1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #143. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River (1969)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River (1969)
Label – Fantasy
Producer – John Fogerty
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality – USA
Running Time – 29:20

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Green River
2. Commotion
3. Tombstone Shadow
4. Wrote a Song for Everyone
5. Bad Moon Rising
6. Lodi
7. Cross-Tie Walker
8. Sinister Purpose
9. Night Time Is the Right Time

“Green River” is CCR's third album. It features two of the band's most well-known songs, “Bad Moon Rising” and the title track, but there is a bunch more that deserves a listen. The difference between this and their first two records is John Fogerty coming into his own as a song writer. Gone are the longer five plus minute jams, replaced with creative well crafted radio friendly length rock songs.
There is a somewhat sinister theme to the record. Not just in the track “Sinister Purpose” but in the lyrics sprinkled through out album. Makes on wonder what was on Fogerty’s mind as he penned the tracks. "Bad Moon Rising" for instance features the lines "Hope you've got your things together/Hope you're quite prepared to die" along with “don’t go out tonight, it’s bound to take your life”. All in the confines of a catchy rock song. In “Lodi” another classic track, the theme is someone looking to spend out the rest of his life in a dead end town. (A town by the way he had never visited – just liked the sound of the name!)
Don’t get me wrong, for all its sinister ‘darkness’ the record is upbeat and CCR rock’s hard on many of the tracks.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 95 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album was the band's second album to go platinum and would go on to multi-platinum status. It is highly recommended.