Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
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John Fogerty
There is an underlying significance to the title of this set that perhaps needs to be explained. For years, John Fogerty had lost the rights to his own music. It might be considered strong language to say that the songs were ‘stolen’ from him, but suffice to say that a bad contract and an ethically challenged record label prevented Fogerty from realizing royalty payments from any of his Creedence Clearwater Revival material. To prevent the ‘bad guys’ from profiteering off of his work, Fogerty vowed not to play any of his old hits, and he stuck by his word for approximately two decades. Recently, though, Saul Zaentz, the head of Fantasy Records, passed away and was replaced by a team that was much more sympathetic to Fogerty, restoring his rights to compositions such as “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Green River,” and dozens of other timeless classics. For the first time since Creedence disbanded in 1973, Fogerty can now play his own songs with no sense of ambivalence. I, for one, am extraordinarily happy for the guy, and I’m especially glad to see that he has survived “the long road home.”
To simply say that he has survived is a gross understatement. Have you seen John Fogerty lately? If not, wait until you see just how energetic and lively he is. If Dick Clark made a deal with the devil to retain his youthfulness, then John Fogerty stole the formula. He is brimming with vitality, and his powerful voice is 100% intact. The concert featured on “The Long Road Home” boasts over two dozen tracks, at least twenty of which I’d consider to be classic. Each song is played straight and hard, with no ornate touches and no meandering jams. Even on the songs that warrant it, such as “Tombstone Shadow” and “Keep on Chooglin’,” are played with a directness that emphasizes their intrinsic value.
Fogerty may have gotten more hits out of three chords and a guitar riff than any other human being, and this live set argues that point convincingly. Throughout the show, Fogerty effortlessly proves that he is a master of simple, powerful, well-written rock and roll. “Down on the Corner,” “Centerfield,” “Up Around the Bend,” “Old Man Down the Road” and “Fortunate Son” follow one another in quick succession, which is enough to leave any casual fan breathless. Some of these songs are nearly forty years old, but they still sound fresh and vital. Again, it may be considered strong language, but it also might be accurate to say that Fogerty is finally dancing to his own tune, and without malice, dancing on the grave of Mr. Zaentz.
DVD Grade: A-
Tom Ryan
 
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