First off, is that title grammatically correct? It bothers me every time I say it out loud. That said, I was delighted when I heard of this new John Fogerty project. Creedence Clearwater Revival was the very first concert I ever saw way back in 1969 and I fell in love with John Fogerty's voice and guitar playing and songs as little Debbi and that's never changed. Way back then I was drawn to the mournfulness and weariness in some of those CCR songs (Lodi, Wrote a Song for Everyone, Long as I Can See the Light), to the almost forbidden murkiness of Susie Q and Born on the Bayou to the yowl of Fortunate Son and Green River. I loved that he didn't write love songs like the Tommy Roes and 1910 Fruitgum Companys of the radio at the time.
Turns out that Fogerty's life these days IS a love song. He is so enamored with wife Julie that he always mentions her as an integral part of his music process...whether it be suggesting a song to cover or a duet or two. On this record she does both, and Fogerty expresses gratitude for her steering him in some directions that maybe he initially wouldn't have taken. He felt inadequate tackling BACK HOME AGAIN, having revered the way John Denver sang the original. But he did it for Julie. Also she could envision John and Bruce Springsteen joining forces on WHEN WILL I BE LOVED. That's the way the record closes.
On John's first solo LP, he WAS the entire Blue Ridge Rangers. On this project, he decided to bring in a bunch of musicians. This music is REAL because the musicians are all authentic for the sound (Buddy Miller on guitar, Herb Pederson on vocals)and that sound is all twang and swing and dobro and lap and pedal steel and mandolin. And that makes John Fogerty mighty happy.
Like the one released 36 years before it, THE BLUE RIDGE RANGERS RIDES AGAIN is a collection of cover songs. From John Prine's PARADISE to Delaney and Bonnie's NEVER ENDING LOVE to Rick Nelson's GARDEN PARTY (with Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit on vocals too) to Pat Boone's MOODY RIVER to Buck Owen's I DON'T CARE and on and on, Fogerty chose songs that he remembered from childhood, from contemporaries that he admired and even one or two that were suggested to him. He even covers himself (CHANGE IN THE WEATHER). The way he chose? He said that if he was allowed to just get up with a bunch of people in a country bar somewhere, these are the songs he would do. The common thread with these songs boils down to his feelings about music.
John says he just sings his own style. And that's what we love him for!