Cosmo's Factory [40th Anniversary Bonus Tracks] [Digipak]

Performer: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Producer: John Fogerty; John Fogerty; Chris Clough; Chris Clough (Reissue)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Composer: John Fogerty. Lyricist: John Fogerty. Creedence Clearwater Revival: John Fogerty (vocals, guitar); Stu Cook (bass guitar, background vocals); Doug Clifford (drums, background vocals); Tom Fogerty (background vocals). Audio Remasterer: George Horn. Liner Note Authors: Robert Christgau; Joel Selvin. Recording information: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Photographers: Bob Fogerty; Ron Rafaelli; Didi Zill. Arranger: John Fogerty. Creedence Clearwater Revival's continued their reputation as a consummate singles act with the release of COSMO'S FACTORY. Three of its singles, the blazing "Travelin' Band," the driving sting of "Up Around The Bend," and the irresistibly sunny fantasia hoedown "Looking Out My Back Door" (complete with tambourines and elephants) each achieved gold status. These tunes hit the mark completely, capturing the group's accessible, hook-laden rock 'n' roll with a lightness and urgency balanced by stinging guitars, unforgettable melodies, and the expressive voice of lead singer/songwriter John Fogerty. Though COSMO'S FACTORY has its share of covers, including a version of the Sun Records oldie "Oobie Doobie" and an extended jam on the Marvin Gaye classic "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," it still overflows with great originals. "Ramble Tamble" and "Run Through the Jungle" are edgy rockers build around killer guitar riffs, both driven by an uncharacteristically dark, shadowy feel. "Long As I Can See the Light" is full of plaintive yearning, while the poignant "Who'll Stop the Rain" ranks among Fogerty's finest tunes. Creedence's ability to fuse traditional pop elements with downhome simplicity, rock edge, and superb songcraft is in full effect on COSMO'S FACTORY, placing it alongside GREEN RIVER and WILLIE AND THE POOR BOYS as one of their best albums. Throughout 1969 and into 1970, CCR toured incessantly and recorded nearly as much. Appropriately, Cosmo's Factory's first single was the working band's anthem "Travelin' Band," a funny, piledriving rocker with a blaring horn section -- the first indication their sonic palette was broadening. Two more singles appeared prior to the album's release, backed by John Fogerty originals that rivaled the A-side or paled just slightly. When it came time to assemble a full album, Fogerty had only one original left, the claustrophobic, paranoid rocker "Ramble Tamble." Unlike some extended instrumentals, this was dramatic and had a direction -- a distinction made clear by the meandering jam that brings CCR's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" to 11 minutes. Even if it wanders, their take on the Marvin Gaye classic isn't unpleasant, and their faithful, exuberant takes on the Sun classics "Ooby Dooby" and "My Baby Left Me" are joyous tributes. Still, the heart of the album lays in those six fantastic songs released on singles. "Up Around the Bend" is a searing rocker, one of their best, balanced by the menacing murkiness of "Run Through the Jungle." "Who'll Stop the Rain"'s poignant melody and melancholy undertow has a counterpart in Fogerty's dope song, "Lookin' out My Back Door," a charming, bright shuffle, filled with dancing animals and domestic bliss - he had never been as sweet and silly as he is here. On "Long as I Can See the Light," the record's final song, he again finds solace in home, anchored by a soulful, laid-back groove. It hits a comforting, elegiac note, the perfect way to draw Cosmo's Factory -- an album made during stress and chaos, filled with raging rockers, covers, and intense jams -- to a close. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone (9/3/70, p.42) - "...one great rock and roll band...another damn good album by a group which is going to be around for a long time..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.130) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "It's their spare recorded sound which really thrills....The grooves fierce but sloppy, the singing raw and beseeching, the guitars mordant."

Creedence Clearwater Revival seemed like something of an anomaly in the psychedelic 1960s. Far removed from the mind-expanding, flower-power explorations of their California contemporaries, they were a gritty, hard-hitting band respectful of their blues, country, and rock & roll roots. John Fogerty's cutting, raspy voice bore echoes of Howlin' Wolf and Little Richard as he delivered lyrics that alternately celebrated and bemoaned a working man's life. In a rare instance of art and commerce coinciding, CCR's stream of hit singles made them one of the most successful '60s rock bands. The band broke up acrimoniously in the early '70s, but Fogerty went on to a successful (if sporadic) solo career.

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