Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
1969
Album Summary
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.
WikipediaLiked it. Not surprised the Dude didn't get his Creedence tapes back to be honest. Sorry Dude, life goes on, man.
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’”
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Art and Paul were the soundtrack of my childhood. I never listened to the entire album before and it was an interesting mix of mellow and lively.
I needed some CCR this monday morning. Proud Mary is an all timer, but it was great to hear some new tracks that aren't on all the greatest hits albums.
I loved this album! Bluesy rock, and a little bit folk, and country. Great sounds and the voice of the lead singer is incredible.
A classic. Loved all the songs. CCR has such a distinct sound that I really like.
Fuck yeah. Five stars baby. I've never listened to this whole thing but it has some of my favorite songs on it.
The start of CCR becoming one of the greatest bands of all time. Seriously, if they were able to exist for more years then I’d say they would’ve gone down in history as one of the greatest bands ever.
I used to think of Creedence as just a greatest hits band. While I was listening to this album though I really enjoyed the tracks that I didn't know. They really rock on here. I especially like the longer bluesy Graveyard Train and Keep on Chooglin'. Easy 5 stars again.
Absolute classic. It's been awhile since I've listened to these guys and it just reminds me of how awesome they were are still Are!
Excelente rock sureño de los años 60 interpretado por una banda muy reconocible
Who doesn't love some CCR? So American, though I assumed they were southern and reading now I see they are actually from San Francisco. Bluesy guitar, gritty vocals, catchy tunes, quotable lyrics, an irresistible groove. It is no surprise their songs became standards. This is their debut album and it comes out of the gate with "Born on the Bayou" establishing the iconic sound and mood right away. Also featuring Good Golly Miss Molly and Proud Mary, this album is indeed epic. And they published two more albums in 1969! Guess they were just bubbling over with ideas.
5/5. Short n’ sweet. Great performances, packed with bangers. One of the best CCR.
Uma banda, três álbuns, todos explêndidos.. não tenho muito a dizer.. a guitarra de Born on the bayou é um riff, uma basee um solo, tudo ao mesmo tempo!
Join Fogerty is a genius. Every creedence album gets full points. This is just half an hour of non-stop hits. 5/5.
a couple of super 5-star evergreens and some very solid songs; if played on a decent hifi the album sounds as great as ever (and there are even a couple of better CCR albums around..)
I haven't listened to this album as much as the other two Creedence albums on this list, but still a 5 for me. A bit heavier and looser than their other albums. Some serious jams.
They still sound edgy somehow, which is quite a feat half a century later. "Born on the Bayou" is ELECTRIC. It does get too jammy at times, but then they'll come back with a ripper. Real vitality and soul on this album.
Debatía entre el 4 y el 5, pero la neta es que sí es muy buen disco y no hay razón para no darle la 5 estrella. La voz de John Fogerty es una chingonería que marcó un estilo y sus solos en la guitarra también son de lo que más vale la pena de esta banda. Me sorprendió lo cortito de este disco, aunque en realidad trae dos canciones que pasan de los 7 minutos aunque no se sienten pesadas. También me llama la atención que traiga un cover, que ya para estas alturas de su carrera no todo mundo haría.
Fuck yes! I love me some CCR. This is the soundtrack of my early childhood, my dad in the kitchen cooking up dinner for his three rambunctious daughters, the shitty Sony radio on the countertop with this tape in it filling our house with good time tunes. They are the most classic of all the classic rocks for me because of the way they take me back to that place in an instant. John Fogerty has one of the all-time greatest voices because of the way it fuses blues/rock/country sounds into an unforgettable gritty rasping growl. The lyrical content and themes are perfectly complimented by the badass honky tonking guitar work. It's a whole ass mood of down home fun. I can still hear my old hound dog barkin', chasin' down a hoodoo there.
A timeless classic with some of their biggest hits. CCR is and always will be a unique band with a unique sound.
I love their stuff, this one is a nice and tight album with some staying power and brilliant swampy blues.
5/5, penthouse pauper and good golly miss Molly especially are some of the finest blues playing I've ever heard. Perfect record.
An interesting mixture of rock, blues, and country, which gives you energy and happiness. There really wasn't any bad song throughout the album. This definitely goes into my playlist.
Album absolutely slaps. I could listen to all 7 basslines all day. Favorite track: Keep on Chooglin'
have heard most of this album over the years. I didnt realise rolling on the river was sampled from here
This is a real Classic. Great Swampy sound all the way through and a couple of bangers. It's good to put on and let run.
Get me a beer and a swamp boat with one of them big fuck off propellers on the back STAT
I think Green River is still my favorite, but this album is great in its own right and opens with possibly my favorite CCR tune. There really weren't any missteps I could hear, and I gave it two listens in a row because I enjoyed it so much.
Ooh this was a doozy. I liked Bayou Country better than Cosmos Factory but that's due to a consistent blues rock style and the long jams which were more prominent here. CCR are pretty good with short ones but they know how to make a song breathe, especially Graveyard Train and Keep on Chooglin'. I've heard Proud Mary various times but I never knew CCR wrote it or knew the song title so that was a welcomed surprise. Also a fantastic song. The title track and Bootleg were enjoyable tracks as well. And with Good Golly Miss Molly and Penthouse Pauper being decent, this album is definitely up there with the best I've reviewed so far. Makes me want to listen to Cosmos Factory again and see if I can change that review.
Fogerty and crew craft a fantastic album. One where each song flows well into the next. All while sounding like the band, and like unique experiences all their own.
i feel like each song sounds pretty similar but this is like ultimate classic rock
Ik ken(-de) de band niet van naam, maar de liedjes wel. Heerlijk swingende rock, weinig effecten en opsmuk. De zanger kan heerlijk oversturen en heeft een fijn rauw randje. Lekkere muzikale intermezzo's, bijv in Graveyeard Train. Opname kwaliteit is goed en als de cd is afgelopen baal ik dat er niet meer nummers op staan. Dit album zou ik wel weer opnieuw luisteren.
Not normally in to the blues but I enjoyed this. Didn’t know they wrote Proud Mary.
Very enjoyable. Makes me want to go drive across America, crack open a beer at a dive bar, or watch Supernatural.
I thought this was the best album ever until Ethan told me it wasn't. I listened to it again with something to prove and it just made me angry and sad at my naivety. Still banging roadtrip album. The Stones x Led Zeppelin and I loved it. You ruin my magic Faith.
Too many iconic hits to give less than a 4, although there is a little slack in the middle of this short album
It's CCR. Find some nice weather, grab a cooler full of beer, sit back and relax.
I liked this one quite a bit. It's good, funky rock 'n' roll with a Southern flair. It's one of the albums on this list that I feel like I'm going to come back to, and those albums are few and far between.
L’album est vrIment bon, proud mary et penthouse pauper sont les highligths mais certaines tounes sont tres improv pour un alubm de 30 min ca fait beaucoup 3 tounes de plus de 5 min. Tout de meme 4.75 pour du bon vieux rock.
Good classic rock in every sense. Every song's catchy and quality, and Proud Mary still holds up.
4 veriyom ama 5 e yakın. güzel albümdü. Bütün sarkilarindan keyif aldim.
Ale wysypalo klaskami, no i nadal hamerykanski strik trwa w najlepsze, album ktoremu zawdzieczam poznanie slowa bayou, jak do tego doszlo, ze banda wywodzaca sie z kalofornii stworzyla koncept album na temat mokradel luzjany, a przy tym dodatkowo poszerzyla moje wiadomosci na temat swampowego rocka, nie mam pojecia, ale klimant konceptu jest, czuc wiejski powiew niezbyt rzeskiego powietrza, smrod stojacej wody i wysoko procentowych destylatow, album o wiele bardziej hardy niz ostatnie szkieletory, ale jednak posiadajacy elementy country, szorstki a jednak najbardziej unikalny CCRowy albumik jaki zrobili w ciagu dosc krotkiego czasu trwania bandy 4 osobowej, bo tylko 2 lata wystarczyly im na wydanie 4 albumikow, nastepnie jeden z braci Fogerty poszedl w swiat, co praktycznie wystarczylo do rozmontowania reszty bandy i zakonczenia dzialanosci dosc krotko po tym, na plejke wrzucam proud mary, czyli historie szukania szczesnia na rzece, na albumie pojawia sie takze jeden cover jest to good golly miss molly, ktory posiada troche zmodyfikowany tekst w porownaniu do orginalu, orginalu nie znalem przed przesluchaniem tego traka, ale przeczucie ze moze to byc cover wyniklo z tego, ze brzmi od dosc podobnie jak rock over beethoven, taka sama melodia, lamanie wersow, a okazalo sie, ze oba traki maja podobny czas powstania 56 i podobny kolor skory wykonwacow, tworzenie muzyki okolo popowej w tamtych czasach bylo jeszcze bardziej monotematycznie niz dzisiaj
Klassikkokamaa! Jossain kohtaa oli vähän jumittavaa huuliharpputunnelmointia, mutta ei haitannut kokonaisuutta. Muistelen jostain lukeneeni, että CCR ei kovin montaa vuotta ollut kasassa, mutta aikamoisen vaikutuksen saivat aikaan!
Eihän tälle voi antaa vähempää ku neljä tähteä. Proud Mary lienee jäänyt kaikkien mieleen jostain vanhasta purkkamainoksesta.
I think to truly appreciate this album you have to go into it with the right expectations. It’s blues rock so every song is repetitive. It’s nothing groundbreaking and Graveyard Train seems excessive being based off of one riff and over 8.5 minutes long but parts like the harmonica solo in the middle were certainly enjoyable. I liked the songs with more energy like Good Golly Miss Molly and Proud Mary is a classic. Keep on Chooglin’ is another long one although I preferred it to Graveyard Train. Again, the harmonica solo was a highlight. Strong 7/10
Isäni on kannattanut CCR:a 70-luvulta lähtien, joten syntyessäni minulle ei annettu paljoa valinnan varaa. Ensimmäisen CCR-kasettini muistaakseni sain jo kaksivuotiaana eli isäni vain kylmäverisesti päätti, että sinä kuuntelet CCR:aa. En edes uskalla ajatella mitä olisi käynyt, jos olisin murrosiässä alkanut glooryhuntata esimerkiksi Michael Jacksonia tai Totoa. Todellinen fanius alkoi minulla viisi kuusi vuotta sitten. Kuten sanoin niin CCR on ollut suosikkini jo pikkupojasta lähtien, mutta ei se ollut samanlaista kuin tänä päivänä. Kuunteleminen on muuttunut rakkaudeksi ja intohimoksi. Nuoresta iästä huolimatta olen ehtinyt seurata bändiä kuitenkin jo aika kauan (vaikka eipä heillä montaa aktiivivuotta ollutkaan), mutta vuosi vuodelta mielenkiintoni ja rakkauteni bändiä kohtaan vain voimistuu. Kyllä voi sanoa, että CCR on iso osa elämääni, jota ilman en osaa, enkä halua elää. Muistan, että junnarina Taavetin kiekkokaukalon toimitsijakopissa oli yksi CCR:n kasetti, mikä aina alkulämmittelyjen aikaan soi. Tästä syystä CCR saa aikaan aina hyvät nostalgiset tunnelmat.
Overall pretty good, I liked most of it but had a few songs that didn't quite hit the mark for me. Probably deserves 3.5 but I'm feeling generous
Short and sweet. A couple classics on here. I do like CCR, although the last song "Keep on Chooglin' " had a long harmonica solo in the right channel only, and I wonder about why they chose to use stereo sound in such a way.
Me gusto el album y eso que no soy un enorme fan de credence. Proud Mary me recuerda a unos discos viejos que mi padre se trajo de US.
I loved this album! Such fantastic energy, great musicianship and an amazing rock vocal! Earthy, gritty, compelling.
Enjoyed quite a bit. There's some hidden gems on this I hadn't heard, Penthouse Pauper is a favourite.
Sound e voce inconfondibili, i Creedence Clearwater Revival hanno da tempo un posto nel mio cuore e nelle mie playlist, quindi sarò di parte. Conoscevo alcuni pezzi di quest'album. Tutto sommato è stato un grande piacere ascoltarlo e riascoltarlo. L'unica traccia che ho skippato al secondo ascolto è stata Graveyard Train... Prolissa. Per questo non mi sento di dare un 5, ma un 4 (se potessi darei 4,5). Però a sto punto Tom Petty va a 2 perché non riesco a pensare i CCR solo di un punto sopra al biondino con il chiodo (peccato che non posso cambiare il voto, comunque scende ufficialmente a 2). Credo che i Creedence abbiano definitivamente influenzato i Nirvana: In Born on the Bayou sento vagamente Serve the servants dei Nirvana. L'apertura di Proud Mary, ancora, mi ricorda i Nirvana.
1. Born on the Bayou. Always loved this track. The groove is unrivaled. 2. Bootleg. Started out sounding a little like a CSNY track. 3. Graveyard Train. Sounds like it should have been on the Lebowski soundtrack. 8:35! Good lawd! 4. Good Golly Miss Molly. Good LP. A lot of just grinding jams.
Is this the album that defined Swamp Rock? Truly great stuff. Classics like Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary and impossible to ignore. The whole album has a mesmerizing, hypnotic, nature to it, and I mean this as both a pro and a con, I think. Some of these songs really do drag on in length.
September 8, 2021 I usually find John Fogerty's voice grating but it seems to be growing on me. I liked a couple of these ("Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary" of course) and found the rest of the album pretty good, except the last track which was just kinda weird.
I love hearing albums that helped form me in my youth, but that I don't have in my collection.
I love the sound of CCR, never heard this one before but I enjoyed it and Proud Mary is a song for the ages
Sounds like home. Short and solid album with heavy hitters in Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary and solid jams throughout.
I like CCR and this is pretty good but definitely not their strongest effort. It certainly defines their sound but it's not as even and polished as other albums.
Although this is CCR's second album, it still feels tentative, in both a positive and cavillous reading. The songs suggest a desire to stretch (witness the forays into swamp rock), but one gets a sense of caution, of an unwillingness to tread too far or to flat-out holler. Of course, CCR would achieve that with later songs and albums. However, this album feels slightly hesitant: for instance, the two jams, though fine, aren't bombastic enough to properly engross. This album is great fun, and shows CCR heading in the right direction, but it's not the most essential of their work. Compare it to the Rolling Stones' Aftermath: good stuff, but you should really stick around for what happens next.
Pretty darn good, could've been better. Maybe I wanted it to be longer? Imagine if they released all three 1969 albums together? CCR brought a cool, unique sound and Fogerty(s) could really play. Graveyard Train and Keep on Chooglin' show their interpretation of blues and their wide array of skills. Love the harmonica on both. I wish they had played Proud Mary in the same frenetic tempo as Good Golly Miss Molly. Still good.
The Mrs. is a big Fogerty fan, so I am pretty familiar with CCR. Although I think “Keep On Chooglin’ “ and “Graveyard Train” go on a bit long. I imagine stretching them out live must have been fanTASTic to witness. Definitive statement from the band.
Great blues. House-filling presence even on a small system. Graveyard Train and Chooglin are twice as long as they should be, Proud Mary is perfect, and the rest are very good. But you can put this on over and over. That's worth a lot!
Certainly not their best album, but pretty great. Established that bayou folk rock sound. Without getting into "southern rock". Pretty great effort.
What is now considered classic Southern Rock, Born on the Bayou is a solid album from CCR with a fantastic opener and of course the signature Proud Mary. Keep on Chooglin sounds like a blues house band having a blast at the end of the night.
Classic CCR, had heard some songs before. Would listen again for sure.
First time listening to a complete CCR album. Love the sound, and, of course, the original version of Proud Mary.
Really liked this album, not sure if I'll come back to it later but good songs
A robust album. Nice guitar solos and rythms. 2-3 good songs, the rest is okay. (7/10) FT: Proud Mary, Born On The Bayou
I've probably listened to this several times before when I was growing up, because my dad used to play a lot of Creedence. I don't have much to say about this except that it's phenomenally good. I will give a strong 4, there is something missing for it to be a 5 star rating, but im not quite sure what.
I skipped the mega hits we've all heard a thousand times. Penthouse Pauper was cool, as was Keep On Chooglin'.. Jeez, Graveyard Train was a snooze-fest! I saw Fogerty live once. He was as great as you'd expect. Still, they can't all be hits.
Not my favourite CCR album bit a good CCR album is a great album for .out other bands. Born on the Bayou, Bootleg, Proud Mary, Chooglin; all classic CCR. Not quote 5 but 4.5 easily
Not my favourite CCR album bit a good CCR album is a great album for .out other bands. Born on the Bayou, Bootleg, Proud Mary, Chooglin; all classic CCR. Not quote 5 but 4.5 easily
People have been telling me to get into this band for years and it hasn’t happened yet, but I dig this a lot.
Even though I've heard these songs a million times, they still bring a smile to my face because of their authenticity and unbridled passion for the music they are making. I know John Fogerty was a dick and the rest of the band hated him, but what can you say when a guy can play guitar, sing, write songs, play harmonica, and basically create a whole mythology around a time and place that never really existed.
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.
Its very much a CCR album with some of its hits mixed in wuth longer jams. It does seem that John Fogerty's vocals elevates the band as the vocalled tracks far out perform the more freeform instrumental secrtions
Interesting sound, definitely my favourite country album I've listened to.
Bayou Country is a small, seven track album, that leaves you wanting more. Songs like "Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary" are some of the best exemples of the american southern rock genre and John Fogerty's voice is something else, especially in the opening track.
Coole nummern, abwechslungsreich aber klassisch CCR. proud mary in ihrer version gefällt mir richtig gut. ist aber nicht mein lieblingsalbum von ihnen
Liked this more than I expected. I've always been a big CCR fan, but the song list didn't really jump out at me at first. It was all good though, even the "Good Golly Miss Molly" cover which I thought would be cringey. Lots of energy and talent on display here but it didn't cross that threshold into 5 star territory for me.
Damn I forgot how good this album is. You’d never think they’d never been to the bayou
Nobody catches this bluesy, earthy vibe as well as CCR, their sound is so singular and so good. They're not the first rock band that comes to mind when you think of this era, but boy are they one of the best. "Proud Mary" never gets old, it's such a perfect song. Fave Songs: Proud Mary, Penthouse Pauper, Born on the Bayou, Keep On Chooglin'
Simple music done extremely well, with a voice for the ages. I'm digging it.