The Cavern
Rock & Words
WILLY AND THE POORBOYS (Creedence, 1969)
Artist: Creedence (B)
Recording Dates: Aug – Oct 1969
Release Date: Nov 2nd, 1969. USA
Record Label: Fantasy
Producer: John Fogerty
Rating: 7
Era: Country, Country Rock And Southern
Subgenre: Southern Rock
Best Song: Effigy or Fortunate Song
Tracklist: 1) Down On The Corner; 2) It Came Out Of The Sky; 3) Cotton Fields; 4) Poorboy Shuffle; 5) Feelin' Blue; 6) Fortunate Son; 7) Don't Look Now; 8) The Midnight Special; 9) Side O' The Road; 10) Effigy.
I have to say that, in my humble opinion, this has to be one of the most overrated Creedence albums, and one of the most overrated albums in history. And, also in my humble opinion, one shouldn't tempt their ego and try to release three albums in the same year (unless your name is George Harrison and they come out on a great triple album, or Elvis Presley and quality doesn't matter to you). This would be Creedence's last release of 1969, and after a couple of pretty good albums, it was to be expected that they would dip in quality. I think basically the rest of the world agrees that it's a step down from the previous two, except for the Americans. For some strange reason, this album really resonates with American patriotism. Many even say it's the best Creedence Clearwater Revival album ever! Sometimes I'm convinced you have to be American to understand them. Let's look at both sides of the argument:
The attitude of a fair-skinned American who votes based on who promises lower taxes and sleeps with a 30-30 under his pillow: This is Creedence Clearwater Revival's masterpiece. You simply have to listen to it: it's a concept album, first and foremost, featuring a fictional band called "Willy & The Poorboys " playing the album's material; of course, nothing to do with British ideas, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, or anything like that. This is 100% original, and obviously, as conceptual as Tommy or Dark Side of the Moon, since the band is mentioned in the opening and fourth tracks , only in the title, but that's enough to make it conceptual. Furthermore, it has a couple of instrumental tracks that make it the ultimate in Southern rock, upon which the Allman Brothers themselves would build the foundations of their style. Then there's Creedence's most political track, "Fortunate Son," which still gives us goosebumps and brings a tear or two to the eyes of all Americans remembering the Vietnam War, which also bears no resemblance to Iraq. And finally, because it has a couple of unparalleled covers , which Creedence transformed into the definitive versions: "Cotton Fields" and "Midnight Special." The entire album is an anthem to American identity. Period.
The stance of any citizen of the rest of the world who can tell the difference between Korn and Barney: this album is considerably weaker than any other Creedence album as a quartet. Period. Well, no. That's where Pendulum comes in . Now that's it, period.
I'm not going to say that both sides have valid points. The second side is the one that prevails. There's no denying that this album is a step down in the quality of Creedence's sound. It's understandable that after two great albums in a year, their creativity and inventiveness might have run dry, resulting in an album that's more like outtakes from their previous work. The songs aren't exactly bad, but they're not great either. Most are short songs, which undoubtedly bear the Creedence stamp, but they sound careless, rushed, lacking the level of detail we were used to. Many seem to have been thrown together just to finish the album and capitalize on the momentum generated by "Green River" and the summer concert season, which had established Creedence as one of the top two or three bands of the moment. On the other hand , there aren't any epic songs, those monstrous tracks with tremendous, five-minute-plus soundscapes and solos everywhere that give you goosebumps, like "Susie Q," "Born on the Bayou," or "I Put a Spell on You." As for the breathtaking and detailed atmosphere, I think only " Effigy " comes close to that level, and that's why it's one of the best on the album. Furthermore, the covers aren't as good choices as on previous albums. It's debatable, but I've never liked "Midnight Special," and I don't understand why it's a classic. It's very simplistic and doesn't suit Creedence at all. It's catchy, but repetitive, and I find it rather stupid, lacking great instrumental arrangements or anything truly remarkable. Just a repetitive chorus, and that's it. I like "Cotton Fields" a little more, but it suffers from almost the same problem. It has more charm, it's still catchy, and maybe with Creedence it found its definitive version, but I still think it's a song that's too small for the group.
On the conceptual side, well, it's laughable. The album is JUST AS conceptual as Sgt . Pepper's. I mean, not at all. The premise is the same: a band with a strange, long name (it couldn't get any stranger or longer than Creedence Clearwater Revival), who introduce themselves in the opening track and on the album cover (even in a corner, to further solidify the "conceptual idea" in conjunction with the title of the first song), and then they're mentioned in passing in the title of another song, and that's it. Honestly, if I didn't buy the Beatles' "conceptual" idea, I'm not going to buy Creedence's either.
And finally, the idea of those country songs that so swell the hearts of Americans is that they're just instrumental jams that the Allman Brothers would completely outdo. Creedence sounds good because of its southern roots mixed with psychedelic rock. When they strip away the mix and become more purist, that's when it becomes more obvious that they're Californians and not from the Southeast. Pure country isn't their thing, and they sound rudimentary and improvised. And regarding "Fortunate Son"... Well, there I agree. It's a good song with some very tough lyrics, but if they adopted it as an anthem during Vietnam, they could still be singing it, since it's as relevant as the day it was written. It's not terrible, but it can't be considered Creedence's definitive work by any means. The songs aren't fully developed, and the conceptual idea is archaic, not even original.
The album opens with “Down On The Corner”, a somewhat simplistic song, but with the familiar hooks that Fogerty knows how to infuse into his music. It's simple, certainly, but very well done, from the Stu Cook's charming and incredibly catchy bass riff, and Cosmo playing a cowbell to give it a more rustic feel. The song is pure fun. It's not one of those epic, atmospheric tracks we mentioned, but it's light and very entertaining, and its classic status is well-deserved . It's the song that supposedly establishes the album's concept , introducing each member of the band "Willy & The Poorboys ," who are playing in the corner of the cover, inviting people to sing along, tap their feet and clap their hands, and bring in some coins. The song works precisely because of this; it's a very simple and charming song. As a side note , shortly afterward, the band would appear as "Willy & The Poorboys " on the Ed Sullivan Show, dressed exactly as they were on the cover.
“It Came Out Of The Sky” follows, a rocker Faster and more fun, incredibly fun considering the witty lyrics. The song is carefree and cheerful, with a 50s rockabilly feel but without losing that Creedence country style. It's well-made, fun, and all, but there are no dazzling solos or anything. It has enough hooks to sound charming, but not dazzling, which is the common denominator of the album.
The same goes for “Cotton Fields”. It’s adorable. It was the first Creedence song (so to speak) that I learned on guitar. It’s incredibly catchy . Even so, I still feel it’s a bit too small for the band. It’s fine for the Apson , or even the Beach Boys, but it seems Creedence was meant to do more dazzling and complex things, as they had already demonstrated in their handling of other covers . At least here there’s a fun, cute guitar solo at 2:50 that fits the song perfectly. And saying it was the first Creedence song I learned on guitar isn’t just for show. Millions of people still think it’s an original, which must say something about how they’re capable of handling other songs, even in their sleep.
“Poorboy Shuffle" only serves to demonstrate two things: One, that this is a highly conceptual album . Just look at the song title. And two, that John Fogerty should stick to guitar and not harmonica. The harmonica playing is almost amateurish, repetitive, and basically demonstrates the skill level of my 3-year-old nephew with a cheap harmonica. Oh, it also demonstrates something else: that the " Skiffle " sound the other members try to recreate might have been okay for a teenage Lennon and McCartney in 1957, when they couldn't afford to buy real instruments... but this is 1969, and by this point Creedence couldn't afford to play with washboards. Sad filler. The saddest I've ever heard. Some might say that these tracks highlight the group's Southern roots, but they're probably the kind of people who call French fries "Freedom Fries."
Then there's "Feeling Blue". The good news is that the song has a bluesier feel . The bad news is that it's very long and repetitive. The best part of the song is the first half minute; it seems like it's going to be a really cool little tune … but there are no surprises. The next four and a half minutes are just repeating what we've already heard over and over again. And this time the chorus isn't as charming. It's like a new version of " Graveyard Train," but with a good guitar line, you can't make a song this long; it becomes monotonous. Two and a half minutes would have been enough; the best part would have given it a thumbs up. But if it had lasted just one more second, that is, if it had reached five minutes, I would have given it a thumbs up. That's what happens when they want to fill an album.
Fortunately, "Fortunate Son" arrives, another of the album's standout tracks and one of the band's most emblematic. It's a furious rocker , with a delightful guitar riff that recaptures the high standard of the Fogerty brothers, and spectacular breaks and rhythm changes. Musically , it's simple, but well-crafted, and when John pays attention to detail, he manages to do a lot with a little. But what truly stands out are the devilishly venomous lyrics, delivering a scathing critique of the political class and its stance on the Vietnam War. The lyrics were inspired by David Eisenhower, grandson of Dwight, the former president and American war hero. Little David also married Julie Nixon in 1968, daughter of… guess who? Being part of the American political and social elite, he wasn't drafted to serve his country in the Vietnam War. The song speaks from the perspective of the downtrodden who were drafted because they aren't the "Lucky Children" of millionaires or the very politicians who orchestrated the war. The truth is, it remains as relevant today as it was then. And I love the kind of raw anger with which John sings; he sounds so genuinely indignant. Without a doubt, this is one of the most political, ironic, anti-war, and simple songs I've ever heard. It's what Dylan said in " Masters of War," but with four times the lyrics.
“Don't Look Now" is the complete opposite. Soporific, without a single hook, it sounds as if the band were just finishing a 12-hour gig. Listless, apathetic, and devoid of any energy or creativity. Seriously? Did the Allman Brothers base their sound on this? Duane must be turning in his grave. The only good thing is that it's only two minutes long.
Then there's "Midnight Special", which, in comparison, seems like a balm to the ears. But the truth is, it's not a cover that impresses me much either. Perhaps the best thing about it is that slow intro , but after that, it seems very simple and silly. Repetitive. There are no solos. They could have left out the instruments and added more of those gospel choirs , and it would still work. In other words, the only drawback is the incredibly catchy vocal melody of the choir; it's not Creedence Clearwater Revival's doing. But it's considerably more repetitive and lacking in resources than "Cotton Fields." In short, I've never liked it, and I don't understand why so many consider it a Creedence classic and have never heard "Walk on the Water," for example.
Next comes another instrumental, “Side O' The Road”. It seems to be trying to recapture the spirit of “ Graveyard Train,” but this time Fogerty really shines on guitar and Stu does a great job on bass. Ah! And there are no harmonicas!!!! Maybe if they cut a minute out, but even so it's more decent and interesting.
The album closes with “Effigy”, which recaptures that monumental, dark, and menacing feel that Creedence gives to some of their songs. The track is considerably more polished and feels the freshest and most vibrant on the album, with its blend of country and dark, acid rock. The lyrics are also political, but in a much more veiled way than “Fortunate Son.” In any case, it's John you have to follow with that desolate vocal melody (this time he doesn't even have to use his raspy voice) and that ferocious guitar work. The solo that begins at 4:10 is enormous, absolutely enormous, with Tom occasionally joining in to double the guitars. Cosmo sounds apocalyptic on the drums, while Stu suddenly hits deep bass notes that seem to bounce “ Powowowowowowng .” The song manages to send shivers down your spine with the magic these guys know how to create, a magic they had seemingly forgotten for most of the album. How people know the infamous "Midnight Special" better than this great song is beyond my comprehension.
Anyway. The album isn't terrible. But it's not as magnificent as the previous ones. I don't expect any Americans to come and curse me out because, first of all, I don't expect a single American to read this. But it's curious how, generation after generation, American music critics have praised this album as the one that embodies the spirit of the American South. If they listen carefully to Green River or Cosmo's Factory, they'll understand—true masterpieces.
Even so, it's Creedence, and it's worth it. Everything Creedence does is worth it in some way. Even if they're short on ideas, or sound tired after an exhausting year, they manage to throw in at least three great songs that are worthwhile on their own. Well, no, not at Mardi Gras, but I'm not going to recommend that one.
By Corvan
Nov/12/2010
