Willy & The Poor Boys – CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL****

Down On The Corner/It Came Out Of The Sky/Cotton Fields/Poorboy Shuffle/Feelin’ Blue/Fortunate Son/Don’t Look Now(It Ain’t You Or Me)/The Midnight Special/Side O’ The Road/Effigy

Creedence Clearwater Revival were firing on all cylinders in 1969 with this third album release of the year. Willy & The Poor Boys includes the US No. 3 Down On The Corner and No. 14 Fortunate Son. (US:3 UK:10)

“This is rock ‘n’ roll at its absolute best. Cracking track followed by cracking track almost all the way through, a real tour de force of brilliant songwriting. Fogerty’s on fantastic vocal form as ever and the band are rockin’ and a rollin’ as much as ever.”

“Great 60s rock album. It starts and ends great and never really lets down. The band really has its way of writing catchy and gripping rockers and ballads as well, and it never seems too much. I think the only flaw that I have with it is that apart from Down On The Corner, Cotton Fields and Fortunate Son, the songs are more on the edge of good instead of great.”

“Very few bands released as many great singles in such a short period of time without having much of a slip up. Down On The Corner and Fortunate Son are the obvious winners here, the latter being the greatest song the band ever recorded. It's so brilliant and political while still remaining catchy and fun. Lyrically all of the songs are very simple, but very memorable.”

“Fogerty was absolutely on fire in '69, and at the peak of his creative genius. There's not a dud song anywhere to be found. Just classic after classic, from the impossibly catchy Down On The Corner through the soulful Feelin' Blue, the raging Fortunate Son through to the epic Effigy. A band at the absolute peak of their powers.”

“You want an album chock full of Americana with a coherent, dirty, bluesy, grimy, unbridled rock 'n' roll sound to which you can swig bourbon and party into the wee hours on a Saturday night? Look no further than Willy & The Poor Boys.”

“The band sound even more at home with their sound and Fogerty's creativity was stoked by the blistering pace at which he was creating new material.”