Was CCR really THAT good of a band? Wasn't it all John Fogerty?

I grew up listening to CCR and had the great fortune to see them in the early 70's (sans Tom). And while Credence was one of the essential bands for me at the time, along with the likes of CSN(&Y), Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night (yea, I'm not afraid to list them as a unguilty pleasure!) Hendrix, The Who, etc etc, I find myself reevaluating CCR as a Band.

Sad to say, these days I'm more inclined to regard CCR as a band that had ok musicians (Tom, Stu, and Clifford) supporting a really good one (John). Seriously, without John Fogerty, would any of those guys have gone anywhere beyond their local scene?

Am I wrong to think that John Fogerty carried the rest of the band on his back? And while Fogerty's solo career has been "meh", he's at least had something to show for life after CCR. The rest of the crew, however, has staked out a secure spot in the "Where Are They Now" category.

 

This will be interesting given the threads that already dealt with these matter.

 

They really were that good. They played off of each other. John couldn't have done it without them, and they couldn't have done it without John. It was good chemistry under perfect circumstances, plain and simple.

 

They really were that good, because in large part of the fantastic rhythm section.
The thing that made CCR famous was that they were the worlds greatest bar band, they could capture the sound of a live band in a small venue.
It very obviously was not all JCF, as can be evidence by what he has done solo.
CCR was very obviously successful because of the diligence and long suffering of 4 band members and one record company owner.

 

Here we go again-another revisonist fiest rewriting the history

 

This.

 

Is this a trick question? OK ... this is a Beatles thread in disguise, right? OK, I'll bite ... YES, Ringo was crucial.

 

What is about CCR? Why don't we get threads with titles like "Was New Colony Six really THAT good of a band? Wasn't it all Ronnie Rice?"

 

It's simply wrong to try and form a retrospective view on Creedence through the prism of their post CCR careers. They were one of the great American bands. At the time much was made of their togetherness, such as John and Tom being brothers. We know the various versions of the story now, and the impacts, but for two years around 69/70 they were arguably the best band in the world, because their individual strengths coalesced into a great sounding, hit making, band where all the parts came together as a whole, whether or not John was more talented. It's just sad (and stupid) to see how it's all spun out for over 40 years now. But it doesn't change how they were for the first five albums.

 

Above I give ten reasons why the music of CCR is timeless. To my knowledge all of those were written, sang, arranged and produced by one John Fogerty. End of discussion for me

Proud Mary
Green River
Born on the Bajou
Willie and the poorboys
Travellin band
Have you ever seen the Rain
Run trough the jungle
Up around the bend
Who ll stop the Rain
Fortunate son

 

All four members laid those tracks down! End of discussion for me.

 

Creedence Clearwater Revival are the best ever band from USA.

Period

 

I love John Fogerty, but you can't give all the credit to him. There's not a single song in his entire solo discography that sounds 100% like CCR (which is not a knock). There was often times more fire in the CCR catalog than in John's, who was always a bit more pop with his approach.

 

It was the chemistry of all of them together. If it was all JF, then why don't his performances of classic CCR songs now capture the feel of the originals?
I would also mention such great bands as Tom Petty's Heartbreakers and Brinsley Schwarz with Graham Parker adding that certain magic to their recordings that their leaders weren't able to capture with other backing musicians.

 

They'd been playing together for many long years before they started having hits. Yes, it was only after JF switched to lead vocals and took the lead in the band that it all came together, but all that time together made them what they were.

 

Actually, you meant below, not above.

See, sometimes things come out better when other people work with you to improve something you wrote...

 

Of course it was all John Fogerty. If you don't believe it, just ask him.

 

So true-actually I saw the original CCR live(minus Tom). Remember it as a great gig with one obvious frontman. Don t see no reason to claim they were not a band or that the rhytmsection were bad musician. But imo- there is no reason to claim that Johns input is the main reason behind the sucess and timelessness if the music. What I see here and in other threads is a revisionism that sort of lessens Johns overwhelming influence over CCR. Since this matter have been discussed to death in other threads I see no reason to do the same routine again

 

CCR = 4 guys who meshed under 1 who was a leader/visionary of some great American rock and roll.

 

That's it, shut the thread down. You nailed it.

It all came together in the right place and right time...great songwriting and production, well played/performed by 4 guys. The chemistry was perfect, for a while. Their run from 1968-1972 is one which any band would like to have, and yes I enjoy Mardi Gras:

1 gold album
6 platinum albums
17 top 40 singles, 6 of which were two-sided hits...5 certified gold, 5 certified platinum

 

It's simply a matter of not confusing the "driving force" behind the band's success with their overall output. John Fogerty is likely the reason CCR had mainstream success and direction. But he, alone, could not have produced those records.

 

They were a great "band". The whole was greater than the sum of the parts. Fogerty could not have done it on his own and had the same results. There is the x factor that most great bands have that can't be explained. It was not just John Fogerty. I am convinced that if John were to get back with Doug and Stu today the three of them would make better music than any of them have done since the breakup in the 70s. They have the magic but John won't let that happen.

Think about this, would Jim Morrison have created the same work without the other three Doors? Same idea, it took all four to get the one great sound.

 

Of course they were a great band, there's a reason why Fogerty's solo work pales in comparison.

 

As was posted already, CCR was playing together for some time before they hit it big, so they had some musical chemistry that comes from long familiarity with each other. But if three other guys were in those spots for that long, I think it would have sounded pretty much the same. They were a pretty good bar band who had great songs and a great rock & roll singer.

 

Lodi from CCR was my super favorite song.