More of some unforgettable Rock’n'Roll. Combine this one and Cosmo’s Factory and you pretty much have the perfect playlist through the hard times, good times, long drives, exams, lonely nights, dull jobs, i.e. pretty much all of your life. Immortal stuff. Probably wouldn’t even bother to write about stuff this old and this classic, but these are just “those” kinda times. You need something reliable, trusty, true, emotional, sturdy and gruff rather than some of the new fangled bull shit. Simple, manly, guitars just puffing along, reminding you of trains, a vocalist earnestly belting out the lines “When I was a little bitty baby/My mama would rock me in my cradle/in them old cotton fields back home”, far far away from the pomposity and self indulgent musical climate of the present day. Even in my cubicle, I can feel the sun on my shoulders and the sky above. “Willy and the Poor Boys” remains the most straight-as-an-arrow (even by CCR standards), steady, 4/4, bluesy rock chug-a-thon in their discography, not a lot of improvisation, even by CCR standards, remember, their strength was churning true hooky countryish blueish rock hit on hit and not jamming/experimenting..not their forte dudes!! But full points for being for what they truly are.
-Baba T
Recommended Tracks -This set of ditties ain’t as trippy as the stuff on Cosmo’s Factory, more straightforward, but I like it as much or even better when I am in the mood. I can’t honestly say that I am a very big fan of “Effigy”, it seems to take you one way and then John Fogerty does the switcheroo and takes the line the other way, and something seems to remind me of “Hey Joe”, but that’s all I can say…….
On The Beatles. I like them, I really do. But seriously, Rolling Stone? 4 out of 10 albums in the top ten were Beatles albums. I call bullshite. One, yes, I do fully acknowledge the “impact” they had on certain artists and on the music industry as a whole. Two, um, I just wish people would actually talk about their “Studio Years” when talking about their later stuff, which is, coincidentally, what makes up almost half of the top ten (Sgt. Peppers, White Album, etc.). Is it really fair to say that they stopped touring, became an all studio band, and released a “masterpiece”? OF COURSE IT’S A MASTERPIECE. YOU ONLY HAD A FREAKIN’ YEAR TO MAKE IT. While they’re sittin’ in the studio, other groups like The Rolling Stones and The Who are out touring and promoting. That’s why I don’t agree with this list. In my opinion, The Beatles had a ton of credibility, up until their studio years. All-studio bands have NO RESPECT from me. That’s not rock n’ roll. Rock n’ roll is making and album, get your ass out their and touring to promote it. Not taking your precious time to create a “masterpiece”.