The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again
Rock legend John Fogerty is back with a new album, consisting mostly of country music chestnuts from the past fifty years.
On his new CD The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, the Creedence Clearwater Revival founder performs with a talented team of musicians calling themselves the Blue Ridge Rangers. On most tracks, the band consists of guitarists Buddy Miller and Greg Leisz, bass player Dennis Crouch, drummer Jay Bellerose, Jason Mowery on fiddle, and backing vocalist Jodie Kennedy.
On the opening track, Fogerty offers twangier than usual vocals on John Prine’s "Paradise," which has the tempo of a country waltz.
"Never Ending Song of Love" by Bonnie and Delaney Bramlett is an upbeat, bluegrass love song, complete with fiddle and steel guitar solos.
Their version of Rick Nelson’s "Garden Party" has the Eagles’ Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit providing back-up vocals and solo turns throughout. While not ground-breaking, it’s a pleasant little version of a pleasant little song.
The album really takes off with the rocking "I Don’t Care (Just as Long as You Love Me)," a Buck Owens’ song that suits Fogerty’s voice well and is filled with lots of skillful guitarwork.
Including John Denver’s "Back Home Again" was a nice tribute to a singer whose talent as a songwriter is often overlooked. Denver’s sweet, angelic voice suited the song better however than Fogerty’s.
"I’ll Be There" by Ray Price and Rusty Gabbard is a swinging, jangling country tune that’s good fun and gets Fogerty singing with some of his trademark Creedence snarl.
"Change in the Weather" is an update of the moody blues song Fogerty first recorded with Creedence, with lots of great echoing "swamp guitar" sounds.
While the album possesses no songs as appealing as Fogerty’s huge 1980s solo hits "The Old Man Down the Road" or "Centerfield," it’s nonetheless a fun disc to listen to and sing along with in the car. Also, the new album has also provided the impetus to get Fogerty back out on tour, which is always welcome news.
Jerry Gillespie’s "Heaven’s Just a Sin Away" is a plucky little number, while "Fallin’ Fallin’ Fallin’" is loaded with fiddle and steel guitar, like a classic country song from the days Hank Williams days.
The rocker "Haunted House," has Fogerty lamenting the problems of moving into a house possessed by ghosts and monsters. It could become a Halloween classic.
Bruce Springsteen joins Fogerty on the Everly Brothers’ classic, "When Will I Be Loved," but the Boss’s gravelly background vocals and faux southern accent don’t add much to the mix. A female duet partner would have probably been an improvement.
by John Fogerty
Label: Verve. Release Date: August 31, 2009. Price: $13.98. ASIN: B002GYHIVM
