CCR’s first six albums were reissued individually with bonus tracks, and this tidy case brings them all together with the addition of their seventh, 1972’s Mardi Gras, in facsimiles of the original vinyl release sleeves. Taken as a whole, the music offers a chronological account of consolidation, rather than any radical creative progression.
John Fogerty’s winning formula of uncomplicated riffs and melodies punctuated by rousing choruses briefly made Creedence the biggest-selling band in the world and, while each album has its merits, there are weak spots which should advise buyers that this is a box aimed squarely at completists.
Mardi Gras, as yet not reissued separately, is clearly the poorest relation, coming a full two years after its predecessor. Kid brother Tom Fogerty had left, while bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford contribute lead vocals and songwriting for the first time – often to less than spectacular effect. Only the crunchy Sweet Hitch-Hiker and the mournful Someday Never Comes (both from JF’s pen) live up to previous glories, and the break-up followed soon after.
