming more demanding with each song, and his dictatorship over the rest of the band was taking its toll. The relationships are straining here, and it poured over to their next album. Tom Fogerty quit after Pendulum, saying that he would never be replaced because no one would ever be crazy enough to join the band. After Pendulum, John Fogerty lost it...he told the other two members that they had to write songs for the next album, but that he would not play lead guitar on them. Mardi Gras from 1972 was horrible, and the band was done. Fogerty, who seemingly hated everyone by this time, traded his song rights to Fantasy to get him out of what may have been the worst record deal in history (he still owed them 8 albums!), which led to him being sued years later for plagiarizing himself. CCR lasted only 5 years and 7 albums, but 1969-70 was truly an amazing run.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford continue on as Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Tom Fogerty died of AIDS in 1990. And John Fogerty has had a spotty solo career. He refused to play CCR songs live until 1987 when he was convinced to do so by Bob Dylan and George Harrison. But there's always the short period of time when this band almost ruled the world.
This is album #132 in an ongoing series.
