John Fogerty
Revival
Release Date: Oct 2, 2007
Genre(s): Rock
Record label: Fantasy
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Album Review: Revival by John Fogerty
Fantastic, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 9/10
Even if the acceptance of Creedence hasn't made much of a difference in terms of sound, it does have an effect on Fogerty as a writer, as he attempts to recapture the vibe of his '60s stuff, tapping into the charged political vibe of "Fortunate Son" and "Who'll Stop the Rain" in particular. Revival spills over with topical songs, both metaphorical ("Gunslinger") and thuddingly literal ("Long Dark Night," where George W., Rummy, and Dick Cheney are all called out by name). Sometimes Fogerty's missives lack grace -- impassioned though it is, the name-calling in "Long Dark Night" is clumsy -- but there's a real fire to his writing here, turning Revival into a missive as immediate, effective, and telling as Neil Young's Living with War.
Opinion: Great
For nearly 20 years, John Fogerty refused to play Creedence Clearwater Revival songs while a bitter court battle raged with his former label, Fantasy. With the label now under new ownership, Fogerty's embraced it as his own. "You can't go wrong if you play a little bit of that Creedence song," he enthuses on "Creedence Song," and, following that advice, Revival revels in CCR.