Cosmo's Factory

Simply put - this is an excellent album. The best version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" that was ever made.

With Concord Music Group having purchased the Fantasy catalog, the fortieth anniversary of Creedence Clearwater Revival's debut LP provides a suitable opportunity for a fresh round of reissues. All six of the original foursome's albums (from 1968's Creedence Clearwater Revival through 1970's Pendulum) have been struck from new digital masters and augmented by previously unreleased tracks. Those who purchased the 2001 box set can pick up most of the bonus tracks separately as digital downloads (the two longest bonuses are CD-only). Those who didn't buy the box, and think they'll buy all six reissues may want to consider the box set for its inclusion of pre-Creedence work from the Blue Velvets and Golliwogs, the seventh CCR album Mardi Gras, the 1970-71 live recordings and several box-only bonuses. But for those just wanting to pick up a few favorite albums, these reissues are the ticket. Each is presented in a digipack with original front and back cover album art and a 16-page booklet with photos, credits and new liner notes.

Creedence's fifth studio album, Cosmo's Factory, expands upon the gains of their previous two releases even as it returns to the jamming, psychedelic roots and enthusiastic cover songs of the band's 1968 debut. The result sums up the band's evolution with socially-charged guitar jams ("Ramble Tamble"), concise, iconic hit singles ("Travelin' Band," "Up Around the Bend" and "Lookin' Out My Back Door"), memorable B-sides ("Who'll Stop the Rain," "Run Through the Jungle" and "Long As I Can See the Light"), heartfelt throwbacks ("Before You Accuse Me," "Ooby Dooby" and "My Baby Left Me"), and a tour de force eleven minute reworking of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." Rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty would stick around for the next LP (Pendulum), but this one's actually the more fitting summation of the original foursome's 2-1/2 year run. John Fogerty might well have sensed this was the high point as he sings "Lookin' Out My Back Door" weary but satisfied, and "Long As I Can See the Light" as an elegy.

Given that all three B-sides should have marked their own time on the charts, one can easily imagine this album spinning off six hits, with the lengthy album tracks tucked away on the late night radio waves of underground FM. Legacy's 2008 CD reissue adds three bonus tracks, including a post-LP studio take of "Travelin' Band" recorded without horns, a previously unreleased live version of "Up Around the Bend" from the group's final European tour and a 1970 studio jam of "Born on the Bayou" featuring Booker T. on organ. If you're only going to buy one Creedence LP, this is as good as it gets. Of course, that could equally well be said about Green River or Willy and the Poor Boys, and perhaps even Bayou Country. Best bet: get them all. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

Excellent remastering. A great album. I waited for CCR to remaster their albums and finally they did! I bought all six re-issues. Sound and package are great. Although as I type this I only listened to this album. Love the bonus tracks. What an album.

There are few bands in rock history who have put together so many fine songs on so many top quality albums. Every song is worthy of being on this wonderful album, which my son so aptly describes as the Abbey Road of CCR's many fine compilations.

Almost every song is so well known that I won't try and review them one by one, although failure to mention any song almost calls for an apology. It is significant that most of them are at least as appealing now as they were when they made a huge impact on release almost 40 years ago.

Consider the almost frantic Travelin' Band, the superb Ramble Tamble, Up Around The Bend, that quickstep standard (Lookin' Out My Back Door), the Woodstock reference (Who'll Stop The Rain) and the list goes on.

A good quality indication is that the band took on classics like Before You Accuse Me, My Baby Left Me, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and Ooby Dooby and arguably did the best versions ever done of those songs.

A benchmark album of the rock era.

Ramble Tamble is, IMHO, the best song CCR ever did. It hit my stereo in the summer of '70, and its menacing lyrics, combined with a gradually accelerating train ride pace that careened throughout with chugging rhythm section and eerie lead guitar, grabbed my head and gut and wouldn't let go until it finally spun back into its foot-stomping accompaniment to John Fogarty's wailing complaint about modern life. It was a hot summer, what with the War heating up and general craziness in the air, and this song captured the West Coast mood perfectly. And the rest of the album ain't bad, either.