The Long Road Home

When Creedence Clearwater Revival broke up in the early '70s, frontman John Fogerty and the band's label, Fantasy, disagreed over rights to CCR's songs. The bitterness between Fogerty and the label owner, Saul Zaentz, got so bad that in 1985, Fantasy sued Fogerty for using a sample of a CCR riff on his solo album Centerfield. 'œThe Fogerty-Fantasy feud was without a doubt the most bitter legal argument in music history,' said T. Michael Crowell in the San Diego Union-Tribune. That's why it's so incredible that the two have come back together to release this compilation album, after TV producer Norman Lear bought the company and urged Fogerty to return to his home label. There's nothing really new on this record, said Ed Masley in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, unless you count the four live songs from Fogerty's raucous summer tour. The 25 tracks here are just old CCR tunes matched with a collection of Fogerty's solo efforts'”and there's no question about which are better. The song 'œCenterfield,' 'œcursed with hand claps programmed on some godforsaken '80s drum machine,' just can't compare to CCR classics like 'œBad Moon Rising' or 'œWho'll Stop the Rain.' Actually, it's great to hear this 'œswamp-rocking songwriter's latter-day offerings' alongside CCR gems, said Kevin O'Hare in the Springfield, Mass., Republican. 'œDeja Vu (All Over Again),' Fogerty's recent anti-war song, is especially moving and resonant.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up