For as much as CCR is known for succinct songs and its gritty, tightly-knit swamp rock sound, there are some damn long songs on Cosmo's Factory. The record opens with a seven-minute original, "Ramble Tamble," and the penultimate track is their eleven-minute run through "I Heard it Through the Grapevine."Cosmo's Factory was the band's fifth record, and contained the most singles - six in total, and none of which peaked below number four in America. That's quite the statistic. Oddly, despite this album's success, and although I enjoy it, I still have to cede my favor to Willy and the Poor Boys, which, to me, keeps a bit more of the band's trademark swamp stomp intact.
Oddly, I'm somehow attracted to a song with a name as wretched as "Ooby Dooby," and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But besides the obvious gems of "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and "Up Around the Bend," my favorite non-original tracks is the band's blazing version of Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me." They manage to keep Bo's abrasive guitar playing intact, while adding the appropriate Louisiana touches (which probably wasn't all that hard, seeing as Diddley is from Mississippi - and yes, I know they weren't actually from Louisiana).
Sometimes I wonder if bands like CCR and The Band are the most classic rock bands ever. The whole Southern/mountain/bayou vibe manages to create an attitude that, to me, has defined rock and roll since I was a kid. I knew probably a dozen CCR songs by the time I was twelve, and I have vivid memories of driving around singing "The Weight" when I was about the same age. I go back further with the Beatles and Pink Floyd, but there's something so gloriously traditional and primal about bands with more of a boogie in their step.
I watched The Last Waltz a couple of times over the last few days, and I'm reading the Neil Young bio Shakey, so roots/country rock has been on the brain lately. Even though I haven't taken the chance to listen to him, I hear Ryan Adams is the only credible guy in country rock these days. I wonder if a band in the vein of The Band or CCR came along next month if they'd be seen as imitators or if they'd be given a fair shot. It'd be interesting to see what would have to happen for a band to pull of a sound like this these days and meet with similar success or critical acclaim. Is it a tapped genre? I really can't decide if it needs to be left alone or if there's more to explore.
"Travelin' Band" live. This is borderline punk rock.
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