Is John Fogerty, famous as he is, underrated?

I just don't see how Lennon/McCartney are overrated.

Then again, I don't dig the terms overrated or underrated.

 

Lennon, McCartney and Dylan all did timeless work after the '60s. Fogerty pretty much didn't (though I'd say the Revival album is an exception). And none of the above ever recorded with Kid Rock.

I love Creedence too, but Fogerty's tendency to coast (and/or to obsess endlessly over albums that should have taken 1/10 of the time) put a real damper on his career. Not to mention his brilliance at holding a grudge.

 

Well, if Fogerty was doing the lead vocals in Jesus Christ Superstar, we must have entered some alternate universe. If so, then did you also love Bob Dylan in the Man Of La Mancha?; or how about Patti Smith in the The Sound Of Music? Arnie

 

Ummmmmmm......

 

As for the Beatles/CCR comparision (how could that have happened?) one might observe that one member of each group could do a pretty mean Little Richard imitation, and got some good mileage out of it. So there's that.

"Seven thirty seven coming out of the sky . . ."
"You tell lies thinkin' I can't see . . . "

 

Where in the world did you get your mis-information from?

 

I thought Fogerty played Mary?

 

Or.....


"I'm gonna tell Aunt Mary 'bout Uncle John!"

"When you're rocking and a rolling, can't hear your mama call!"

 

And Saul Zaentz played Pontius Pilate... Arnie

 

There is absolutely no way he played Pontius Pilate. This was a musical which involved singing and dancing.

And we all know he can't dance.

 

Fwiw, I agree about the 'triple threat' guitar playing, songwriting, and singing/voice. He's been super in all three of them each concert I've been to since Blue Moon Swamp tour and from what I've heard on dvd. His skills, imo, on guitar, continue to get better, and they were good before. Timing, tone, tasty playing, leads, licks, riffs, solos, whatever - in the context of his song catalogue with CCR and solo. His solo work is more dicey, in quantity. It includes two exceptional and essential albums, imo, in Centerfield and Blue Moon Swamp. I think his self-titled lp is in that neighborhood, and the four other lp's (one unreleased) of self-penned material have a number of songs I like on them. He's one of the 'all-time greats' and I'm looking forward to hearing him in concert again later this fall.

I think it's problematic and becomes antagonistic when it's put in the context of direct comparison (or conflict) to other 'sacred cows' and 'best' and 'better' talk and the like. Glad you are enjoying his and his band's music though! That's what matters most. As far as possibly being 'underrated' don't worry about it. Take it as a given that you enjoy his music and think highly of it (as do other people) - as highly of it as you do of other great artists.

Then again, if you are going to make comparisons, and with the above you mention, I would say Fogerty's singing or voice can be quite singular/unique (similar in that manner to what I experience when I listen to either Lennon or Dylan). Of course, McCartney has/had a great voice and is a great singer too, and is perhaps the most accomplished of the four. On electric guitar, I like John Lennon's playing and sound, the guitar parts McCartney played, and I think Bob Dylan on both acoustic (especially) and electric is just dandy, but their playing and sound isn't as impressive to me as is Fogerty's. He can really tear it up rock and roll style and do some c/w guitar pickin' too. As far as songs go, well, the quality is there, not the quantity, when compared with Dylan and L/M. As mentioned upthread, he too has also made his own one-man band albums. Independent of all that, his songs, records, and concerts are what I enjoy and what keeps me interested in music, just like L/M and Dyaln's work.

 

Indeed, I am not American! I used the term lad as you used it in your post to refer to the lads from Liverpool. Obviously songwriters will usually tend to write in the vernacular of their home country's language and we often love the differences in the various forms of the English language (British, American, Australian, etc). However, although people from California and the Deep South speak American English, it was more the thought of Californians singing about the bayous (some 2,000 + miles from the San Francisco area) that got me, because they did it so well.

 

But he'll steal your money.... Arnie

 

No. He was fantastic in Creedence, but the he took time off to pout (no other way to put it) and his output past then has been spotty. If he had managed to keep going with the same quality as CCR for alll this time it would be a different story.

P. S. I LOVE Fogerty.

 

He does the hop, . Oops, I mixed up my a's and l's above. Bob Dylan.

 

But, you gotta watch him or he'll...

 

Just because you're from one part of the country does not mean you can't relate to, or understand another.

 

But the South is like a whole other country

 

Yes it is! Thst's why I stay away from it.

 

L&M are easily "over rated" when you think how 2nd tier Beatles songs get higher praise than top shelf stuff from their solo careers. Some Macca set lists can be very skimpy on post BOTR material.

 

ACDC and Pink Floyd were similarly "personality free" but developed a visual element or character onstage. CCR are 4 guys onstage. I cringe a bit when I see John still wearing a scarf around his next or his recent facelift/hair dye job. Those around in the era and music snobs know the deal on CCR, but mainstream audiences are shakier.

To put it another way. Bob Dylan told him in the late 80's "If you don't perform Proud Mary, fans will think Tina Turner wrote it and its her song."

The CCR book I've read painted a very unflattering portrait of John Fogerty, even within direct quotes. I honestly think he's more insane/delusional than Prince or Axl Rose.

 

Actually there is a third record he did called "Hoodoo" that was never released. There are rather bad bootlegs of acetates of it out there floating around, I have heard it and even with it being an bad acetate copy I could tell that it was a much better album than he thought.

But honestly, I think the BRR album was the last truly great album he did. After that it sounded too much like he was too busy trying to distance himself from the whole CCR thing to just turn loose and be himself and do what he does best.

I would like to hear him do another album where he does everything from mopping the studio floor to final mix and production.
An album of self indulgent stuff, whether he wrote it or not. Something where he isn't trying to make money, where he is just being JCF.

I think this is a bit unfair.
I think he is just a guy that got far too much fame far too fast and like young guys will do, got a bit full of himself and thought he could do it all, and that it was all about him and in the process made a lot of stupid decisions. Decisions that are still biting him in the ass even though he seems to be trying to ignore the teeth marks.

 

They are ignoring him enough for Chronicle to certified 8x's platinum as of Jan 5, 2007, with six CCR prior certifications in '96, and his solo work routinely goes gold. So there still is good will and interest.

 

I would have said yes in the 90s but I think he and his peers have raised awareness the last 10 years so that he is now properly appreciated as he continues to record and tour.

 

Releasing 7 solo albums of original material in 40 years doesn't help him get rated whatsoever.
Between 1976 and 1996 he put out 2 records. WTF?
What's that.... 80 minutes of music in 20 years?