[.ca] Mardi Gras (W/Slipcase)

Not a pretty swan song:
Creedence Clearwater Revival had been worn down to a trio by the time they released their final album, "Mardi Gras", which brings together three Fogerty songs, three songs by bassist Stu Cook, two by drummer Doug Clifford, one collaboration by Clifford and Cook, and a cover of Gene Pitney's "Hello Mary Lou". Doug Clifford and Stu Cook claim that John Fogerty needed time to creatively recharge, while Fogerty says he simply bowed to their relentless pressure for equal time, but either way the result remains the same: "Mardi Gras" is by far the group's weakest effort. The two Fogerty-penned singles are both fine songs, the hard rock of "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" and the great, soulful "Someday Never Comes". And his folkish, acoustic "Lookin' For A Reason", which reads suspiciously like a comment upon the state of the band, is a great song as well. And that's about it. Cook and Clifford contribute one or two fairly good numbers each, and they perform the lead vocals themselves, but nothing matches even the weakest of John Fogerty's songs. If Doug Clifford and Stu Cook had performed these songs in a band of their own, rather than under the Creedence name, it would be easier to be charitable, but when held up against Creedence Clearwater Revival's other work, "Mardi Gras" stands as an unpretty end to a great band.

CCR go out with a whimper:
There's a reason this is much maligned; it's a very poor swan song from CCR. Fogerty checks in briefly with two terrific songs--the country opener Lookin' For A Reason and Someday Never Comes. Sweet Hitchhiker, despite a roaring guitar riff and a great Fogerty vocal, is CCR by the numbers. Stu Cook and Doug Clifford contribute some interesting numbers but they lack the focus and power of Fogerty's weakest material much less his strongest. Most of the originals sound like second hand garage rock knock offs of popular songs. The reality was this; CCR had returned to The Golliwogs. For the first time in their history CCR sounded like a pale imitation of themselves and half a dozen other bands. Like The Beatles' Let It Be, Madri Gras was anti-climax to a brief but bright career as America's finest rockers.

A Stirring, Vividly Affective:
By 1972, Creedence Clearwater Revival--among the most popular bands of the previous five years--had reached the classic rock and roll band "breaking point;" A year earlier, a frustrated Tom Fogerty (guitars) had left the group. The rhythm section of Stu Cook and Doug Clifford were becoming more and more vocal on their demands for democratic compositional rights. And leader John Fogerty was undergoing personal problems, and was fed up with the entire state of things. The result was CCR's final and almost inevitable studio album, 1972's "Mardi Gras"--ironically titled, using the banner of a festive celebration to mark the grave end for a troubled band who had previously scaled historical rock music heights. Though the state of a tension-racked CCR was visible on the record, the overall musical and lyrical result was utterly remarkable. Never before, in my opinion, has their been a "break-up" album so affective in music and lyrics than "Mardi Gras." This is "Let It Be" with grit. The lyrics and vocals of the previously ignored Cook and Clifford, clashing with Fogerty's classic meloncholoy and boogie tunes, set the perfect tone for what was going on with the band at the time; it seems as though the members were all speaking to each other. This is obvious in Cook's 'Take it Like a Friend' in which he moans, "Took special pride in all your well laid plans, forgot about the others--we moved toward the light, showing empty hands." Cook and Clifford knew their songs would be bashed and never as appreciated as those from Fogerty. Every track serves its purpose, even the standard cover version of "Hello Mary Lou." The band speaks volumes without intending to. Although "Rolling Stone" labelled it 'Fogerty's Revenge,' and nearly every critic at the time (and still) call Cook and Clifford's contributions simply awful, this was the perfect final chapter for CCR--vivid and real, never attempting to cover up the tension. Unappreciated excellency all the way through.

A Highly Underrated Album:
The first time that I listened to this album, I didn't really care for it. But at the time, I was just browsing through my uncle's records, mostly just looking for "instant classics". Eventually, when I bought my own copy on CD, I decided to give it a second chance, expecting to listen to it once and then just leave it on the shelf until the day that I died. But I have to say that I was quite shocked. I liked the album much more than the first time. Since I'm much younger than the CCR fans that have been there from the beginning, I can understand why many from those earlier generations don't like it as much as I do. Most people were probably expecting another album mostly written by John, with one or two covers. But I had read some of the horrible reviews of it like the rolling stone review which called it "the worst album ever by a major rock band" and I was expecting it to be worse and worse every time that I read the reviews. So compared to what I was expecting, I thought that Stu Cook and Doug Clifford's songs were not very bad. I admit that when compared to John Fogerty's great masterpieces, these songs aren't much, but I simply don't compare them. I think that the leader of a band should always have it in his heart to let the other members of the band to contribute, but the main mistake of this album is that when other members contribute, the leader should still be the majority, where on Mardi Gras, it's basically a Stu Cook/Doug Clifford album on which John contributes a few songs. But I still think that Stu and Doug wrote some pretty decent songs on this album. My favorite of Doug's is "Need Someone To Hold". I could listen to that song over and over again. My favorite of Stu's is "Sail Away". I like door to door, but I actually prefer the live version from the Live In Europe album. I think Stu sings much better then. Even though Mardi Gras is at the bottom of my list of Creedence albums, I still feel that it is a highly underrated album. I wish Stu and Doug's songs had gotten better reviews when this album was released, but like John has said, "You can't change it, that's just what happened."

"Mardi Gras" Really A Wake:
After the departure of Tom Fogerty out of the supergroup Creedence Clearwater Revival,his brother;singer,songwriter and Group leader John Fogerty seemed to bow to pressure from the two remaining members(Stu Cook and Doug Clifford)who wanted to play on more than just the basic tracks and to also help out with the business work(Stu Cook had a business degree).However,Fogerty demanded that all members had to play,sing,and produce their own tracks.This is more than Cook and Clifford had wanted or could really handle at the time.John Fogerty did not use any control over what material went on the album and only contributed minimally to Cook and Clifford's songs).In effect,Fogerty had spitefully let go of the wheel and let whatever happend be final.So there should be no surprise that some songs should contain hidden (and not so hidden) messages to various group members.The country flavour on some tracks is an indication of the way that Fogerty was leaning musically(and would come to fruition on his first solo album THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN RANGERS).Cook and Clifford's songs are pretty good;but they can't hold a candle vocally or lyrically to John Fogerty's contributions.Although not the disaster some of the critcs claim,it is a sad end to a group that for three years flooded the charts with classic after classic. LOOKIN' FOR A REASON - Pedal steel injected opener with Fogerty trying to find a reason not leave the turmoil that CCR was fast becoming.His marriage had also failed around this time.Some fans think this is a lost classic;others detest it. TAKE IT LIKE A FRIEND - Stu Cook delivers a funk number stating "John,don't be put out that we want to have more control".Cook's voice is a bit abrasive. NEED SOMONE TO HOLD - Doug Clifford's response to all the CCR infighting is it hide away while looking for comfort from somone. Soulful ballad. TEARIN'UP THE COUNTRY - Clifford again with an autobiographical romp,about the love of rock'n'roll and touring. SOMEDAY NEVER COMES - A heartbreaking Fogerty classic about his father abadoning him when he was a child and his own divorce.The guitar sounds so sad and perfect for this song;it could make a grown man cry. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO - Cliiford bemoaning the fact the Fogerty is separating himself from both Clifford and Cook:"Seems like you're letting them take you away from me". SAIL AWAY - Cook casts allusions to the autocracy that Creedence was before:"Spent a lifetime listening to the captain of the sea, shouting orders to his crew no one hears but me." This would be an easy going track if not for the lyrics and venom in Cook's voice. HELLO MARY LOU - A note perfect cover of the Ricky Nelson hit. DOOR TO DOOR - A musical version of a travelling salesman joke .John did not think much of this song when it was submitted but shut his mouth and allowed it "because it was Stu's song". Clifford was a pots and pans door-to-door salesman for about five minutes.Bouncy rocker with saucy lyrics. SWEET HITCH-HIKER -A typical Creedence rocker about a hot mama hitching by the roadside.Released as a taster single before the album(with DOOR TO DOOR as the B-side).One of Creedence's last hits.

• Lookin' for a Reason
• Take It Like a Friend
• Need Someone to Hold
• Tearin' Up the Country
• Someday Never Comes
• What Are You Gonna Do?
• Sail Away
• Hello Mary Lou
• Door to Door
• Sweet Hitch-Hiker