Green River (20 Bit Mastering) [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 4, 2000)
• Original Release Date: August 1969
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Fantasy
• ASIN: B00004TBWP
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #100,379 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Remarkably, this is the third studio album Creedence Clearwater Revival released in 1969! During that stunning burst, John Fogerty could do no wrong. Green River isn't as chock-full of CCR standards as the record that followed it in 1970 (Cosmo's Factory), and, at 30 minutes, it's briefer than its rather brief predecessor (Willy & the Poorboys). Still, this is economy at its best. The title track, "Lodi," and "Bad Moon Rising" are all indelibly etched into the memory banks of classic-rock fans, while "Commotion" and "Cross-Tie Walker" are perfect swamp-rock complements. "The Night Time Is the Right Time" is one more in a series of spot-on Fogerty covers. And "Wrote a Song for Everyone" manages to be both rarefied and down to earth in the same breath--which is really CCR in a nutshell. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound quality comparisons, August 9, 2000

By	David Greene (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Green River" is a great album, not doubt, but I bought this version (and the new remasters of "Bayou," "Willy," and "Cosmos'") because it was reputed to blow away the sound quality of all others. On a scale of 10, the original LP is a 10, the DCC "Gold" version is a 9.5, this one is 8.5, and the basic CD that's been out for years is a 2 or 3. This one gets the high-frequencies just right, but is nowhere near as warm as the original LP or the DCC version. What DCC gets right and this one doesn't is the mid-range sounds that keep the vocals from sounding unnaturally shrill. The DCC version, on the other hand, doesn't have quite the resolution of this one. But comparing them both to the original LP, the DCC version is much closer to the original tonality. I do have a choice, and I'm going to keep the DCC versions of all four of these LPs and recycle the latest ones. If you don't have a choice, of course, there's no doubt that thse latest remasters are a great, great improvement over what Fantasy has released in the past. Happy listening!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CCR's Third best, June 13, 2004

By	running_man (Chesterfield Twp., MI) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Creeedence Clearwater Revival produced 4 outstanding albums. Their best, from my personal perspective, was 'Bayou Country', released early in 1969. 'Green River' is their third best, released in the midst of the Woodstock Festival in August of 1969. Amazingly, before the curtain set on 1969, the band produced 'Willy and the Poor Boys', their fourth best effort. In 1970 'Cosmo's Factory', the album many would claim to be their greatest, but which I would place number two, hit the shelves.

There are two classics offered on 'Green River', the nostalgic title track which hit number two on the national charts, and the ominous yet vibrant 'Bad Moon Rising', which also ascended to number two several months before the 'Green River' disc was released. Two other songs from 'Green River' were promoted as singles, the frentic 'Commotion' (with lyrics even more applicable to today than the late 1960's) which hit number 30, and 'Lodi', a curious laid-back favorite among many of CCR's loyalists, which rose to number 52. 'Green River' and 'Commotion' open the disc in what might be one of the best "one-two punches" ever to open a side of an album, and on the original vinyl, side two opened with 'Bad Moon Rising' and 'Lodi', a sterling complement to side one's intro.

The remaining 5 songs, while not Top-40 material, round out what had become a typical mix for Creedence albums. Creedence is a great cover band, and their rendition of Ray Charles' 'The Night Time Is the Right Time', while not their best cover, is intense and inspired as the album's closer. 'Tombstone Shadow' and 'Sinister Purpose' are the purest blues-rock numbers offered, while 'Wrote a Song For Everyone', lamenting the failure of the wordsmith to communicate with the woman he loves, sounds more like a traditonal country ballad. 'Cross-Tie Walker' effectively plays up the swamp-rock sound parlayed on Creedence hits such as 'Green River' and 'Bad Moon Rising', but with a less catchy melody, yet interesting lyrics.

John Fogerty and his bandmates had the capacity to sing songs that dealt with difficult and desperate themes, yet still maintain a postive, inviting, "down-home" atmosphere. As with 'Bayou Country', 'Green River' is brief in length, but lacking Fogarty's extended guitar solo's that appeal to many CCR fans, and alienate others. While 'Bayou Country' felt underground and radical, 'Greeen River' feels commercial.

My version of this disc is "mastered in analog utilizing the 20-bit K2 Super Coding System" developed by JVC. I don't know what all that means, but I can tell you this: the sound is exceptional, and I personally will make every effort to obtain recordings using this technology in the future. The jewel case is enveloped in a decorative cardboard sleeve, and the superfluous liner notes make the consumer's desire for a lyrics sheet even more compelling.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars about the remastering of this fine music, August 17, 2000

By A Customer

So you say you want to travel back in time and sit next to the engineers as they mix this music from fresh tapes? You want to hear the nuance of the (now vintage) equipment more clearly than you imagined possible?

Buy this series.

My local radio station still plays the older CDs. No offence to those who produced them (many years ago) but there is no comparison. If you own and enjoy those older CDs, buy the new ones.

Thank you Shigeo Miyamoto and Tamaki Beck for taking such care with these beautiful recordings (the entire series).