John Fogerty

Revival (Fantasy)

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. Like Springsteen’s recent return to classic form, the album feels more continuation than reprise. With nods to “Run Through the Jungle,” Bush supplants Nixon in the fierce “Long Dark Night,” while “I Can’t Take It No More” rants though 90 seconds of rockabilly fury. “Summer of Love” steeps too heavily in nostalgia, riffing unapologetically in Cream’s “White Room,” and “Don’t You Wish It Was True” rings trite, but “Gunslinger” fires with outraged conviction. If times make the man, Fogerty’s time has come, again.

***.5

This article appears in Richard Suttle.

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Doug Freeman has been writing for the Austin Chronicle since 2007, covering the arts and music scene in the city. He is originally from Virginia and earned his Masters Degree from the University of Texas. He is also co-editor of The Austin Chronicle Music Anthology, published by UT Press.