Thursday, June 7, 2012

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die #175. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory (1970)


175. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory (1970)

Label – Fantasy
Producer – John Fogerty
Art Direction – Bob Fogerty
Nationality - USA
Running Time – 42:40

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

Side one

    "Ramble Tamble" – 7:09
    "Before You Accuse Me" (Ellas McDaniel) – 3:24
    "Travelin' Band" – 2:07
    "Ooby Dooby" (Wade Moore, Dick Penner) – 2:05
    "Lookin' Out My Back Door" – 2:31
    "Run Through the Jungle" – 3:09

Side two

    "Up Around the Bend" – 2:40
    "My Baby Left Me" (Arthur Crudup) – 2:17
    "Who'll Stop the Rain" – 2:28
    "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) – 11:05
   "Long as I Can See the Light" – 3:33

What a fantastic record. “Cosmo's Factory” was the fifth studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and it is the first of the 1001 reviews from the 1970’s. The sound of the record is what hits you first. It could have been recorded yesterday it sounds that good. Then the hits just keep coming. "Travelin' Band," a flat out rocker with a blistering  horn section, "Up Around the Bend" is a another, the eerie guitar sounds of "Run Through the Jungle", the almost ballad "Who'll Stop the Rain", the bouncy shuffle of "Lookin' out My Back Door," and the cherry on top is "Long as I Can See the Light” complete with a soulful, laid-back groove. A little something for everyone. What’s not to like!!
There are several cover songs on the record of which while most are ok, there is the meandering jam that brings CCR's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" to 11 minutes. It gets tedious.
In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Cosmo's Factory 265 on its list of 500 Greatest Albums. When the album was released it became a world-wide hit, topping the album charts in six countries. The album was certified 4 times platinum with sales of over four million units sold.
It is HIGHLY recommended.

You can play "Cosmo's Factory" HERE. (A free Spotify account is required).
CD, vinyl

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