Liked it. Not surprised the Dude didn't get his Creedence tapes back to be honest. Sorry Dude, life goes on, man.
Bayou Country is the second studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records in January 1969, and was the first of three albums CCR released in that year. After ten years of struggling as the Blue Velvets and the Golliwogs, singer/guitarist John Fogerty, his brother guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford scored a No. 11 hit single with "Susie Q" in June 1968 under the name Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their self-titled album peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard albums chart. Despite their new-found success, however, seeds of discontent among the four members had already been planted due to John Fogerty assuming control of the band at just about every level. "There was a point at which we had done the first album. Everybody had listened to my advice. I don't think anybody thought too much about it," Fogerty recalled to Michael Goldberg of Rolling Stone in 1993. "But in making the second album, Bayou Country, we had a real confrontation. Everybody wanted to sing, write, make up their own arrangements, whatever, right? This was after ten years of struggling. Now we had the spotlight. Andy Warhol's fifteen minutes of fame. 'Susie Q' was as big as we'd ever seen. Of course, it really wasn't that big...I didn't want to go back to the carwash." In 2007, the singer elaborated to Joshua Klein of Pitchfork, "I determined, we're on the tiniest record label in the world, there's no money behind us, we don't have a manager, there's no publicist. We basically had none of the usual star-making machinery, so I said to myself I'm just going to have to do it with the music...Basically I wanted to do what the Beatles had done. I sensed that I just had to do it myself."
Liked it. Not surprised the Dude didn't get his Creedence tapes back to be honest. Sorry Dude, life goes on, man.
Best listened to on an airboat in Louisiana or helicopter above Vietnam.
Remember when John Fogerty got sued for stealing John Fogerty’s music? Well John Fogerty won. Then asked for his attorneys’ fees to be paid. And John Fogerty lost. Then the fee collection part went to the Supreme Court. And John Fogerty won…I think. John Fogerty 2…not John Fogerty 0. It got a little confusing there. I do know John Fogerty’s case set the precedent for copyright defendants being able to collect fees when they are victorious. Also Clarence Thomas concurred to the outcome to which the other 8 justices agreed. Not because he agreed with their reasoning but because he thought a previous civil rights attorneys’ fees case result should have been overturned. Typical Clarence Thomas…being cranky and not thinking plaintiffs need financial incentives in bringing civil rights cases. I digress. On to Bayou Country. I find it amusing that a band from San Francisco is often falsely thought to be from the bayou. Understandably the album and opening song titles lead one to believe this myth. But still, hehe. I’m really not sure why this cracks me up. Onto the songs. I promise. I dig the blues rock style on this album. I’m digging Fogerty’s voice, which from past reviews you’ll know can sink an otherwise decent band quickly for me. Actual song info. Really. I knew the two most well known tracks, Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary, very well coming into this. They are solid, but not my favorites after a couple listens. I think I like the third and fifth tracks are the best, but I can’t decide which one. Graveyard Train is a slow and snap inducing blues number. The song is not complicated, yet still impactful. I was humming the bass line during dinner and the kids started clapping along almost immediately. Harmonica can be overplayed, but this is not the case here. Again not complicated, but impactful. John Fogerty’s growls perfectly to convey the loss of his character’s companion amongst the 30 dead. Penthouse Pauper is a powerhouse of a song where John Fogerty sings forcefully intertwined with some screaming lead guitar with every verse. The guitar is like John Fogerty’s wing man in mind conquering over financial holdings for status in this world. I should also mention that this a very good take on Good Golly Miss Molly.
Peak swamp rock. Also the word “chooglin’” needs to become popular again (if it ever even was) Favorite track(s): “Born on the Bayou” and “Keep on Chooglin’”
This is country rock, very American. Kindly short & I thought the singer kind of sounds like Elvis? Maybe it’s just his accent or something. Some of the songs were okay, some were bad, one was great. Final question: what on earth does “chooglin” mean??? Best tracks: Proud Mary (Had no idea this was the original version of this song. I’m mostly familiar with the Glee version, but it’s a classic for a reason), Good Golly Miss Molly Worst tracks: Graveyard Train (lyrically weak, way too long - over 8 minutes in an album with a 33 minute run time is insane for a track this bad), Bootleg (I spent half the song thinking he was saying “Voulez” before I checked the song title)
Good, fun, solid album. Very easy to listen to. I don't know if there actually is a lot of variation but it feels like there is, which either way is a plus for me. Can't help but dance along a little bit. Some songs drag on a little bit
Phenomenal Americana - all the good parts - Blues, folk, rock, country and not an inkling of jazz. Strong start, sweet nougat center with a finish that fills you you up with musical goodness.
The music's not objectively bad but there's something about this band that doesn't sit right with me, I don't know what it is.
Not my favorite CCR record, but it does have my favorite track of theirs, ‘Born on the Bayou.’ This album would benefit from a little focus. It gets a little too noodly in parts and makes the album seem longer than it actually is. Having said that, John Fogerty’s vocals and guitar playing are incredible. I grew up listening to this band so it’s hard for me to give them anything less than a four.
The album where CCR established sound and it only gets better here. Very bluesy, but for some weird music, their music really does sound "swampy" and I'm not sure why. Obviously the lyrics but also the gritty atmosphere and the rural folk-like strings and percussions (that remind me of say the banjo in Deliverance). These 7 tracks do what they do well. But there are honestly no bad tracks. Starts off with a classic. Then a track to explore their aesthetic. I'm a personal fan of their longer tracks like "Graveyard Train" and "Keep on Chooglin" that have plenty of room to breathe and express themselves. I loved the Little Richard cover just because it's a CCR cover of a song I've already heard plenty times before, and I love their sound. "Penthouse Pauper" is the only song that doesn't stick out but if you listen to it on its own, you'll find it's still a great song. Maybe a sign of slight album repetition. Then another classic, followed by a classic closer. A great introduction to CCR impossible not to like.
I'm listening to Bayou Country from CCR as my album of the day. It's good, solid music and it lays the blueprint for their sound and I understand the place this album has in music history. But man, the squealing guitars, and the bluesy swampy sound is a bit rough in fluorescent cube farm I'm working in right now. I'm looking forward to Proud Mary as the next track, it's cool to hear such a giant song in the smaller context of this album and track list. Trying to imagine hearing this for first time in 1969. The song literally rolls, like on the river, and the ebbs and flows become hypnotic.
Half an hour of jarring harmonica soloes and affected Southern-ness by Californians who are, somehow, even less convincing than Brits like Zeppelin and the Stones when they dipped their toes in the Bayou water. This stuff is why we needed punk rock.
This album ROCKS. Sure, John Fogerty was born about as far from the Bayou as possible, but I'll listen to him sing about it any time. All the tracks rock, but my favorites are the stone-cold classics (Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary), plus Bootleg (sounds like he's singing Bouley-Bouley), their cover of Good Golly Miss Molly, and Penthouse Pauper ("If I were a politician I could prove that monkeys talk"). Graveyard Train and Keep on Chooglin' are both pretty good. Yeah, I just said every track is at least pretty good to great. Easy 5.
Boutta go hug a gator
Bayou Country Love me a bit of Creedence, but that’s just, like, my opinion, man. Born on the Bayou is superb, a swampy, swirling groove, relatively straightforward but part rock n roll, part country, part southern soul, all with JFs distinctive voice, and lyrics that mention trains and chooglin - all a distillation of what makes CCR great. Bootleg has that great acoustic rhythm guitar with the propulsive drums, working with the chugging electric guitar, again relatively straightforward but a great groove. Graveyard Train doesn’t start too promisingly, a rather generic late 60s blues rock riff, but it settles into the pocket and stretches the groove out. At 8 minutes perhaps a bit long, but still an enjoyable hypnotic jam. Not as keen on Good Golly Miss Molly, although it's a decent enough version and is pretty brief. Penthouse Pauper pulls the same trick as Graveyard Train, the late 60s blues rock mutating into something more fluid and atmospheric. Proud Mary is of course an absolute classic, more trains and itinerant characters, but a great catchy hook. Keep on Chooglin is a superior type of Graveyard Train, great riff and rhythm, hypnotic in its swampy bluesiness and a great closer. An extremely listenable bluesy swampy rock album, by a great band. It maybe a little uneven in places and with only 7 songs they all really need to be great to be a 5, so I’ll settle on a straightforward high 4. 🐊🐊🐊🐊 Playlist submission: Proud Mary
There’s a purity to CCR that I once mistook for simplicity. Listening today, I heard Can, early 90s Neil Young, Velvet Underground bootlegs, and the B-52s, from what I could immediately put a name to.
Everyone loves CCR, well everyone loves John Fogerty.
Nr. 43/1001 Born On The Bayou 4/5 Bootleg 3/5 Graveyard Train 3/5 Good Golly Miss Molly 3/5 Penthouse Pauper 4/5 Proud Mary 5/5 Keep On Chooglin' 4/5 Average: 3,71 Really good Americana album
I decided to take a little drive while listening to this one as it reminds me so much of driving around with my dad as a kid. Big CCR guy. This album opens up with such a killer riff, man. The type of riff that makes you go, “oh, yeah. that’s the stuff.” It is crazy to me that Fogerty was able to just channel this character so well. Apparently out of nowhere, too. Guy just stared at a wall and thought about the bayou. True story. This album is so cool. Green Onions type cool. Cigarette jet black hair type cool. Love the twangy noodles. Love Fogerty’s silly accent. Of course, I’ve got my nostalgia glasses on and could see how someone would be bored by this journey through some guy’s lucid swamp dream but I am here for it. Not to be taken too seriously, just have some fun and keep on chooglin.
What impresses me most about CCR is their consistency. And that consistency seems to be born of simplicity and hard work. Just 4 guys—2 brothers accompanied by 2 neighborhood classmates—who started playing together as early as 1959, with no additional personnel on this record, which all sounds to be recorded live and was self-produced by writer/singer/guitar player Mr. Fogerty himself. Simply, they worked out a handful of songs that give their Northern California band a distinct Southern Rock feel, throw a blurry album cover over it and whamm-o! a timeless record. And hardworking because not only was this the first of three records they released in 1969, but they would go on to release 2 more in 1970, not to mention their fantastic debut in 1968, nor their arguable masterpiece released in 1970 (the first of two albums released that year I might add.) And each of those album’s finds the band reinventing themselves, all while maintaining their consistency. It’s like the 1960s equivalent of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard without all that psych rock madness or PR. My one knock on this album is in regards to those few moments where Mr. Fogerty’s adopted, Southern affectation starts to overstay its welcome. His pronunciation of “boinin’” on “Proud Mary” in particular makes me grind my teeth a bit. But nonetheless! A few future album cuts aside, the songs on this album might be the most consistent, and straight-ahead grooviest and rockin-est of CCR’s releases. This album certainly maintains a pure rock sound that, after this, is abandoned a bit in favor of a sound that leans a little more pop. I especially liked the longer cuts “Born on the Bayou,” “Graveyard Train,” and “Keep on Chooglin’.” “Bootleg” kicks my ass as well. As does the ripping Little Richard cover “Good Golly Miss Molly.” I better stop myself before I go ahead and namecheck every song on the album because they’re all good! Beyond consistency, Bayou Country has a unique identity unto itself. It works as a concept album of sorts; a California band experimenting with another region’s rock sound. Playing musical dress up of sorts and ultimately owning a different sound that’s all their own. All that, and I could listen to this album on loop for hours and hours honestly. It’s that consistent. 4 stars. Keep on chooglin’.
Is there any major American songwriter more consistently overlooked than John Fogerty? All the man did was write hits, and once he stopped writing for the band, they put out an album so putrid that no one ever talks about it. This album has the same basic style of the other Creedence albums, with plenty of songs that you already know. I don't like it as much as Cosmo's factory, but it's solid all the way through 4/5
CCR's second album is when the band started gaining momentum and it was the start of a group of essential albums they released over a short period of time in the late 60's. This isn't their best, but definitely was the blueprint for greater things to come. Their sound, the hits and John Fogerty's amazing songwriting is already evident on Bayou Country. A near classic!
Always liked the raw, bluesy rock of CCR. I like John Fogerty's raspy voice and lead guitar work. Of course, Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary are the big hits, but there is some nice work on Graveyard Train, and Keep on Chooglin, even though those two songs are a bit too long. CCR did a good job of covering Good Golly Miss Molly. Liked Fogerty's harmonica, too.
I still think one of the greatest achievements in rock history is Creedence releasing 3 stellar albums in one year. This is the first of those 1969 albums. It's probably #3 in my ranking, but even with that it's still a classic album. Proud Mary and Born on the Bayou are all-time classics, and the rest ain't bad either. 4 stars.
This album defines their 'swamp rock' sound and showed the world what they could do in terms of lyrics("Born on the Bayou" and " Proud Mary") but also that they can dish out the awesome guitar solos ("keep on chooglin" ) and even has some lighter/catchier tracks ("Bootleg" and "rollin' on the river") and the fact that they released this album and it was so great but also put out 2 other albums the same year.
Somewhat sleepy until we were served up "Proud Mary" which is a delicious slice of glorious blues rock art. Aside from that track, the album is fun to listen to but mostly forgettable. Mostly.
Fine – perfectly fine – for what it is, but also basic and slight and just endlessly straightforward. Notes all fall into place, not one of them is risky. Plus, a "Good Golly Miss Molly" cover? I mean, why? It's okay not to be psychedelic or hippies (which they don't actually sound that different from); it's good to be competent and crisp, sure, but isn't it reasonable to expect some imagination, for Chrissakes.
Just not my jam.
Bit boring. Probably won't listen again.
is ok. only proud mary stuck out
BOOLAY BOOLAY, BOOOLAY HOWL!
A banger, love Creedence, loads of classic songs back to back, fairly short, but very sweet.
"Bayou Country" is the second studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. I like the Wiki-listed genres' swamp rock, blues rock and Americana. CCR being the poster child for two of them. The recording process found seeds of discontent among the band as John Fogerty (lead vocalist, lead guitarist, harmonica, piano, percussion) took control at every level. It may have stemmed from the success of their first album after toiling around for ten years in different bands. Thr other bandmembers included Tom Fogerty (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Stu Cook (bass) and Doug Clifford (drums). Commercially, it reached #7 in the US and #62 in the UK. The album also received generally positive reviews. A long droning sound opens "Born on the Bayou." That sound leads to a wobbly guitar, bass and drums. Fogerty's throaty voice comes in loud and authoritative. Bluesy, swampy and somewhat melodic. Fogerty wrote the song from meditating about life in the South as he was from Northern California. The band goes on a eight and half-minute blues jam in "Graveyard Train." It's plodding. Fogerty gets his harmonica out too. The band covers the Little Richard classic "Good Golly Miss Molly." Driving guitar and beat. Fogerty vocals fit perfectly for this song. A searing guitar solo too. What can you say about the classic "Proud Mary." Melodic with a great vocal chorus. A band sounding maybe the best as a band could. Fogerty wrote this song two days after he was discharged from the National Guard and was created with taking parts from different songs. The album ends with the bluesy stomp "Keep on Chooglin.'" Fogerty's guitar and harmonica are the stars. The lead song "Born on the Bayou" really sets the tone for the album. Most of the remaining songs are bluesy and grungy. One reviewer said that this album is two great songs and rest less than great songs. I was expecting that but disagree. I did not know Fogerty was such a good guitarist; he rips and sears it through most of this album with the band as the backbone. Some of the best vocals for this type of music. An album everyone should listen to even if just for the two hit songs but there's more beyond.
Amazing. Blues / soul mixed with rock is what’s most impressive about CCR.
Love ccr
The music drips with swampy rhythms and gritty storytelling. It feels like early Dylan got a little dirt under his nails and found a southern soul. Every track hums with a raw, unpolished energy. The kind that pulls you in without trying too hard. It's warm, earthy, and bold.
Love The Creedence!
Increíble rock que se me presento junto a Stephen wolf y marco mi militancia incondicional a este rock juvenil contestatario antisistemico. Blue jeans cabello largo. Bella época.
Great
Wish I were back on the bayou Rollin' with some Cajun Queen Wish that I were a fast freight train A-just a-choogling on down to New Orleans Born on the bayou What more would anyone need to say? 5/5
I loved this album. Good album to sit back and relax to, have playing in the background while doing homework, cleaning the house, working, chilling with friends or family. Very laid-back vibes.
Ich mag CCR.
Excellent. Love the Creedence
Segundo día de octubre con mi favorito de Creedence Clearwater Revival, banda que directamente relaciono con mi mamá: gran parte de mi infancia y pubertad estuvieron marcadas por The Beatles y por ellos y todo fue gracias a su devoción por esas bandas y por gran parte de esa época del rock. Imposible no sentirse atravesado por la voz de John Fogerty y por el sonido hipnótico de Creedence. Imposible destacar una canción de todas las que componen el álbum. Gracias por esta inclusión. Muy bien 10.
classic
Today I learned Creedence Clearwater Revival originated in California and not some Louisiana swamp. They were not Born on a Bayou and they never choogled (which is also made up). Bunch of posers. That being said... I don't care. They made a persona and they pandered to the masses in a way that actually produced some of the greatest hits in rock and roll. Other musicians have done worse for stardom and fame. Everyone has heard Born on a Bayou and Proud Mary. The cover of Good Golly, Miss Molly is interesting and may be more recognizable than Little Richard's original. And then there are the lesser known tracks that I actually enjoyed as well. Creedence may not have been authentic swamp rock, but they can keep on chooglin' in my book.
Absolutely fantastic swamp rock album
classic late 60s rock, and the unmistakeable voice of John Fogerty
La Creedence y su líder, John Fogerty, crearon un estilo único en el que el rock & roll se mezcla con un sentido pop de la música de los pantanos, blues y country. En este su segundo fantástico disco (personalmente sigo prefiriendo el primero, quizás porque su tema "Suzy Q" es uno de mis favoritos) sobresale uno de sus himnos intemporales: "Proud Mary", una emotiva descripción de la vida navegando por el Misisipi en una suerte de "rolling stone" fluvial. Desde su primer tema, "Born on the Bayou", la CCR deja claras sus intenciones y confirma que ha encontrado un sonido que la va a identificar en toda su obra. Un sonido que parece salido de los bosques de Luisiana cuando el grupo es originario de San Francisco. Fantástico como en "Graveyard Train" generan la sensación de traqueteo de un tren mientras nos hablan de... Maravillosas las dos versiones de clásicos del rock & roll y del blues adaptadas a ese nuevo sonido creado por la Creedence, "Good Golly Miss Molly" y "Keep on Chooglin'". Como casi toda la obra de este grupo, Bayou Country es un retrato evocador de América a lomos de una música tan contundente como aparentemente sencilla.
Great Creedence album, though not their best.
Klasyka
less ethereal then the debut and less polished and poppy then all the future records, this is their sweatiest, scuzziest, swampiest record. alternately something to wade thru at waist-level and something to zip along freely no matter how many reeds smack u in the face. scratchy and sticky and kinda gross (the noisiest guitar moments really slash thru the air), but wholly masterful wall-to-wall as far as im concerned. those interested in the band as a capital r Rock outfit will prob find the most to enjoy here...more overt blues and old school rock and roll here then on any record other then the debut.
It rocks!
Hard to be mad at this just a good fun time
So many good jams on this one most CCR albums are 5 bangers
Masterpiece!
Dem. Basslines. Doe.
It always amazes me that CCR came out of California. They seemed to master the essence of the "Southern" sound. As a child I always saw them as a "Southern Band". I have heard this album before but it was fun to revisit all the songs.
Great album.
Swamp rock. Proud Mary. Vinilo.
I am a sucker for anything blues based. It is the sound of America 🇺🇸
9/10. Great song after great song. More consistent than Green River. Could have put every song on the playlist, love the style they bring. Ended up putting 5/7 songs on the playlist.
Swamp Rock is fun. 5 stars. Favorite track: Graveyard train other picks: Born on the Bayou, Good golly miss molly, keep on chooglin
69 rock n roll
Quite a good album, the instrumentation is the best part. Favorite tracks: "Graveyard Train" and "Proud Mary."
Amazing that this band knocked out 3 all time albums in around a year.
Excellent
Arguably overrating it, but I can't help it. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor creating bias, but Creedence is always a good time. Love their cover of Good Golly Miss Molly. This isn't my favorite album of theirs, but it's still classic Creedence.
I probably would have given this five stars even if I liked it less simply because of the word Chooglin'. But as it is, it slaps so I have a clean conscience. Perfect crowning on a day of recitals :))
CCR is one of those bands that is part of the "All time greatest" this or that. Iconic.
Really Great album
I bought Thai album on Cinyl about 20 years ago. Just fabulous. 2 massive hits. Plus the Little Richard cover. And then just a bunch of great bluesy rock and jamming.
There isn't a CCR song that I don't love. For their 6 albums released over just 3 years of making music, it still endures half a century later.
Quite good
Any album with Proud Mary and Born on the Bayou on it is probably getting 5 stars. If it has these two tracks and a bunch of other really good songs, it’s a no brainer. Killer rock n roll from on of the all time great bands. CCR for all their popularity and influence may be somehow underrated still in terms of just being an excellent band. They were so tight, had incredible songs, great guitar work, a rhythm section that drove so much groove into their songs, and an all time great front man to boot. They may have arguably bested this later with Green River, Willie and the Poor Boys, and Cosmo’s Factory, but that doesn’t mean Bayou Country isn’t basically perfect.
I mean it's CCr, what else do you expect?
junamusiikiksi keksi laittaa tämmösen heh.. kyllä ne tietää, vitsailee vaan niillä indiepätkillä. laittaa hyvää kun tarvetta on. ja nämä pojat ei tosiaan mitään lutakkohirviöitä ole, mitään suistokammotuksia ole... kalifornialaiset perkele... musiikin tekee nii että pää hyrräksi heh.. a caen ĥuarh mæ howangd doawg baæhgkcin, cheş§yieng dœan ah huŭųduüdẹarŕ... musta mies aloitti blues...valkomies mestaroi sen heh... (mitä vittua) . kitaranpoljennasta ja apinankiekumalaulusta annetaan viisi tähteä born on the bayou
Heard of Creedence Clearwater Revival before, but must admit, with that name, I think I'd written them as likely to be bloated prog like music. Got that one wrong! Really enjoyed it, blues framed rock, no bloat in sight!
Must listen classic rock
A great early piece of Creedence. Perfect roots rock.
Awesome all the way through
I like it!
There are other CCR that I like more but...
Classic
Epic
Just a feel good time. Really transports you away. Groovy as can be. Short and sweet.
Keeping it under 45 ✅ ≤ 2 skips ✅
This is was the kind of music my grandfather used to play in the car when I was a kid. So much nostalgia when I listen to CCR.
I loved this album. Fun energy. Makes me want to take another trip to my favorite city, New Orleans. The way the gravely vocals pair with the twangy guitars just syncs up really well.
CCR nails the fusion of a classic rock, bluesy, rockabilly type sound that just goes hard. Fogerty's voice just fits the music so well, too. A thoroughly enjoyed album.
Album 361 of 1001 Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country Rating : 5 / 5 Awesome album. Not much more needs to be said. Just listen for yourself.
Amazing
Amazing CCR album.
Still listening to this but don't need to to know that it is a 5 for me. CCR all day!
Great album! Loved every minute of it
This sh*t gets me going. I just wanna run like lions and tigers and bears when i hear these songs. I will never stop chooglin Mr fogerty. I salute you.
Omg 5 ok bye.!!
Song No. 2 is considered the standout hit but "Death of a Party" is the high water mark in my opinion. Having gone backwards in Albarn's discography, I can appreciate the album in a way that I don't think I would have when I was younger.
a classic for the ages. in every way. not even going to try to explain. top 3: proud mary, born on the bayou, graveyard train honorable mention: keep on chooglin'
CCR does what they do very well. Might it all sound the same? Sure. But it's done so well we're there's no bad song on the album. 5/5