Tom Fogerty was the rhythm guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival. He was also the older brother of the group's lead singer, John Fogerty (to whom I often refer as JF). Tom left the group in 1971 to start a solo career. In 1990 he died of respiratory failure. The following albums are reviewed on this page:
Both of the albums re-released together on this CD were released in 1972. First Tom released a self-titled album, as would his brother three years later. The two songs I like best from this album are "Train to Nowhere" and the drumless "My Pretty Baby." The other album, named after King Arthur's sword, has songs that range in length from 2 minutes to 4 1/2 minutes. Since a steel guitar plays in some of the songs, this album could pass for country-rock.
2. Lady Of Fatima (4:25) - The third beat of each measure is accented. A tambourine plays along with the drums. The Lady of Fatima is the woman to whom the narrator speaks in the first and fourth verses; in the second verse it's Lady of Electa; and in the third verse it's Lady of the Seasons.
3. Beauty Is Under The Skin (2:27) - The title of this swing-tempoed song is the flip-side of the title of a Temptations song, "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep." But the theme is the same: the narrator believes that personality is more important than looks.
4. Wandering (2:29) - This song has a slow, 3/4 tempo. A guitar solo fills the first 9 seconds. The narrator is probably wandering mentally rather than physically.
5. My Pretty Baby (2:22) - The only instrument in this song is a guitar. Like "Video Girl" and "Woman of the Year" (see my Sidekicks review later), this is about what the narrator's girlfriend does that reinforces his love for her.
6. Train To Nowhere (3:37) - The tempo is slow but upbeat. The drums sound out the eighth beats as well as the quarter beats. The second and fourth quarter beats are accented. Good clarinet and piano, too. The train is moving, but to no particular destination; the narrator wants to take this cruise to escape some stressful situation and maintain his sanity. Studio chatter fills the last few seconds.
7. Everyman (2:09) - Just like in the old fable, Everyman personifies all humankind. He makes every move knowing it may be his last. My favorite part of this song is the harmonica instrumental.
8. The Me Song (2:24) - This song fades in at the start and out at the end. The narrator wants to do nothing except "be me, me, me, me."
9. Cast The First Stone (2:09) - This song satirizes the Biblical saying, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." In the case of the Bible, the object of the stone-casting was a woman who got pregnant out of wedlock. But in this case, at whom or what is the narrator telling the saint to throw the first stone?
10. Here Stands The Clown (2:50) - In the first verse, here stands the clown; in the second verse, here stands the fool; and in the third verse, here stands the man. The narrator is all three. Like "The Me Song," this song starts by fading in and ends by fading out. Somehow this song seems shorter than it is.
11. Goodbye Media Man (6:05) - This song was originally released as a single in 1971; it is included on the CD as a bonus track. It has a moderate tempo and features an organ. Long before the controversy about paparazzi chasing Princess Diana, disdain for the press was expressed here: "You spread your paranoia all over this land / Creating situations that you don't understand." Long instrumentals were common in the Creedence days; this tendency is carried over here. The instrumental in this song lasts from 2:10 to 4:20. The remainder is a bunch of repetitions of "Stop flashin' pictures of the people, stop flashin' pictures of the people," the first time starting with the phrase "you'd better."
13. Black Jack Jenny (2:28) - This song is set at a casino in Reno. The narrator apparently despises Jenny and resents losing to her all the time. In one verse he sings, "Black Jack Jenny, you ain't no friend of mine"; in another he sings "Black Jack Jenny, you never give a 21." (In blackjack, a 21 is an ace paired with a 10, jack, queen, or king.)
14. Rocky Road Blues (3:54) - This swing-tempoed song reminds me musically of the Beatles' "12-Bar Original" (found on their Anthology, Volume 2). The lyrics "My road is rocky, but it won't be rocky long" remind me of the Kingston Trio's "A Worried Man" and of "California Blues" on JF's Blue Ridge Rangers album. What I like most about this song is the low-pitched guitar licks.
15. Faces, Places, People (3:50) - The guitar licks are far from the most pleasant-sounding, but the reminiscent lyrics offer a positive side to this song.
16. Get Funky (1:52) - I like the "doo-doo-doo's" and the swing tempo. Lyrically, this is a carpe-diem song: "get funky," "get crazy," "get lazy," live for today! If only the song weren't so short.
17. Sick And Tired (4:17) - What the narrator is sick and tired of is fixing his girlfriend breakfast every morning, brushing her teeth, then coming home from work in the evening to find her still in bed. He threatens to throw her out of the house if she doesn't change her behavior. I definitely wouldn't want a girlfriend like that! This song has good steel guitar licks. Good organ-playing, too.
18. Sign Of The Devil (2:35) - Although his girlfriend brings him misfortune, the narrator still loves her. The lead instrument apparently is an oboe, and the tempo is moderately slow.
19. Straight And Narrow (3:46) - I like the steel guitar licks in this song. In the first verse, the narrator says he's gonna walk on the straight and narrow. In the other verse (sung again after an instrumental), he asks, "Do you believe in love?...in rock 'n' roll music?"
20. Next In Line (2:14) - The narrator is fed up with his girlfriend's mistreatment of him, and he wonders whom she will mistreat next. The tempo is slow, in 3/4 time.
21. Annie Mae (3:49) - Annie Mae is the narrator's sister; he is going to visit her. The song opens by fading in, and ends by fading out.
The first album was released in 1974 and probably named after Zephyrus, the Greek god of the west wind. Most songs last 2 minutes plus or minus several seconds. One song is almost 3 minutes long, while two others last 3-minutes-plus. The only time Tom sounds like JF is on the longest song, "Joyful Resurrection." The other album was released in 1975. The songs range in length from just over 2 minutes to about 4 1/2 minutes. From this album, I especially like "Give Me Another Trojan Song" and "Get Up."
2. Can You Feel It Ras (1:53) - The guitar licks and piano-playing are good. I wondered at first what "Ras" meant; after looking up that word in the dictionary, I surmised that the narrator of this song was talking to an Arabian prince.
3. Mystic Isle Avalon (2:24) - The island of Avalon, according to legend, was King Arthur's final resting place. The narrator is inviting someone to come with him across the sea to the island. Periodically the word "Avalon" is repeated several times. According to Creedence studio engineer Russ Gary, JF played lead guitar on this song.
4. Reggie (2:02) - The instruments sound interesting, but you have to listen closely to the lyrics to understand them. Until I did so, I thought they were about famed baseball player Reggie Jackson.
5. Money (Root The Root) (2:28) - This song is about various ways in which people spend money. The guitar licks in the instrumentals remind me of the licks in the Creedence song "Walk on the Water."
6. Hot Buttered Rum (1:51) - This song is a recipe for Jamaican rum, although the only ingredients mentioned are sugar and butter. I like the parts that contain only drums and vocals.
7. Joyful Resurrection (3:31) - This is the one song from the whole album in which Tom does throaty, JF-like vocals. Since former Creedence bandmates Stu Cook and Doug Clifford participated with Tom in this song, Creedence (minus JF) was briefly resurrected, so the title is a fitting one. (CTPB, JF did not play lead guitar here; Stu did.)
8. Heartbeat (2:10) - All I've found to say about this song is that the guitar- and organ-playing are good.
9. Fate (2:54) - The narrator says Fate left him high in the morning; apparently his luck was good. The rhythm is slow, in 3/4 time.
10. Goin' Back To Okefenokee (2:48) - This song has the catchiest rhythm of all the songs on this album. Not only is Okefenokee, Georgia, the narrator's native land; he also has a girlfriend waiting there. At the end of the original LP version, the song briefly fades back in with a somewhat faster piano solo; I don't know why that bit was cut out of the CD.
12. What Did I Know (2:34) - The tempo is faster here, and the guitar licks are good. In the first verse, the girl told the narrator she felt like a burden to him; in the second verse, she told him she saw a storm coming in her life; and in the third verse she's leaving him, and he's begging her to come back.
13. Theme From 4-D (3:10) - Is "4-D" the title of a movie from which this song was the theme? The only vocals in this slow piece are "oohs," "ahs," and "las." The guitar and organ sound interesting, though.
14. Sweet Things To Come (2:11) - The narrator does not specify the sweet things for which he is ready, but in the third verse he says he'll give the girl everything he can to make those sweet things come. I like the guitar licks in the instrumental.
15. What About Tomorrow (4:22) - In this slow song the guitar licks sometimes seem louder than the drums. Yesterday the narrator's girlfriend seemed to love him, today she's left him, and now he wonders what tomorrow will be like. From 2:53 on, there are no vocals.
16. She La La La (3:01) - I like how the cymbal drums sound during most occurrences of the chorus. In the rest of the song, the other drums sound out both eighth beats within each first and third beat, but only the quarter beats in the second and fourth beats.
17. And I Love You (2:23) - The allegro tempo and the guitar licks are the highlights of this song. This is another of those songs in which the narrator tells about the things his girlfriend does that reinforce his love for her (see also my reviews for the self-titled album and for Sidekicks), only this time he's singing TO her.
18. Get Up (2:07) - The sound effect in the first few seconds and during the instrumentals is easier heard than written about, but it does sound interesting. Cymbal drums play during the chorus; in each second beat in the rest of the song, the drum sounds similar to someone striking a tin can with a spoon or similar implement. The last few lines, "Get up / Look out / Here's another day / Don't you waste it," convince me that this is a carpe-diem song.
19. There Was A Time (3:08) - The narrator felt good at one time, but now he's feeling bad. The drums are soft during the verses but louder during the chorus. The cymbal drums sound during the chorus and in the last few measures of each verse. Also in the last few measures of each verse, the rhythm temporarily slows down.
20. Showdown (2:34) - The showdown is not between two pistol-packing men fighting over the love of a woman, but rather happens inside the mind of the person to whom the narrator is singing. I like how the sax plays in the ending instrumental.
This album, released in 1981, is the one Tom Fogerty album that contains a song with the same title. The longest song on this album lasts 5 2/3 minutes; ever since the '80s, 4-minute-plus songs have been the norm in the music business. The three songs I like best from this album are "Summer Night," "Champagne Love" and "Tricia Suzanne."
1. Champagne Love (2:46) - Men have a reputation for spending weekends watching football games or going places with their buddies. But the narrator prefers to spend the weekend with his wife/girlfriend, whose love is like champagne to him. The tempo is moderate and bright; during the chorus the drums rest on each third beat. The guitar licks are excellent.
2. Why Me (5:38) - Nancy Kerrigan asked that very same question 13 years later, when Tonya Harding's thugs clubbed her in the knee. In this song, the opening guitar solo is low-pitched and a bit sinister. The tempo is slow, with every even-numbered beat accented.
3. Real Real Gone (4:05) - The narrator is "gone" in the sense that his life is empty now that his girlfriend has left him. Some people say one can make it alone if he/she tries, but the narrator finds it impossible. I like how the organ and sax play in this fast song.
4. Tricia Suzanne (2:54) - This song is about the woman to whom Tom was married for the last 10 years of his life. The tempo is quite slow. I like how the backup singers sing her first name before Tom sings both her first and middle names. The chorus dominates most of the song; there's only one verse. As the song fades out, Tom whispers Tricia's name.
5. Mystery Train (2:30) - The tempo is fast, and the guitar licks add a country-western element to the song. In fact, one of my mom's favorite country artists, Emmylou Harris, also sang a version of this song. In the final verse we learn why the train is coming: the narrator's girlfriend has boarded it to come see him. Oh yes, Elvis sang this song too.
6. Deal It Out (3:12) - The tempo is between slow and moderate. During the chorus the drums sound out sixteenth notes 1, 3, and 4 within each first and third beat, quarter beats only on the even-numbered beats. The bass voices of the backup singers sound interesting. It is not clear whether the narrator is expecting fortune or disaster, but he is probably asking Fate to deal out the last card and get it over with.
7. Open The Window (3:15) - In the first verse the narrator wonders why he treated his girlfriend wrong; now, throughout the song, he feels miserable now that she's gone. As he opens the window to let in the light of the new day, he contemplates the lonely nights without her. The speed of the opening guitar lick leads us to expect a fast tempo, but we get a slow one instead.
8. You Move Me (4:23) - The opening piano solo reminds me of Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock And Roll." The disco tempo is a bit similar, too. As the singing starts, so does the guitar. Tom's vocals on this song are throaty.
9. The Secret (2:25) - This song, like the previous one, has a disco tempo. The low-pitched rhythm guitar sounds out every first and second beat. To find out what the secret is, you'll have to listen to the song or click on the title!
10. Summer Night (4:06) - In this gentle ballad describing the beauty of a summer night, Tom's voice sounds ethereal. In the final verse he wishes that it could be summertime for the whole year. The song ends with a sound effect of rain falling, followed by a long hold of the organ.
This album was recorded at the Fantasy studios in Berkeley, CA, in 1988. But it was not released until 1992, two years after Tom's death. Tom sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitars; his "sidekick," Randy Oda, played lead guitars and keyboards; Tom's son Jeff sang background vocals and played bass; and Randy's brother Kevin played drums and percussion. Tom's voice was more smooth and mellow than JF's.
All songs were written by Tom Fogerty and Randy Oda unless otherwise noted.
1. Rainbow Carousel (7:41) - The sounds of children playing fill the first 14 seconds. In some parts of the song, the tempo is slow and a bell-like instrument plays, representing a moving merry-go-round. In other parts of the song, the tempo is somewhat faster, and this time drums play. I suppose Tom was right that "everything happened for a reason." It's just that in some cases one must look hard to find the reason. And yes, each of us has our own destination in life.
2. Money Buys It (Funky Side of Town) (3:01) - The song starts off with a single, long drum beat that does the reverse of fading. The rhythm is moderate and catchy. Tom's voice fades out before the song does. A drum solo fills the last, fading seconds of the song. As for the lyrics, I suppose Tom meant that on the "funky side of town," women would fall in love only with men who had a lot of money. And the Beatles said money couldn't buy THEM love!
3. Video Girl (4:41) - The narrator praises his Video Girl, saying she is "one in a million." The tempo is slow, with the loudest drumbeats occurring at the third beat of each measure. At the part where Tom sings, "She can change my channel with a flick of her finger," the word "finger" echoes.
4. Woman Of The Year (4:13) - Like "Video Girl," this song is a tribute to the woman the narrator loves. An echo or two occurs on this song also. What I like most about this song is the chorus, in which Tom spells out, "W-O-M-A-N."
5. Clearwater Rain (3:03) - In the only instrumental track on the album, the rhythm is moderately slow, and the keyboards sound serene and almost like bells. Imagine catching a gentle rain shower of clear, fresh water.
6. Teardrops (4:03) - Another song in which echo effects are used, this song has a moderate beat that contrasts with the sad mood of the lyrics.
7. We've Been Here Before (4:26) - This song has the same tempo as "Clearwater Rain." The narrator and the woman to whom he is singing apparently contemplated falling in love before, and now the desire to fall in love is stronger than before.
8. Sometimes (4:42) - Here Tom evokes a nostalgia for the '60s. In the first verse the narrator complains that all he hears about is the Iran-Contra affair (which was definitely major news in the late '80s). In the second verse he reminisces on his younger days as a protester against the Vietnam War. But Tom's most important message is in the chorus: We can't go back to the '60s, "but we'd better make sure that we never forget."
9. Sloop John B (arranged by Brian Wilson) (4:41) - This is my favorite song by Tom and Randy; I also like the hit version by the Beach Boys. Tom and Randy's version starts off with a slow keyboard solo. Then the tempo accelerates to moderate. After the chorus is sung the second time, the key shifts from C to D. After singing the final verse, Tom repeats the first two lines of the song, and sound effects appear: harbor bells ringing, water rippling, and seagulls chirping. Tom's voice fades out several seconds before the sound effects do. In my college days, I could relate very well to this song; after a long day at school, I felt just like the narrator: "I feel so broke up, I wanna go home."
10. Unbearable Lightness Of Being (Tom Fogerty) (4:03) - What I like best about this song is the facts of life it states: "There can be no day without a night / There can be no left without a right." Such is life; some things cannot exist without their opposites. The next best thing is the whistling at the start, at the end, and between verses (in the end Tom "da-da-da's" along with the whistling). Here is yet another song in which echoing occurs: every time Tom sings the title, the word "being" echoes. My mom told me once that there's a movie with the same title. I've never seen it, but I do know that it starred Daniel Day-Lewis.