Various - A Blues Tribute To Creedence Cleawater Revival FLAC album

Cover songs, especially those that are done well, yet dance so close to presenting something that will cause me to disremember that the song is a cover, have always intrigued me.

From the get-go I should say that almost none of these numbers are blues interpretations in the truest sense, though all are original. Just bend your ears with what Trampled Under Foot do with “Born On The Bayou” and you may never listen to the original again, “Down On The Corner” follows that up, a light handed version laced with violins that will have you believing the song was written back in the 1930’s and only recently discovered. Kirk Fletcher had me down on my knees with “Green River,” one hand over my heart, the other raised to the heavens, sure that the second coming was about to take place. Then there’s the actual blues guitarist Duke Robillard, who floats in a steamy simmering sultry ghostly vision of “Who’ll Stop The Rain,” one that will bring you to tears. All of the music from this collection sounds intoxicatingly fresh and eventful, with not a single track coming across as beholding to Creedence in any manner.

I’d love to go through these selections song by song, highlighting their individual wanderlust and deeply romantic strengths, when what you should sincerely be doing is giving yourself over, dipping your feet into the waters of one of the greatest singles bands from the hazed 60’s, where here, so many intoxicating manifestations are brought to light.

Allow me finish by saying that I’m now on a mission, searching out additional material to expand this collection, where in the process I’m rediscovering and reacquainting myself with a well known, yet too easily forgotten band from a time when the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival never ceased to inch a sly smile across my face or change my weathered attitude to one of air-guitar fist pounding joy.

Review by Jenell Kesler