Revival

John Fogerty

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 2, 2007)
• Original Release Date: October 2, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fantasy
• ASIN: B000ULQVCK
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (207 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,251 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Music > Rock > Roots Rock
  #25 in	Music > Country > Alt-Country & Americana
  #66 in	Music > Alternative Rock > American Alternative

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The self-referential title of Fogerty's first album in three years is no mere play on words; this is as close as he's gotten in a long while to duplicating the loose swamp blues, country, folk, soul and rock that he so memorably created a template for in Creedence Clearwater Revival. Thankfully the advertisement for downloaded ringtones in the disc's booklet is the only contemporary influence creeping into this stripped-down set of rootsy rockers and ballads. Fogerty's voice sounds great throughout; passionate, more committed and comfortable with these songs than he has seemed in years. His material has often leaned towards politics, especially as it concerns the working class, but seldom as directly as on the gutsy choogle of "Long Dark Night" and the rollicking "I Can’t Take it No More." He seems like a cranky dad on "It Ain't Right," railing about spoiled pop tarts in the spotlight, and "Summer of Love"'s look back at the titular time in the late '60s falls on the schlock side. But Fogerty charges into "Longshot" like the angry young man of "Fortunate Son," singing "I ain't got no 'ristocrats a-hangin' in my tree" with an assurance and intensity that reaches through the speakers and grabs the listener. Just like in the old days. --Hal Horowitz

Product Description

John's new album is a triumph, with a sound that is at once timeless yet urgently rooted in this time and place. The lyrics recall a continuous conversation with America, a reminder of John's unmatched ability to resonate with people from all walks of life. With a voice that can cut glass and inspire generations, and a band that sounds like it came to tear the roadhouse down, 'Revival' is not just a great John Fogerty album -- and a great rock album -- it's an essential musical work by an artist without peer, that will certainly stand as one of the most compelling albums of 2007.

John Fogerty Photos (by Nela Koenig)

More from John Fogerty

Long Road Home: In Concert

The Long Road Home: In Concert - DVD

The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 103 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back In The Saddle, October 1, 2007

By	Thomas D. Ryan "American Hit Network" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I think we have finally found the lost ingredient missing from today's pop music. For a while, John Fogerty provided the greatest pop songs in the United States of America. His recordings with Creedence Clearwater Revival represent some of the most universally beloved songs that ever hit the airwaves. They were simple, but they were damn good, and will probably still sound great in 3007. It is easy, though, to underestimate the talent that it takes to create something so pure and simple, and yet so fresh and unique. Eventually that is just what happened. Even his own band underestimated Fogerty's talents, and insisted on turning CCR into a democracy. Once everybody started submitting material, the band floundered and lost its true strength; what good is a Creedence song unless it features John Fogerty's magnificent voice and his addictive brand of swamp pop? Fogerty's band imploded, and then his record label turned against him, denying him royalties to the songs that made so many people happy.
"Revival" not only signals a return to form, it also represents a call to arms. Once again, it is time for the master to take control of the pop charts. John Fogerty has not played with this much conviction and focus since 1972. Even over his sporadic series of solo albums, Fogerty never played with such gusto. "Revival" represents a fresh start, and it does so by embracing the past that he kept so long in denial. "Don't You Wish It Was True" is simple as dirt, and yet it immediately evokes days when the radio was overflowing with soon-to-be classic melodies. It is so instantly appealing that it could have been the leadoff track for "Willy and the Poor Boys." "Creedence Song" takes that point head on, with Fogerty giving himself a well-deserved pat on the back for stocking jukeboxes all over America with songs that are worth your pocket change. "Summer of Love" is a timely throwback to an era when music truly mattered, and Fogerty sings the track like it still does. As for "It Ain't Right," I only hope that the latest generation of talentless hacks is paying attention, because he's having a ball at their expense.
"Gunslinger" had me thinking Fogerty was shying away from political confrontation, because it only implies discontent; "Fortunate Son" it ain't. A few tracks later, though, he starts naming names. In "Long Dark Night," he sings, "Georgie's' in the jungle...wants to have a war", and "Brownie's in the outhouse, Katrina on the line." "I Can't Stand It No More" is even more blunt, as Fogerty vents his rage directly at Bush, singing "You know you lied about the WMD's, you know you lied about the detainees", and rocks out all over the place for 1 minute, 50 seconds. Oh, and as for "Fortunate Son," he goes on to sing, "I bet you never saw the National Guard. Your daddy wrote a check and there you are, another `Fortunate Son'." From a musical perspective, it must suck to be a conservative, since all the really good protest music leans left. Can a red-blooded American claim to dislike Fogerty and CCR on idealistic grounds? Who would you prefer to hear, Ted Nugent or John Fogerty?
I've been waiting 35 years for John Fogerty to make an album like this. Better late than never, John. Now if only Sly Stone could get his act together... A Tom Ryan

76 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back on the Bayou, October 7, 2007

By	John Carr - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John Fogerty's Revival is the best Classic Rock album since Paul McCartney's Band on the Run--hey, it only took 30 years, coming at a period where I've all but given up on music and most of my favorite acts. Fortunately, I've got over 3,000 CDs from the 1950s to 1990s to comfort myself with, but I've always loved getting a NEW disc with great music. And, Revival is one of the few discs (like Sticky Fingers, Green River, The Doors, Sgt. Pepper's) where I can listen to every song!

I've been a fan of the Fogerty sound since I picked up Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968, where I fell in love with Susie Q and I Put A Spell On You -- John's first swamp rockers. John's always had one of the top five voices in Rock music right up there with John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Roger Daltry, Paul Rodgers and Paul McCartney. But it never hit me just how good it was until the wife and I heard him on one of the R&R Hall of Fame specials singing Be-Bop A Lula where he just blew Springsteen and others right out of their shoes! (John, manybe on your next release you can do a new version of it?) I loved the Premonition DVD, and it proved conclusively that John's voice is and was the Voice of Rock & Roll.

Yes, I loved the Centerfield and Blue Moon Swamp albums, but this new release is head-and-shoulders above those two wonderful albums. Revival ranks right up there with his best Credeence material, "Green River," Bayou Country" and "Cosmo's Factory." Frankly, I'm amazed at how rejuvenated Fogerty sounds; his voice still sounds like a man 30 years younger, and he plays guitar both tastefully and with restraint -- Rock music just doesn't get much better than this! And John can shred too, just listen to Summer of Love!

I've had Revival in the car CD player now for almost a week. I had to buy another copy for my office Bose deck; fortunately, I'd heard about the Wal-Mart CD with bonus DVD and picked up their last copy. The interview showcases a relaxed and confident John Fogerty; he's finally been able to bury the hatchet with Fantasy, get his song royalties back and he's clearly on top of the world -- and at the peak of his creativity and happiness! Good for you John, it's totally deserved. I only wish America, like Japan, had the designation of "Living Treasure," because John Fogerty richly deserves it.

By the way, the DVD includes two live tracks from John's June 23, 2007 Glastonbury Festival concert; they're dynamite and worth the price of the entire package. He's reinvented two of my favorite songs, Ramble Tamble and Keep On Chooglin', and they're never sounded better -- nor have I ever heard Fogerty play this well! Damn life can be good.

Revival opens with Don't You Wish It Was True a hopeful song about what might be; it's a ballad with a light sprinkling of the Fogerty magic. It could have appeared on any Creedence album as a stand-out track. Next is Gunslinger, my wife's favorite cut; another ballad but with a growly undercurrent. The Creedence Song is tribute to his former band and to the wonderful songbook John created. After 35 years, John was finally able to bury the hatchet with Fantasy (who had screwed him royally, like some old Blues' label) and reconcile himself with his past glories! The song itself has that vintage Creedence sound that no one else in the world has ever been able to duplicate; it doesn't get much better than this. My favorite of the ballads is Broken Down Cowboy, a personal song that reflects John's own hard past and how he views his older self; he's too happy these days to wear that moniker -- thankfully! But the man can breathe life into a song to life with a turn of a phrase and the bend of a guitar string. The Rivers is Waiting is a wonderful ballad in the gospel tradition; I felt shivers running up and down my spine the first time I heard this song. Heartfelt, may be cliched, but it surely describes this song. Next we get to my favorite cut, Long Dark Night, which is as swampy and strong as anything John Fogerty has ever written; its universal theme, despite darkly topical political references, it's timeless. Summer of Love, with its references to Jimi and Cream, is the kind of song I expected to hear back in 1969 from Creedence; instead, Fogerty invented a whole new niche in Rock music. Still, it's great to hear John tear it up and prove that he's not only one of the most original guitarists of the 20th/21st Century, but one of the best, too!

Natural Thing is a mid-tempo song in the Creedence vein; something that only John could make work these days. It Ain't Right is a wonderful tribute to Sun Studios and validates Carl Perkin's observation that if John had suddenly appeared at 706 Union Avenue, he would have rocked the house, as a triple-threat songwriter, singer and guitarist! John's licks are straight out of the Scotty Moore playbook and amazing; it's lucky for those Hillybilly Cats that Fogerty didn't come along until some 10 years later! I Can't Take It No More is a pure Fogerty kick-out-the-jams, the likes of wich we haven't heard since Travelin' Band. It reminded me of The Last Man Standing DVD with Jerry Lee Lewis; John was the ONLY guest, out of a group which included Tom Jones, Chris Isaak, Ron Wood, and Willie Nelson, who sang a complete song by himself, a dynamite version of Good Golly Miss Molly! Highly recommended! Surely, a signal honor from one of Rock & Roll's founding giants.

The CD finishes with the swampy Somebody Help Me -- a cry John certainly no longer needs to make. It's a strong Fogery track with a snakey guitar line. I love the guitar tones he's pulling off on Revival; this cat just keeps getting better, like a fine wine. The official album ends with the up-tempo rocker, Longshot; classic John Fogerty. The Best Buy release contains the live Ride-It-Like-Hell version of Sweet Hitch-Hiker from the Glastonbury Festival -- buy it, if you can find it! It opens appropriately, with a Bo Diddley slide and from then is purely heavenly mayhem! I really hope that John releases a DVD/CD from Glastonbury; he's playing at the top of his game, which in today's sorry music scene is the fracking Penthouse!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Effortless, Consistent and Wonderful Album, October 1, 2007

By	Echo Park Homeboy (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

John Fogerty has always been at his best when it seemed as if he was creating music that was effortless and coming from a joyful place. This is about as effortless and joyful as it gets. The great songs are plentiful with "Natural Thing," "Longshot," "River is Waiting," and "Broken Down Cowboy" being highlights. After all these years, Mr. Fogerty is writing music that rivals his CCR days. It is an exciting thing to witness. You will seriously enjoy this album!