When you first hear John Fogerty's voice it always takes you back to hearing Creedence Clearwater Revival's classic songs. From 1968 to 1971 CCR produced an impressive number of hit songs that stand among the greats. From Fortunate Son to Proud Mary, John Fogerty and the band were in the zone. By 1972 it all came crashing down for CCR; Fogerty and the band fell out over the usuall stuff, the song writer always make more than the band, the band wants more input, well you know the rest...they split up and never got back together.
In 1973 John Fogerty began his solo career with a sort of country rock band and album entitled The Blue Ridge Rangers. It was very different from the CCR sound and the joke was there was no band; even though the cover shows a country band in silhouette, John played all the instruments and sang all parts. The songs were country standards by Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Merle Haggard and even old tradional songs.
Well it's 2009, 36 years later and John Fogerty has released the follow up with the title The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again. On this cd, John is backed by a tight band that includes among others Buddy Miller and Kenny Arnoff. The songs are well chosen country and country rock songs that are suited for the "voice".
The cd starts off with John Prine's Paradise and flows along into Delaney and Bonnie's Never Ending Song of Love. The Eagles' Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit guest on Ricky Nelson's Garden Party. Other standouts include Buck Owen's I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me), John Denver's Back Home Again and a fun cover of Jumpin' Gene Simmons' Haunted House. The cd closes with a cover of The Everly Brothers When Will I Be Loved that features the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.
The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again is like going home again to the old homeplace. Hey, it's good to be home again.
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