Following up a very strong self-titled record with an even stronger, shorter showcase of sound is the benchmark. A gold standard set by many bands but never quite as consistently and as sharp as it was with Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their ongoing success in swamp rock tones and the frequency of these quality releases is, truly, remarkable. Case in point, Bayou Country. It’s a staggering rock and roll achievement sandwiched between a strong debut album and a mesmerising third record, Green River. Crucial to Bayou Country, and the wider success of the band, is the unique vocal work John Fogerty offers. It’s a blisteringly brilliant experience to hear his voice burst through on Born on the Bayou. A tremendous song in its own right, but Fogerty pushing through, holding the rest of the band to a wildly high standard, brings out the best of the group. Bayou Country has the inevitable hit buried on it, but what comes before is nothing short of remarkable.
Fogerty’s leadership may have caused unrest from the first moments of the band, but it is hard to argue the case of any other member leading the way. Bayou Country throws Fogerty into the spotlight and has the rest of Creedence Clearwater Revival recede into the background. But crucial to that animosity is proof Fogerty was the beating heart of the band. Incredible instrumental work the whole way through Bayou Country, no discredit to the outstanding drumming from Doug Clifford or the steady bass work from Stu Cook, but it’s Fogerty who holds this together. An ambitious opening track, the five-minute opener Born on the Bayou, is a staggering piece of work. The band had and would go on to deal with shorter material than this, but they were capable of holding a steady tone, in bleeding that line between short punchy political material and wandering, slow-living qualities. The latter is what they bring around most of all on Bayou Country.
Beyond Born on the Bayou is the credible, catchy Bootleg and a mesmerising Graveyard Train. A chance for the band to flex their instrumental sensibilities. Graveyard Train maintains a haunted sound to it, Fogerty howling about “the midnight” and a few splashes of that swampy guitar sound, it’s a magnificent achievement from the band, who were still trying to lay claim to their sound. Bands of the time were keen to pay tribute to their influences, and a cover of Little Richard’s Good Golly Miss Molly is that chance for Creedence Clearwater Revival. What a treat it is, some slight lyrical changes but ultimately, it’s the massive instrumental overhaul that’ll win a listener over. Nothing short of outstanding, and with Proud Mary lingering towards the end of the album. A light and nice hit is what Proud Mary is, rolling along well in the time before Creedence Clearwater Revival were impassioned enough to comment on war and hate.
With both Penthouse Pauper and Keep on Chooglin’ either side of Proud Mary, it feels a little inevitable that they’d both be lost to the memorable middle track. It happens, but that’s not to say there isn’t much to love about the electric guitar solo on Keep on Chooglin’. Ridiculously great guitar playing can be found across Bayou Country. All the band had to do after this was keep the instrumental appeal, which they did, and feed in a contemporary message which would, ideally, last across generations. That they did on Green River, but the blueprint for their success can be found on Bayou Country. A remarkable piece of work that builds on the promising sounds of their first album yet also maintains an originality that continues to separate Creedence Clearwater Revival from the pale imitations that followed.
