The Dude: Do you find them much, these, stolen cars? Younger Cop: Sometimes. Wouldn't hold out much hope for the tape deck though. Older Cop: Or the Creedence.
Cosmo's Factory is the fifth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records in July 1970. Six of the album's eleven tracks were released as singles in 1970, with five of them charting in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album spent nine consecutive weeks in the number one position on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified 4x platinum by the RIAA in 1990.
The Dude: Do you find them much, these, stolen cars? Younger Cop: Sometimes. Wouldn't hold out much hope for the tape deck though. Older Cop: Or the Creedence.
Travelin' Band, Lookin' Out My Back Door, Run Through the Jungle, Who'll Stop the Rain, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Long As I Can See the Light. Those are not songs from their greatest hits collection. Well, i'm sure they ARE, but more specifically they are from this album. That's simply a crazy collection of good songs. This really made me want to sit on a patio out in the Bayou and drink beers. If you dont feel the same - call for help.
This is a really legendary album. Probably 75% of it's songs are on every CCR Greatest Hits collection. I really can't say enough good things about. The real star of the show is John Fogerty's vocals, but the musicianship is great too. Long as I can See the Light and Heard it Through the Grapevine are my 2 favorites, but I love most of the songs on here.
To argue that this was anything less than a 5-star album would be a fight against democracy itself. The people have voted. CCR is an institution. Any band that can get right-wing voters to belt out anti-war anthems have some sort of Creole VOODOO going on behind the scenes. John Fogerty is from Berkley, California. The Fortress of Solitude for all things liberal. Yet if you see the confederate flag on a pick-up 50/50 chance they are bumping Fortunate Son. Insanity. True Bipartisanship rocking, I dig.
A wonderful album with great songs. Can’t believe they were only together for three years, and they managed to create so many tunes that are still played today.
I grew up on this band, mostly through Chronicles Vol 1, but most of the tracks on here are also on that. Discovered Ramble Tamble, which I love and Ooby Dooby, which I hate. Had to listen to Up Around the Bend twice because it’s so good. I’m amazed at the different style influences across this album. So good!
11 minutes is a fucking joke
ok it seems like a four-worthy album to be honest but i really don't have the urge to listen to any of these songs again and its not my type of music so three it is.
I liked this one a lot better than the other CCR album I got from this album generator. This one seems somehow 'swampier', but it also has more variety and more experimentation in the songs. This sets it apart from just being more highly polished radio-friendly standard rock-fare. Just a really good album, loved listening to it.
I am devastated—DEVASTATED I TELL YOU—that I got all three CCR albums within a week of each other. I love CCR and would have rather spread them out to be a little tasty treat for my ears. This is my favorite of the three CCR albums on the list—some certified classics and also features CCR really experimenting with their sound on a few tracks. I do find “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” unnecessarily long and CCR has always excelled at creating great singles rather than cohesive albums, so this one still earns 4/5 stars. Nonetheless, they really were a one of a kind group that wrote some of the greatest songs in the rock and roll canon. Also, let’s pour one out for “Willy and the Poor Boys,” which easily could have been on this list and features my favorite CCR song (“Fortunate Son”).
4.5 stars. Loved the Rockabilly tones. The country was strong with such lovely bluesy undertones. Vocals are on point on this and an 11 minute cover of a Soul Classic in heard through the grapevine is the perfect ending. Which sadly eclipses the actual last song on the album.
Fogerty can really put an album together. So many classics, so much grit.
The opening track alone (Ramble Tamble) is inexplicably not on any greatest hits, but is their best song.
Pretty dreadful stuff. I really dislike Fogerty's voice. Travelin' Band is a straight rip off of Good Golly Miss Molly. The version of Grapevine adds nothing to the Marvin Gaye version. Sorry Dude, I'd be relieved if my Credence tape was stolen (though I agree about the f'n Eagles, man)
There are people who say that Creedence Clearwater Revival is the West Coast Velvet Underground. …and if you listen to “Ramble Tamble” from about 3:05 to 5:32, it’s kind of hard to argue with that assessment. The drone is real on that one. I’m not sure that I totally agree with the comparison, but Creedence and The Velvet Underground are probably the two best American bands of their era. I’m not sure what else to say…very few bands have a run as consistent as CCR did from 1968-1970 (during which they put out *six* albums). Cosmo’s Factory might be their best, but they were so consistent that “best” could easily apply to 3 or 4 of those records.
I already knew over half the songs, but hearing it all come together as one unit makes it all the better. Some classic stuff here.
Love it' A Classic. Reminds me of drinking in a barn in NB.
I hate when this generator gives me a universally-loved Dad Rock band who I have little previous experience with, because 99% of the time, they’re just not my vibe. Especially if the top reviews start referencing The Big Lebowski [a movie I don’t have much nostalgic love for, either]. I have never heard Cosmo’s Factory. If I’ve heard any of the tracks off of it, I have no memory of it, and it certainly wasn’t on purpose. In fact, before today, the only CCR songs I could even hum the hooks of were “Fortunate Son” and “Have You Ever Seen The Rain.” I don’t even think I’ve ever listened to their Greatest Hits compilation, even during my Classic Rock phase as a pre-teen. I think that has a lot to do with what CCR represents. They may be from California, but they are quintessentially a Heartland band, if not a fully Southern band. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve ever traveled further than Philadelphia in my entire 32 years of existence, and could count the times I’ve been further than New York State on two hands. I’m a Northeastern girl through and through, and while any Swamp Yankee New Englander will tell you that that doesn’t absolve me from coming into contact with a tinge of Southern culture, especially Southern music, I think I’m much too young for CCR to have made a lasting impact up here, even in the farm towns of Rhode Island. Right away, I knew that CCR’s style was not for me. Let’s start with the weakest parts: the covers. I’m not opposed to covering old rock ’n’ roll songs, but my problem seems to be that no one ever changes them up, and CCR certainly aren’t the band to do that. Of the 4 covers– already a third of this record– 3 of them just sound like their original versions done by a very talented, very tight County Fair Band™️. The fourth is an 11 minute cover (!!!) of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and while this one does have some stylistic flair, I only needed the first 4 minutes to get the gist. Those covers clog up this record a lot, and even if that was my only issue, I’d still have a hard time seeing why this album is hailed as some great masterpiece. Maybe within their internal discography, but already, Cosmo’s Factory is far from flawless. The thing is, even original material still isn’t for me. I think starting off with the drunken tempo-shifter “Ramble Tamble” already put me in a bad mood. Meanwhile, the pastiche distracts me on “Travelin’ Band,” which just sounds like a Little Richard knockoff, and “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” which is like a mid-tier country song from 10 years prior. If that’s your style, that’s all well and good, but it just isn’t clicking for me. Thankfully, Cosmo’s Factory is a backloaded record. I think it’s hard to deny the hook of “Up Around the Bend,” and the emotion of “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” I even like the change-up in style for “Long As I Can See the Light,” and again, while it’s way too long, I get why their “Grapevine” cover is noteworthy. But even at its best, even when I can recognize why this is hailed as a great record, even when I enjoy a song here and there, I’m not head-over-heels for it. I know I’m not going to revisit these songs. To me, even the best material on Cosmo’s Factory just sounds like Drinking Budweiser In Your Garage™️ music. And look– I normally enjoy ✨cock rock✨, but there’s a twang to this whole record that just doesn’t taste good on my tongue. The good songs are well-made, but I am not going out of my way to hear about ‘Nam and the swamps, personally. And even though the mid-tier songs are still done well, they lack a hook that sounds unique to make me want to revisit them. Hell, even the strongest material here has a samey-ness quality to it that makes this overall feel empty to me. I think a large part of my apathy toward this album is simply that CCR is not a band for me. They’re for my blue collar brother who moved to the South, not me, a trans woman in Brooklyn. But I also do think this record is way overhyped. I think if 33.3% of your 33 1/3 is bland covers, you don’t have a classic on your hands. I also think this is a much spottier record than people want to admit. I understand if there’s nostalgia tied to CCR, I understand that they’re a gateway band for a lot of music nerds, I understand their chart impact, I understand it all, but I just don’t think the songs are always as ✨there✨ as people say they are. Strong Side B, yes, but a middling record overall. Maybe CCR are just a singles band. Sorry.
Credit where credit is due. I know all music has it's influences but sometimes it's so just so blatant. Early Stones, early Beatles and half of the songs here owe such a great debt to Chuck Berry, Little Richard and all the old Blues masters. CCR don't try to hide this influence but I find it hard to give those songs any real credit. Tracks 5, 6, 7, 9 & 11 are however what I expect CCR to sound like. Of those, 'Up Around the Bend' & 'Who'll Stop the Rain' are decent songs. Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 & 10 just sound like a blues tribute band so I struggle to see the importance of this album, other than it's popularity. 3 stars.
A few notable songs on the album, like "Up Around The Bend". Never really was a big fan of CCR but can certainly appreciate their music. Some songs are dopey though, like "Ooby Dooby" is a waste of time. There's a cover or two on the album as well, which I almost never appreciate on studio albums because it's just filler, IMHO. Like we don't need an 11+ minute rendition of "Heard it through the grapevine". 7/10.
I see why the Dude was concerned about getting his Creedence back.
Cosmo’s Factory is CCR’s bittersweet love letter to an America that’s as rough around the edges as a roadside diner at 3 a.m. Imagine walking into a dimly lit bar where the jukebox plays anthems of a generation too jaded to care, yet too spirited to stop dancing. With tracks like “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Run Through the Jungle,” CCR doesn’t so much deliver music as they deliver a punch of raw, unsentimental truth—a truth that slaps you awake harder than your morning coffee. It’s as if the band took the collective woes of the working class, mixed them with swampy blues and rock ‘n’ roll gusto, and then poured it into a vinyl that’s both a rallying cry and a wry, knowing smirk at the absurdity of it all. So, dust off your cynicism, spin this record, and let Cosmo’s Factory remind you that even in a tired world, there’s always a raucous melody ready to set you free.
I'm sure my older brother bought this album when it came first out and I listened to it then but I don't remember it as an album. Many of the songs are iconic and I knew them as singles. So when the album popped up, I knew that I'd like it - I just didn't expect it to be as great as it is. I would normally list the standout songs - for this one it's easy to list the less-than-A-side songs and that would be "Ooby Dooby" - all the rest were fantastic. Unlike some other reviewers - I loved the 11 minute "Heard it Through the Grapevine"!
Everything I've heard from CCR was enjoyable so far, but I never imagined this album would be so solid! About as good as white man's blues/rock gets.
Truly amazing the amount of hits this band kicked out in such a short space of time. Could be a greatest hits album 5*
This is the John Fogerty show through and through which is both fantastic, because he's an amazing musician, and rough, because so are his band mates. It's a damn shame the man couldn't muster three dimes worth of humility because what this band could do when they worked together was incredible. Regardless of the internal drama and their breakup just over a year after dropping this gold, Cosmo's Factory is a great album. Every CCR album (except maybe Mardi Gras) has one or two stone cold classics but this one is packed. Travlin' Band, Lookin' Out My Backdoor, Run Through the Jungle, Up Around the Bend, and Who'll Stop the Rain are all instantly recognizable to anyone who's listened to music in the last twenty years. On top of that you've got some solid blues tracks and CCR's recording of Heard It Through the Grapevine which competes with Marvin Gaye's classic version. Just a phenomenal album.
Acid flashback to ‘Nam ‘71
A masterpiece.
Amazing how many timeless classic songs CCR was able to produce in such a short period of time. I went into this album thinking it would end up being a 4 star rating, but after listening to it I'm giving it a 5.
Ooby Dolby is a little silly, but the rest of this album is fantastic.
I forgot how much I absolutely love this album!
Loved it. The right vibe for my later day relaxation.
10/10
Very fun album to listen to.
Hell yea
Amazing
Put me in, coach
Love this album
Awesome album. Can listen to it wherever
This album is a collection of great songs. It’s not necessary that they are from the same album thanks to 1980s classic radio. Some of the individual songs would be five star. But the album remain four for me.
👍
Switching from Dead Kennedys to CCR makes for quite a contrast on every level; sort of a smooth bourbon after several jolts of Jaegermeister. Sadly, I've never been much of a Creedence Clearwater Revival aficionado, and this is the first album for me of their three in this collection, so I'm not sure how it compares to their other albums. But it definitely sounds like them and has a shocking number of their classic radio hits, so it certainly *seems* like a good-if-not-great selection. I also enjoyed a surprising number of their non-singles tracks (possibly in part because many of their songs have a pretty consistent sound), especially the opening track "Ramble tamble". It's amazing to see how many albums, and extremely popular hits, they cranked out in the space of about 3 years. Too bad that John Fogerty's imperiousness eventually burned out the CCR candle long before their time had come.
For some reason, my distaste for southern style classic rock, which this band epitomizes, is completely erased by CCR. I actually really like this band. It has to be something underneath that I just can't quite grasp that sets this band, in particular, apart from all the stereotypical "classic rock" bands out there. They technically ARE a classic rock band (even with that southern tinge) But yeah, they remain an anomaly in my musical taste library. I don't think I will BUY the tee-shirt but if someone gave me one I would wear it.
I don’t know what I expected before listening to this album. I think my preconceptions about Creedence Clearwater Revival were that they were a country band like the Allman Brothers, and while I think there is a time in a place for that kind of music, it’s not my favorite. But after just a couple minutes of listening to this album, I am a convert. only giving four stars because white people gaining fame from music that is clearly inspired by traditions of black musicians deserves to be knocked down a peg on principle.
Hits, hits and more hits! For CCR fans this I the one of you!
Creedence Cosmo’s Factory 1970 I was 13 when these songs were on the radio and they were ubiquitous. I prefer rock over blues and I don’t like it when the latter is too heavily involved. Songs like Before You Accuse Me are an auditorial assault while Travelin’ Band is a favorite, a punchy rocker minus the heavy blues. Hard to rate an album with five songs I’ve known for 45 years, so I’ll give it a 3/5.
Instantly makes you 290% more horny for your sister
Repetitive, Frantic, Plagiaristic.
When I was a kid, my mom wanted to get my dad a copy of John Fogerty's Centerfield on vinyl. We went around to every record shop in town trying to find a copy. One shop we tried to go to had a sign on the door that said "no minors," which my mom thought was an incredibly confusing and stupid policy, and she held a grudge about that incident for several years. That story really doesn't have a lot to do with this album, but I always think about it when I listen to CCR. I've listened to quite a bit of CCR over the years. They were never one of my favorite classic rock acts, but they got a ton of radio play on the local classic rock station. It's not that I think they're bad, there's just other stuff I'd rather listen to when it comes to classic rock. Needless to say, this was my first time listening to one of their albums in its entirety. I'm familiar with a few of the songs on this album, and "Up Around the Bend" is easily my favorite CCR song. Outside of the songs I knew, this was about what I'd expect for a CCR album: a southern rock album with touches of psychedelica, blues, and rockabilly. Most of the songs were good, with "Ramble Tamble" being my favorite of the songs that I didn't know. John Fogerty has one of the most recognizable voices in classic rock, and his vocals on this album were really good. His voice really helps create the band's unique swamp rock sound. "Up Around the Bend" is easily the best track on the album in my opinion. That high pitched guitar riff is just incredible, and the song does a fantastic job of making me feel like I'm driving down an old country road, headed to a backyard cookout. This song always puts a smile on my face, and listening to it today was no exception. CCR's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is really good too, and they really succeed at making the song their own. Outside of those tracks though, the album was just kind of boring to me, and that makes this album pretty middle of the road overall in my book. Again, I don't think it's bad, but it's just not my cup of tea.
Surprising how one album can have songs that are absolutely shit and amazing.
CCR is the best. I have never found any recording that is not worth listening to
Arrancamos una semana corta con EL sonido de mi preadolescencia y sus revoluciones internas y familiares, amplificadas por lo convulso de Argentina en esos años (2001 en adelante). Es la banda que junto con los Beatles conecta directamente con mi madre y me lleva a ése espacio seguro que es el hogar. Cada canción es un hit indiscutible, así que más que la alegría que da lo que nos lleva a un recuerdo hermoso no puedo agregar. Hasta mañana.
I always bypassed CCR as just another silly Lynyrd Skynyrd southern rock band, but Forgerty is so talented.
Hed es paar rechtigi Banger aber esch au söscht sehr guet. Schön rockig ond teilwiis chli blues
Another great album by CDC with hit singles like Run Through the Jungle
Hadn't heard this album. Didn't look at the tracklist before putting it on and figured it was time to listen to some lesser known Creedence. Track 1 was new to me - so, it seemed par for the course - it was fine. And then...the rest of the album is literally just a CCR Greatest Hits album - I literally couldn't believe that hit after hit after hit just kept playing. It's shocking that you can have this many great songs on a single regular release album.
I know so many songs from this album but never listened to it as a whole. Opener is great! The amount of hits on this album is staggering. What a great record this is.
This was a great album. Even the unfamiliar songs.
ELELLELE
Had me from the opening riff
Never thought I'd give 5 ⭐ to an album with a song called ooby dooby in it but here we are
Kid rock. Nuff said.
This was a fun album. I loved the swampy blues/country sound. I loved the jammy bits as well.
This was fantastic. I love the swampy bluesy nature of a lot of songs, but also of the elements of doo wap and rockabilly. This really feels like a perfect take and continuation of 2 prominent American styles from the late 50s / early 60s: rock and roll and blues. I enjoy almost every song and then love every other song. So many bangers.
I am a Creedence Clearwater Revival fan now
Loved start to finish. Nothing more to say, than has already been said.
I had never listened to an entire CCR album. Shame on me! Every tune (except Ooby Dooby which I would like to set on fire) is executed flawlessly. I hear influences of Chuck Berry, the Beatles, and the Dead and yet they have a completely original sound. Fogerty shows a mastery of writing a 2 1/2 minute rocker that neither feels too long or too short, and leaves you wanting more. Then out of nowhere they show their range and ability to absolutely jam on Grapevine. This is such a phenomenal cover; they take Motown to the Bayou and stretch out effortlessly. They find a groove and settle in to a space that you don't want to end. I remember like it was yesterday as a 20 year old college student shooting pool in a bar in Tucson, AZ when someone played this on the jukebox. What a feeling.
Not many artists have an album this good - top to bottom. Even fewer do it on album number 5. It plays like a greatest hits album. Everything works. The songwriting. The vocals. The arrangements. But what really separates this album is the sound. It sounds like that elusive idea of rock n roll. Loose but tight. Old but new. Exploratory but restrained. And the guitars. The guitars just sound so full of life. Not a note out of place. Incredible.
Didn’t know all these great songs came from just one album
Very nice listen. who'll stop the rain was the highlight for me. I don't know what it was with this one but it just flowed from track to track so well, I wish there were bands with this sound producing music now. S tier masterpiece. Great song writing, vocals and grove.
Big dad rock vibes/road trip through the desert/old record shop vibes. With a sprinkle of back in 'Nam.
I'd forgotten what a great album this is! Just the extended jam/bridge in Ramble Tamble alone makes the album, but add in one classic after another - not to mention the 11" version of Heard it Through the Grapevine! Such an incredibly tight band that disappeared way to soon (and no, John Fogerty's solo work just doesn't compare).
Some crazy bangers on here. It’s kind of funny that some of the songs sound like little Richard covers and then you’ve got a 10 minute Heard It Through the Grapevine which couldn’t be more different. Lookin Out My Back Door has been stuck in my head all day. This is a 5.
During their very brief life as a band, CCR produced great albums including this one. Growling, swampy rock and roll. This album has classic originals and one of the best cover versions of a song ever (Heard it Through the Grapevine). An easy 5!
On this album, CCR fuses 50's rock and roll with late 60's psychadelia so well that if I did not already know which songs were covers I might guess incorrectly. Opening track "Ramble Tamble" is a microcasm of this blend and as such it works perfectly as an album opener. It's transition from tight blues to repetivie groove really worked for me. Most of the other songs I'd heard before and the originals all held up. "Travelin' Band" is as exciting as any of the Little Richard Songs they were payign homage to. "Run through the Jungle" is beautifally horrific. "Long As I Can See the Light" is a soulful ending and comedown after one of the most scortchung covers of all time. Let's talk about "Heard it Through the Grapevine" for a second. This is one of my favorite covers of all time, and I think one of the best (along with Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" and Aretha's "Respect"). They completely remade this song ans kept it interesting for 11 minutes. That is not an easy thing to do. I think this cover really influenced my guitar soloing so I may be biased but I jsut tihnk it is fantastic. A couple of the 50s covers were only "ok" (CCR did not add much to them) and they felt like filler to me.
Deze komt in de vaste rotatie. Ben van CCR gaan houden door deze lijst!
A few filler songs up front, but this is almost their greatest hits
Great album
I like the clutter free arrangements (and production) that allow the sparkling performances to shine through. You know it's a Keeper when the album features, count em, 5 singles. Top notch vocals, superb guitar playing and a tight, muscular rhythm section. If there's one criticism, it tends to be a bit samey (as does the whole CCR catalogue), but they did produce consistently good, maybe the best, swamp rock.
How have I not heard this album before? You need to be in the right mood to listen to this, and luckily I was... an optimistic 5 from me!
Oh yesssss! Such a killer album.
If there is one thing I’ve learned from this list, as much as I dislike a lot of classic rock… CCR puts out some banger albums. 2nd album from them on this list and another one I absolutely loved. I also think it’s at least the 3rd time I’ve heard a rendition of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” from this challenge, and this one was really good.
I love the way he sings as if yelling from the other room. Or how he "hoyd it" through the grapevine. If things went a little differently in my life I could see CCR being my favourite band.
If this is Cosmo’s factory, I’d love to hear what Wanda has to offer
Beautiful narrative songwriting from CCR. Their songs flow seamlessly even when they're nonsense, like Backdoor. I have covered many of the songs on this album with my band so I'm biased.
Amazing album with the perfect elements of jam with songs like Ramble Tamble and I Heard Through the Grapevine with blues element with songs like Travellin' Band, Before You Accuse Me, Ooby Dooby, Lookin' Out My Back Door. And not to forget the beautiful Who'll Stop the Rain and Long As I Can See The Light, a wonderful way of closing the album.
Great album!
Great album! Terrible album cover!
11 minute version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine? Let's fucking gooooooooo!!!!
Ciao sono Lina e questa recensione l’ho scritta io
Brilliant
Standard. This album rocks
The best of Creedence
Næstum því klukkutími af Creedence Clearwater Revival. Er það besta hljómsveit í heimi? Í mínum heimi kemst hún mjög nálægt því, trónir á toppnum í augnablikinu. Ég var í svo miklu stuði við að hlusta og eftir að hafa hlustað. Vrúff!
It's CCR, nothing else needs said.
Makes me feel nostalgic for a time I didn’t get to know. beautiful, incredible mix of rock and funk to bring it all home in the final song of Long As I Can See The Light. Don’t skip a single song!
Great album with a lot of classics
'Ramble Tamble' gets five stars alone.
Best CCR album ever. Great performance by all band members, but John Fogerty is the star here. Ramble Ramble is an absolutely stellar track.
Hot damn, expected to enjoy this one a bit but ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. Knew at least 8 of the 11 songs and really enjoyed most of the ones I didn’t know.