Bayou Country – CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL***

Born On The Bayou/Bootleg/Graveyard Train/Good Golly Miss Molly/Penthouse Pauper/Proud Mary/Keep On Chooglin

Bayou Country, the follow up album from bluesy rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival, mixes well crafted short songs with some plodding jam sessions. Includes the top ten single Proud Mary. (US:7)

"Creedence Clearwater Revival's second album is much like the first, offering as it does a mixture of long, drawn-out bluesy swamp rock jams and finely crafted shorter songs. In general the band seem to be trying to repeat their earlier formula and there's not a whole lot of musical growth in evidence, but it's still a diverting trip into swamp rock country which doesn't outstay its welcome.

"It's not without shortcomings, but Creedence Clearwater Revival's second album does contain the undeniable masterpiece Proud Mary, one of the most beautifully evocative slices of Americana ever created, a wistful classic whose rolling rhythm and stirring melody are among the great additions to the rock 'n' roll vocabulary."

"Now this is Creedence Clearwater Revival at its most monotonous. The welcome and happy exception is the classic Proud Mary of course, but otherwise, track after track is mainly just a simple drum/bass/guitar backing, plus John Fogerty's riff-like vocals over it. No chord changes, no significant melodies."

"Bayou Country opens with what could be CCR's signature track, Born On The Bayou the quintessential swamp rock song, awash with chugging muddy rhythms and plaintive guitar."

"This is a great album. You actually feel like if you were on the bayou. The album has the same feel the whole way through and the songs are all-round good. Some that stand out are Born On The Bayou, Penthouse Pauper and Proud Mary. It shows a good side of Creedence but they still haven't reached their full potential yet."

"Born On The Bayou, Bootleg and Penthouse Pauper are quite all right, though not very memorable in terms of songwriting. Graveyard Train is over lengthy and quite boring, while Keep On Chooglin' is even less worthy."