Album Review: Creedence Clearwater Revival — Covers the Classics
There’s something to be said for conceptual/thematic repackaging of selections from a music artist’s catalog. Hell, even 1970s cash-in packages like The Beatles’ Love Songs and Rock and Roll made some sense, even though they removed the songs therein from their intended contexts.
Creedence Clearwater Revival is often referred to as the Great American Singles Band. And they were, too, but their albums are cohesive works, best enjoyed start to finish. All (except the not-as-bad-as-its-reputation-suggests swan song Mardi Gras) were reissued in 2008 with bonus tracks and thoughtful annotation. And Fantasy/Concord has also re-released the excellent live album The Concert.
But then there’s this: Creedence Clearwater Revival Covers the Classics. Yes, CCR did a great job of breathing new life into early rock and roll (and folk, and blues) numbers, making the songs their own by applying their own unique spin on the Booker T & the MGs approach. And those covers (like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell On You”, Dale (no relation!) Hawkins’ “Susie Q” and Ricky Nelson’s “Hello Mary Lou”) are consistently ace. But tossing the dozen songs CCR covered onto a single disc doesn’t reveal much to the listener about the band, other than the fact that they were good at choosing and executing covers. But so is my band (in fact that’s all we do). Big deal.
If you have all the CCR albums (and if you love rock and roll, then you really should) you have no real need for this set. Unlike the reissues, there’s no insightful essay inside. If you don’t have the original albums, you should get them. If you don’t want them, you don’t want this. And if you’re just getting introduced to Creedence, this isn’t the place to start.
Is the music good? Certainly. But the repackaging is as pointless as if Fantasy had compiled a Creedence Sings About Places set and put on “Lodi”, “Green River”, “Born on the Bayou”, and so on.
Come to think of it, that wouldn’t make a bad mixtape. Which, alas, is essentially what Creedence Clearwater Revival Covers the Classics is.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.