[.ca] Blue Ridge Rangers

A Concept Album? Not Quite, but Close...:
With or without his bandmates in Creedence Clearwater Revival, Mr.Fogerty has always been one of the most artless performers that I've ever known; he's certainly never tried to be anything other than the talented singer/songwriter that he is(unlike some acts who adopted grandiose images that they could never continue off-stage: the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues & David Bowie among them...John Lennon called them "Sons of Beatles"). And on the face of it, this album is a simple collection of country & western "oldies"(even by 70's standards) whose repertoire is taken from the bluegrass & gospel heroes that inspired the artist in his younger days(similar to the rock & roll "farewell" album that John Lennon would do two years later in 1975). But this album, the Blue Ridge Rangers(his first solo album after disbanding CCR over legal and familial issues), rapidly shows itself to have an underlying thematic unity that reveals itself as one of the most low-key and honest of the "concept albums" that came to maturity in the late sixties. For instance, the name of this album suggests that this is a group-effort being released by someone calling themselves the "Blue Ridge Rangers", but that name is actually taken from one of the songs contained on the album itself, namely 'Blue Ridge Mountain Blues'; and local legend in my hometown claims that Mr.Fogerty handled all of the instrumental/vocal chores on this album all by his lonesome self...a thus-far unverified fact not disputed by the liner notes on the sparse CD booklet(which has no credits and only says: Arranged and Produced by John Fogerty) or by the album cover itself, which features John himself as no less than 5 different members of the Blue Ridge Rangers: Fiddler, Banjo-Picker, Head Singer, Double-bass player & Guitarist. Continuing with this, we have to ask: "Why did a man who was the primary creative focus behind one of music's top acts choose to release an album of Other People's Songs"? The answer is simple, as we see that, except for the cajun good-fun of 'Jambalaya', his selection of songs and the raw emotion that he pours into performing them show an incredible tinge of sadness and loss for something/someone extremely close to him. He pretended to be "Someone Else" and chose to sing "Other People's Songs" simply because "They" could say what he wanted to say easier and less painfully than if he had said it or sung it or written it himself...it was comfort to know that "Someone Else" had gone through what he had went through, that "Someone Else" had been as lonely as he felt right now, lonely enough that he literally had to "be" every single member of a fictional band. This period was so painful that 'Blue Ridge Rangers' is the only album from which he did NOT extract any material for his mid-90's live event extravaganza, 'Premonition'("What about Eye Of The Zombie?", you ask? Well, FYI and UjustME...'Going Back Home' was used as a warm-up and 'Headlines' was used as a sound-check with updated verses; both are among the great bootlegs from that era, if you want to go searching for them). Ultimately, I believe that 'Blue Ridge Rangers' was a cathartic episode for Mr.Fogerty, who was saying goodbye to his old bandmates, and the past in general, while trying hard to look ahead to a brighter future. The beautiful part is that he does so while still somehow managing to turn in an extremely respectable performance, unlike other singers' therapeutic sessions which happened to make it onto the market. I heartily recommend this album, not only to Country & Western or John Fogerty/CCR fans, but also to anyone "into" the revealing side of classic rock albums...I mean, you can easily find any and all of these songs on Other People's Albums, but they would not provide you with any of the insight into the heart and soul of one of Rock's legendary greats.

Uniquely sweet:
The history of rock is often the history of roads not taken, ideas picked up and then dropped, "side projects" that suggested new horizons that were scarcely explored. With "Blue Ridge Rangers," John Fogerty's first solo album after the breakup of Creedence Clearwater Revival, he went way into country and gospel, melding a few of his unique musical trademarks, specifically his signal guitar sound and the tight, double-tracked vocal harmonies, into some very traditional songs. One of them, his version of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya," was even a hit. His versions of the gospel standard "Workin' on a Building," the countrypolitan standards "She Thinks I Still Care," and "Today I Started Loving You Again," and the half-bluegrass cuts like "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues" are all very tasty. But CCR was, above all a rock band, and so Fogerty decided, I guess, that he was born to rock. His solo albums since this one are all based on the CCR formula, updated in the 80s and 90s with Fogerty's imitations of his imitator, Bruce Springsteen. Some of it was very good (his next album after this one had the classic "Almost Saturday Night," and the song "Centerfield" is nice), but most of it sounds to my ears very sour and spiteful--albeit for reasons that have been well-documented and are perhaps justified, but also are none of our business. In retrospect, even a lot of CCR is pervaded by a kind of free-floating anger--at bandmates, at the music industry, at audiences, who knows? It's a feeling that limits how much fun you can have listening to them. Fogerty can be kind of a scold. But not on "Blue Ridge Rangers." This album is a joyous musical treat that sounds like liberation for the artist. A moment in time that should be listened to more today. And a road that maybe Fogerty should be encouraged to take again.

JOHN FOGERTY "BLUE RIDGE RANGERS" 1973:
An established musician/songwriter and the heart of Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty disbanded CCR in 1972 after his brother Tom had left not long before. Since John was pretty much Creedence Clearwater Revival, it really wasn't a stretch to have John go solo. Unfortunately, John decided to venture out on his new career by doing covers of songs that had influenced him (Paul McCartney would later make the same mistake). Blur Ridge Rangers was a commercial and artistic flop. Of course its commercial success could be attributed to the fact that John Fogerty left his name off the original album cover. There are some good covers that John Fogerty has turned into his own, much like he did with "Suzie Q," "I Put A Spell On You" and my personal favorite "Midnight Special." Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with cover songs (unless the cover song is a better song than the music the band performing it is writing), but an entire album? Come on! Maybe if John had picked some better songs that he could have passed off as his own then the album may hold up, unfortunately I don't have a time machine to go back to 1973 and stop John from making this record. Highlights: "California Blues (Blue Yodel #4) "Workin' On A Buliding" "I Aint't Never"

A weird, yet quite wonderful, solo debut:
I've always had a soft spot for this album. Not a genuine rock song among the lot, this is all country and spirituals, yet Fogerty makes the whole thing sound sincere and appealing. I'm a rock and blues fan myself, and I own very little in the way of traditional country, but I've always liked "The Blue Ridge Rangers". The lead-off track is a real banjo-pickin' clog-stomper, the traditional "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues", yet Fogerty's characteristic baritone voice (no twang there) makes it into something that a rock band could actually play on stage and not have too many things thrown at them. Then comes a beautiful religious piece, Mississippi Blind Boy Archie Brownlee's "Somewhere Listening For My Name", complete with a gospel choir consisting of Fogerty himself. Bobby Edwards' "You're The Reason" has been transformed into something almost like a country-rocker with the addition of a rock n' roll backbeat from the man on the swivel chair (a certain Mr Fogerty), and Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" is given the rock treatment as well, guitar solo and everything, yet stays true to its country origins. Fogerty still does than one in concert on occation. "She Thinks I Still Care" is a great vocal performance by John Fogerty, aided by himself on harmony vocals and steel guitar. "Blue Yodel #4" was witten by the legendary Jimmie Rodgers, who influenced country- and blues singers alike, and the traditional gospel piece "Working On A Building" also popped up in concert on Fogerty's 1997-98 world tour. On this record he provides all the harmony vocals, hand claps and enthusiastic wails himself. "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" is another catchy melody, the kind that's so much fun to sing if you have half a singing voice (a sinful pleasure, I know). "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" has been sung by everyone from Slim Whitman and Marty Robbins to Pat Boone and Jim Reeves, and Fogerty does a lovely job with it, once again adding layers of harmony vocals. "I Ain't Never" is a Mel Tillis/Webb Pierce song, and it's hard to sit still when it is playing. "Hearts Of Stone" was released as a single, and showed up in the top 50 on the pop charts (as did "Jambalaya"), and the album closes with the resigned country ballad "Today I Started Loving You Again", a Merle Haggard song, and another fine vocal perfomance. Remember - this is not a rock record. But it's a lot of fun to sing along to on a rainy afternoon, after making sure nobody can hear you, of course, and perhaps leaving a few hard rock records lying around in case anyone should come by!

"Oh My Lord, Oh My Lord....":
John Fogerty, the reigning frontman to one of the best and most influential rock bands of the mid to late '60's, had left the band and had gone solo. No surprise there. When he did leave, one wondered what the next step his career and sound would take. Would the Creedence music and sound(all due to Fogerty)continue?. Yes. But what did Fogerty do when he went solo and released his first solo record in 1973?. He delivered a hardcore country album. This is by no means a real departure for John or from some of the music of CCR. There was a lot of country in their sound and that type of music. It had always been done in the band, but never a full album of it. There are a couple tunes that are straddling the line of traditional country and the country/rock sound of some of CCR's songs. But it's mostly stone cold country. Something Fogerty is a master at, and something most country fans probably wished he did more of since country is filled with generic soft pop/rock. The albums opens with the toe tapping jumbo blaster, "Blue Ridge Mountain Blues", a traditional old number Fogerty makes his. He then covers "Somewhere Listening(For My Name), which was a song done by Archie Branlee of the Mississippi Blind Boys. "You're The Reason" is a classic sounding country tune, originally done by Bobby Edwards, and it fits perfectly to Fogerty's voice. The best track on the album is "Jambalaya(On The Bayou", an old Hank Williams classic. A teriffic song that sounds as if John could of written it himself. Surprisingly, it was a top 20 hit on the Billboard singles chart, and the other hit here was the harder sounding "Hearts Of Stone", which was a top 40 hit at #37. He also covers the classic George Jones hit, "She Thinks I Still Care", yet another song that seems custom made for John. The last song is a song written by Merle Haggard, a real country chestnut called "Today I Started Loving You Again". The traditional "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" is also included. The two best tracks here are the smooth and undeniably groovin' "California Blues(Blue Yodel #4)", a perfect song for Fogerty. One of the best Fogerty songs that's not his. And the traditional "Workin' On A Building". It is surprising to hear how many people were turned off by the country turn of Fogerty, when a lot of his CCR work is rooted in souther/country-ish type tunes. The music is not far off from each other at all. Cover albums are touch and go, but this is one of the best cover albums I've heard. Sometimes it just works and sometimes it doesn't. It obviously does. The only other cover album that rocked my socks was Paul McCartney's "Run Devil Run", which just rocked harder than anything he's done in years. I hear some people complain when cover albums have songs that go so far back that they have never heard of them and what was the point. A cover album just covers songs that the artists wants and likes. No one said it has to be well known songs. In fact, songs not as well known are better because it brings great work into the light. This album is a little known gem that should of been as equally well known and successful as some of his other albums. It's a little buried treasure that should have a second coming.

• Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
• Somewhere Listening (For My Name)
• You're the Reason
• Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
• She Thinks I Still Care
• California Blues \oBlue Yodel No. 4\c
• Workin' on a Building
• Please Help Me, I'm Falling
• Have Thine Own Way, Lord
• I Ain't Never
• Hearts of Stone
• Today I Started Loving You Again