Genre: country-rock
Rating: ****
(4 stars)
Title: Blue
Ridge Rangers
Company: Fantasy
Catalog: F-9415
Year: 1973
Country/State: Oakland,
California
Grade
(cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 1724
Price: $10.00 Cost:
$1.00
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Following the 1972
breakup of Creedence Clearwater Revival (see separate entry), John Fogerty
went into the studio with the intention of beginning his solo career.
Instead of recording the first "Fogerty" album, he ended up
recording an album of his own country favorites, subsequently issued under
the pseudonym The Blue Ridge Rangers.
One of rock's true solo efforts, the collection credited Fogerty with
producing, arranging, vocals and all instrumentation (including passable
drums). From a musical standpoint the collection's straightforward country
sound came as a major surprise to many listeners; however for fans familiar
with Fogerty's CCR catalog, the album served as a clear reflection of his
longstanding affection for the genre. Charming in it's low tech simplicity
and raw, under produced sound, "The Blue
Ridge Rangers" went a long way to explaining the
powerful influence country music wielded on CCR. Interestingly, with minimal
publicity and support from Fantasy, or from Fogerty (he refused to tour and
one had to look hard to even realize he was connected with the project), the
set spun off two minor hits with a chuggin' cover of Hank Williams'
"Jambalaya" b/w "Workin' On a Building" and an equally
attractive remake of "Heart of Stone" b/w "Somewhere Listen
(for My Name)." Supported by favorable reviews, the parent album hit
#47.
"The Blue Ridge Rangers" track listing:
(side
1)
1.) Blue Ridge
Mountain Blues (traditional arranged by John Fogerty)
2.) Somewhere Listening (For My Name) (Arch Brownlee)
3.) You're the Reason (Edwards - Henley - Imes - Fell)
4.) Jambalaya (On the Bayou) (Hank Williams)
5.) She Thinks I Still Care (Dickie Lee Lipscombe)
6.) California Blues (Blues Yodel #4) (Jimmie Rodgers)
(side 2)
1.) Workin' On a
Building (traditional arranged by John Fogerty)
2.) Please Help Me I'm Falling (Robertson - Blair)
3.) Have Thine Own Way, Lord (Stebbins - Pollard)
4.) I Ain't Never (Tillis - Pierce)
5.) Hearts of Stone (Ray - Jackson)
6.) Today I Start Living You Again (Haggard - Owens)
Hoping to cash-in on Fogerty's subsequent solo successes, Fantasy reissued
the set billed as a John Fogerty.
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