John Fogerty – The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Forgerty-Creedence Collection

Because brothers, lawyers, and egos were involved, we’ll never really know what actually happened to Creedence Clearwater Revival. What they did during their spectacular five-year run was pretty simple: They topped the charts while writing and recording archetypal American rock that retains every little bit of vigor all these years after. These 25 tracks represent a rapprochement between leader John Fogerty, his label, and his past (if not, one suspects, his former bandmates); as advertised, it is the first compilation to span his entire career. And, as the title suggests, it’s all about John Fogerty, who wrote and sang the songs. While his post-CCR career is nothing to be ashamed of, it does beg the question: What happened? An amazing and once-prolific songwriter has managed eight albums of new material in 31 years. Good material, mostly, but never quite as good as CCR’s hits. Somehow one suspects the other guys played a bigger role than is now suggested. For the rest, the sound is terrific, the selection is fine (it’s always tempting to quibble), and the songs hold up beautifully.