Psychedelic Revival

At a time when rock was evolving away from the forces that had made the music possible in the first place, Creedence Clearwater Revival brought things back to their roots with their concise synthesis of rockabilly, swamp pop, R&B, and country. Though the music of CCR was very much a group effort in their tight, punchy arrangements, their vision was very much singer, songwriter, guitarist, and leader John Fogerty's.

Chronicle, Vol. 1 contains every one of Creedence Clearwater Revival's original 19 hit singles – including "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Green River," "Down on the Corner," "Travelin' Band," "Up Around the Band," and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" – plus "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," which became a hit at the same time this double-record compilation was released. It's a lean, concise collection that tells you everything you need to know about Creedence. Several of the band's individual albums are essential, but Chronicle is not only an excellent introduction to the group, it offers definitive proof that the group was one of the definitive singles' bands of the late '60s. Rarely has a greatest- hits collection been so well-assembled./quote]

This mammoth three-disc U.K. compilation features 50 tracks from "classic rock" staples Creedence Clearwater Revival, including "Long as I Can See the Light," "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Lodi," "Lookin' out My Back Door," and "Proud Mary." Listeners would be hard-pressed to find anything resembling a glaring omission here, as the compilers have done a fine job including every high point from the band's short but incredibly bountiful run, making this an excellent choice for the Creedence newbie.

At a time when rock was evolving further and further away from the forces that had made the music possible in the first place, Creedence Clearwater Revival brought things back to their roots with their concise synthesis of rockabilly, swamp pop, R&B, and country. Though CCR was very much a group in their tight, punchy arrangements, their vision was very much singer, songwriter, guitarist, and leader John Fogerty's. Fogerty's classic compositions for Creedence both evoked enduring images of Americana and reflected burning social issues of the day.

In 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival were one of the most popular bands in the world. Since releasing their debut album just two years prior, the group had been on a nonstop tear of writing hits and prolifically releasing new material, consistently landing in the upper reaches of the charts as the Woodstock generation came into being. By the time CCR embarked on their first European tour in April 1970, their last two albums had cracked the Top Ten in the U.S., they had multiple singles getting constant radio airplay, and the Beatles had just announced their breakup, making room for this hardworking group from El Cerrito to take their place as the biggest band in all of rock.

Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, his brother rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed the roots rock, swamp rock, and blues rock genres. Despite their San Francisco Bay Area origins, they played in a Southern rock style, with lyrics about bayous, catfish, the Mississippi River, and other popular elements of Southern United States iconography, as well as political and socially-conscious lyrics about topics including the Vietnam War. The band performed at 1969's famed Woodstock Festival. The band has sold 26 million albums in the United States alone. Rolling Stone ranked the band 82nd on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.