The Cavern
Rock & Words
COSMO’S FACTORY (Creedence, 1970)
Artist: Creedence (B)
Recording Dates: Nov '69 – May '70
Release Date: July b16th, 1970. USA
Record Label: Fantasy
Producer: John Fogerty
Rating: 10 (MUST HAVE)
Era: Country, Country Rock And Southern
Subgenre: Southern Rock (1968-???)
Best Song: Who’ll Stop the Rain or I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Tracklist: 1) Ramble Tamble; 2) Before You Accuse Me; 3) Travelin' Band; 4) Ooby Dooby; 5) Lookin' Out My Back Door; 6) Run Through The Jungle; 7) Up Around The Bend; 8) My Baby Left Me; 9) Who'll Stop The Rain; 10) I Heard It Through The Grapevine; 11) Long As I Can See The Light.
This is a fantastic album , any way you look at it. In my opinion, it's Creedence's most mature work, the most polished, the one that best reflects their style, and the most varied… Well, that's considering Creedence's standards. It doesn't exactly include rock opera, metal, and reggae, nor is it the White Album , but it's by far the most diverse within the genres this band plays: it features " Jungle " as one of the most chilling anti-war songs, capable of creating a truly paranoid, dark, gripping , threatening feeling… "Rain" is equally anti-war, but from the other side of the coin, much more poetic, philosophical, spiritual, a beautiful ballad, one of Creedence 's best ; "Band" and "Bend" are a couple of top-notch rock and roll tracks , fun, with a lot of groove , that rock with gusto and put you in a good mood from the first notes; “ My Back Door,” a swampy, country tune, light and almost childlike, reminiscent of that muddy and deceptively simple sound; “Light” is another immense, exquisite ballad, capable of moving you with its almost gospel-like slowness , the echo-filled keyboard, and the sax solos that lend it an almost religious air, capable of crushing your soul… and “Grapevine,” a cover that should really be credited to Fogerty and not to Marvin Gaye's songwriters, also with that dark and unsettling atmosphere of some of the group's songs. Of all the covers that Creedence made their own, this is perhaps the one they most truly made their own, the one they most deeply imprinted on their own spirit. They practically remade it with that instrumental middle section, John's furious guitar solos, and Cosmo's monumental drumming. Ah! Speaking of Doug “Cosmo” Clifford, this album truly lives up to his nickname: it's his best drumming performance, and without overwhelming the songs or sounding excessive, he does a colossal job, inserting precise fills that elevate the tracks left and right. I really underestimated him as a drummer, but one only needs to listen to this album to realize that he was absolutely intuitive yet precise, and he could give even the simplest song a massive boost.
That's not why the album was called that, but because almost immediately after releasing "Willy & The Poorboys ," the band went into Doug's home studio to work on their next album. Fortunately, this time they weren't so rushed, and instead of taking a couple of months between albums, they took almost six. The thing is, John was so tyrannical about these sessions that Cosmo jokingly started calling his studio "The Factory," which, indeed, is the one on the cover. The joke ended up becoming the album's title. But the fact is, the fact that they were more patient this time and didn't release three albums in a single year resulted in an LP with the number of classic tracks found on their three previous albums combined. And no filler!
The album is perfect from beginning to end, and curiously, the unmentioned covers are perhaps the weakest points of Cosmo's Factory, but they're very well done and would easily have been among the highlights of any other Creedence album. In that regard, I continue to be impressed by their treatment of other artists' songs, and I think I've mentioned this before in a previous review, but Creedence Clearwater Revival are perhaps the best cover artists in history. Honestly, if you don't check the credits, you could go your whole life mistakenly thinking they're originals by the band: "Susie Q," "Grapevine," "I Put a Spell on You," "Miss Molly," "Cotton Fields," among others that come to mind. And their honesty is remarkable; Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones, with far fewer variations on their songs, had no qualms about crediting them and keeping the royalties.
Here , they also take much more care in selecting their cover songs than on the '69 albums, and for that very reason, they have more success with them; they suit them better. All of this makes this album CCR's most complete and polished, showcasing their best work, their full potential. It's a more serious album than its predecessors, but it's still fun, with lighter rock and roll numbers . It remains experimental, with extended instrumental passages and wonderful solos, but without the "experimentation" that leaned more towards sarcasm on Willy & The Poorboys . Furthermore, the horn sections are fewer and fit in much better when they are used. The sense of melody and structure is meticulously crafted, and that's why the album features so many classics and strong points, without practically a peak or a song that overshadows it. Everything maintains a high level from beginning to end. It's not too long. It's not too short. It's simply brilliant... and perfect.
The album opens with “Ramble Table”, a furious rocker with a great jam in the middle section and some very entertaining moments. The intro is fantastic, packed with dynamite, and from there the song is quite engaging. The verses start with an almost violent rhythm, in which John interweaves the verses with his raspy voice and excellent guitar arrangements, which he varies in every way possible from the first verse onward. At 1:30, the song begins to slow down, before completely changing at 1:50 with a beautiful descending arpeggiated scale. Here, pay attention to Cosmo Clifford, who begins to give a masterclass on drums, keeping the song going through the repetitions of the riff that builds this gigantic middle section. At 3:30, a flute-like keyboard enters with another very cute iteration, and the band begins to accelerate and turn up the volume. The solo comes at 1:40, slow and timid at first, but gaining confidence and power; It's not the eighth wonder of the world, but it showcases Fogerty's kind of mathematical precision in crafting his guitar solos. The song suddenly takes off at full speed, with a dizzying rhythm that seems to have no limits, so the band stops at 5:35 and we return to the playful rhythm of the verses and those masterful mini-solos . One last verse, one last " Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh , Down on the road I go …" to definitively slow this powerful locomotive down once more. I understand that some people might not like this kind of jam that lasts over seven minutes, but I find the tension they manage, the rhythm changes, and the instrumental level of the song masterful. It's seemingly silly and repetitive, but Fogerty manages to introduce subtle variations without repeating himself even once. A tremendous start.
Then there's "Before You Accuse Me", the first cover on the album. This version is well done, treated with great seriousness, suddenly leaning more towards the Chicago style than the muddier Delta Blues. The little piano in the background gives the whole song unity and a kind of very strange refinement ( very jazzy ? ) for a Creedence song. But it doesn't feel out of place; the song is well-crafted, with a great guitar solo starting at 2:30 that carries us through to the coda and the end. They give this ancient blues (one of my favorites) a very good treatment, but perhaps they treat it with too much reverence. This is one of those covers that they don't seem to make their own, perhaps due to the very nature of the song. There's nothing wrong with the performance, it's well done, but it seems to be missing something—making it swampier, making it more Creedence-esque , I don't know. On any other album, it would have been a standout, but here it sounds almost generic compared to the rest of the tracks. Even so, it's good.
Next up is “Travelin ’ Band”, an exquisite and fun little rock and roll number in the purest 50s style. In fact, the song came about while they were mulling over “Good Golly Miss Molly,” and initially they were going to discard it for fear of a copyright claim from Little Richard. But the truth is, the influence is barely noticeable, and the mood and lyrics are completely different. Perhaps what sets it apart most is that saxophone , which at first might remind us of other CCR songs where the wall of horns doesn't quite fit. Here, it's perfectly placed, and it's what ultimately breathes life into the whole song and gives it a very different spirit from the track it originated from. Otherwise, it's spectacular, with a killer rhythm and tremendous intensity in the vocal delivery, which makes the song almost impossible to copy exactly. The guitar solo at 1:25 is incendiary, maintaining the style and brevity of the 50s, but with much more ferocity. John's screams at the end of each chorus are almost feline and another of the song's hidden hooks. When they expand into massive jams , they can be magical, but it's also remarkable how spectacular and well-crafted they can be in just two minutes. It 's another gold star for Cosmo Clifford.
“Ooby Dooby” is another of the mediocre, somewhat silly covers made famous by Roy Orbison. It's not bad, but it sounds too simple for Creedence Clearwater Revival. There are two truly redeeming qualities: one is John's splendid guitar work, sounding absolutely retro and paying homage to those fifties guitar solos, perhaps relying a bit too heavily on clichés, but creating a good overall effect for a simple rock & roll song. The other is that it's too short a song to get angry about. Barely two minutes, which makes it harmless. It's perhaps the weakest track on the album, but it's not bad either; it's fun, light, and helps keep the album from becoming too heavy.
We're back to a good level with "Looking Out My Back Door" marks their return to a more traditional, basic country sound, with an upbeat and playful tempo. The soul of the song is that guitar, played with a driving rhythm and muted strings, recreating the scraped sound of portable washbasins, characteristic of country music: " Chugga , chugga-chugga , chugga-chugga , chugga-chu ." In fact, it's the only sound that sustains the song at 1:45, when all the instruments fall silent for a moment to change key. It's not a glorious song, but it's once again a masterclass in how to add hooks: from the aforementioned scraped sound, to the "Duuuh Duuuuh" The " Duuuuh " of the choruses, the key changes, the totally country and southern riff, the slide guitar , the tambourines... It all transports you to an old saloon in the American Midwest. Even if you're not a country music fan, this is a song impossible to hate.
Now comes one of the real heavy hitters. “Run Through The Jungle” is a true juggernaut. One of Creedence Clearwater Revival's best songs, and one of the best of the sixties . The band returns to that dark, menacing sound… They manage to transport you to a swamp, dark, at night, lurking, only this time it's not in southern Kentucky, but in the Viet Cong mangroves . The riff is perfect, but this time, to achieve that overwhelming effect, it intertwines with the powerful rhythm section, which truly sounds like a platoon advancing through the jungle. All of this achieves a darkness and intensity that many metal songs would envy. Perhaps “ When the Music's Over” by The Doors or “ Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones. A feeling of evil, of darkness, of fear, paranoia. I don't know, there's something about these songs that has always struck me as chilling. The riff repeats itself over and over, but it's absolutely toxic; it doesn't become repetitive, quite the opposite. The harmonicas come in simple but perfect for breaking up the verses. And the lyrics are magnificent. Without making a direct reference to Vietnam, they are rather simple, but with one of Fogerty's best lines, which leaves no room for doubt: “Two hundred million Guns are loaded , Satan cries : Take aim ! And the chorus, simple, but perfect for that feeling of paranoia : “Better run through the jungle, woa , don't " Look back to see ." Feedback at the beginning and end. The voice is heavy with echo. A 3-minute gem, and it doesn't even change tone!
Then there's "Up Around The Bend", another furious rocker in the purest Creedence style, with John's raspy vocals and a great, sharp, rusty guitar riff. The song is full of energy from the very first second, with Stu Cook's bass relentlessly driving the beat and Cosmo's vibrant rhythm section. More voices join in the chorus, something unusual for CCR. The song definitely has Creedence's unmistakable style, but it's nothing they've done before. A good track, although at times John's vocals are a bit shrill.
Next up is “My Baby Left Me”, another 50s revival. This time it’s a cover of a song made famous by Elvis, and I think they improve on the original, but without completely overshadowing it or making massive changes. It generally maintains the same structure and guitar arrangements, although the rhythm section is much more intense. The vocals are what make the difference between the two versions. It’s a really good tribute to Elvis, but this time it doesn’t surpass the original.
The next song is a gem. It's "Who'll Stop The Rain", the most beautiful anti-war song I've ever heard, and in my opinion, the best track on this album. To begin with, that slow arpeggio riff, emulating the sound of rain as if it were dripping, is absolutely brilliant. Cosmo sounds spectacular for a ballad, adding arrangements, lowering the intensity at will (at the beginning of the third verse ), and generally carrying the song on his shoulders. The verses are basically acoustic, with a delicate vocal melody and a very gentle, soft, warm guitar riff. The song's structure consists of four-line stanzas, with the last line repeating the melancholic "And I wonder , still I wonder , who'll stop the rain." In fact, the word "war" doesn't appear anywhere in the song, and that's another merit. They manage to create well-crafted metaphors that convey the song's meaning, which is much more poetic than previous anti-war songs, and for that very reason, it escaped the radio censorship that plagued, for example, "Fortunate Son." The last 30 seconds are a slow fade-out. The main riff kicks in , giving the impression that the rain just keeps going and going and going… While John was writing it, his four-year-old son, Josh, came into the room, frightened, and said to his father, “Daddy, stop the rain! ” Ultimately, the rain is an allegory for war, and the unanswered questions this song poses still resonate today: “Who will stop the war? Is it even possible? ” A moving song that at first might seem like just another classic Creedence Clearwater Revival track, but when you understand its meaning and the cleverness with which it was crafted, its value multiplies, as it hasn't lost an ounce of its relevance.
We're entering the final stretch with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", which doesn't let up at all. It's one of the greatest covers in history, stripping away the harmless, somewhat oriental feel of Marvin Gaye's version with its strings, electric piano, and female backing vocals. Creedence reconstructs it from the very beginning, starting with that ancient, tribal drumming in the opening bass riff to give it a menacing, almost tragic, and epic aura. The riff is repeated to provide unity. There are no female backing vocals in the chorus, but John is joined by the rest of the band, their voices one and two octaves lower, creating a more sinister effect as they infectiously repeat the song's title. It's definitely not as dark as " Jungle, " but there's something truly intriguing and dense about it, especially in the bass/drum riff, which has always struck me as very Voodoo-esque , and which the original completely lacks. At 3:05 comes the lead guitar solo and the beginning of the long middle instrumental section. Here, John demonstrates why he is... One of the best guitarists in history. He doesn't fire off 900 notes per minute, but he's perfectly balanced, absolutely flawless, traversing the entire blues scale, eventually allowing Cosmo and Stu to take over the main riff. After a brief return to the chorus, the guitar solo ignites again at the 5-minute mark, showcasing his technique and skill. Anyone who says Fogerty is too cold and mathematical should listen to this solo at full volume with their eyes closed. It's pure feeling, improvisation of the highest quality, the kind only a select few can attempt. This middle section is what separates a good original Marvin Gaye song from a true work of art, one that wasn't written by Creedence Clearwater Revival, but whose reinterpretation far surpassed the original, ultimately becoming part of their collective consciousness. Historically, it's Marvin Gaye who delivers a clumsy and bland cover of this 10-minute Creedence gem. Period.
The album closes with “Long As I Can See the Light”. A great ballad that, while slowing the pace, manages to maintain the album's high quality at the end. Electric pianos and an excellent saxophone are added , stealing the spotlight from the usually sharp guitar. The song takes on a more gospel feel , and the lyrics themselves carry a more peaceful, sweet, and spiritual aura. The lyrics are magnificent, and I suspect they must have been influenced by some religious song Fogerty heard. Everything about the song exudes a warmth that fills you with hope and gives strength in the worst of times. The saxophone solo at 1:15 is equally simple, but absolutely memorable, and one can forgive the absence of a guitar solo. I think John must have been horrified when he learned that this song was being played for soldiers in Iraq to give them strength to keep fighting. In short, a beautiful song. My only complaint is that the vocals sound very strained, in a tone that's too high even for John Fogerty, and that makes them sound incredibly forced at times, barely reaching the notes and feeling uncomfortable, in a song where he should be conveying much more serenity. But that's a minor detail. The song is fantastic, the last of the great classics on this album.
And that's it. Needless to say, it's my favorite Creedence album. And the best recommendation for starting to discover their discography. If you're thinking of doing so, skip Chronicle and go straight to Cosmo's Factory, because sooner or later you're going to end up buying Creedence Clearwater Revival's entire discography. A compilation isn't enough, and after all, almost the entire album usually appears on Greatest Hits compilations. It's that good. A flawless album that took Creedence to their peak as a band, with a massive world tour in Europe, a ton of chart-topping singles, and trillions of hippies identifying with these rural-looking guys who became anti-war spokespeople for their generation. All of this would take its toll. The pressure would cause friction within the band. They would never again create a gem like this, and after this peak, only freefall would follow. But Cosmo's Factory is n't really to blame for that ; it's an undisputed must-have!
By Corvan
Mar/28/2011
