CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

(UNITED STATES)

WILLY AND THE POOR BOYS

(1969)
LABEL:

POLYGRAM

GENRE:

ROCK

TAGS:
Old School, Rasping vocals, Southern
"Varied, spontaneous and lyrical, 'Willy And The Poor Boys' remains to this day one of the best productions of Creedence Clearwater Revival, a unique band in rock history."
MR.BLUE (09.10.2015)  
5/5
(0) opinions (0) comment(s)
With a little hindsight, it is easy to realize that everything is going too fast. And the future will prove it, the band won't be able to hold the pressure anymore. We are in October 1969 and Creedence Clearwater Revival releases its third album in less than a year. The success of the previous one was unprecedented and this "Willy And The Poor Boys" will hit just as hard, if not a little harder.

After having proved that they could offer solid tracks in a country rock genre, the band finally allowed themselves to renew itself. More nervous than its predecessor , this new album leans towards the soul ('Down On the Corner'), the harder rock ('Fortunate Son', 'It Came Out Of The Sky'), the bluegrass (the light and cheerful 'Cotton Fields') or even the experiments limit psyche of the final 'Effigy'. Finally, conscious of the technical limits of his band, Fogerty leans on his weaknesses to make a strength of it, by proposing an opus without artifice, against the current of the hyper sophisticated movement of the time.

The result is an album that borders on genius. 'Down On The Corner', referring to the cover, startswith a euphoric and contagious cowbell. The simplicity and soul side of this track is almost addictive. And once again, the instrumental parts, also simplistic, focus on the atmosphere, and it works. The melodic 'Don't Look Now' and the minimalist 'Poorboy Shuffle', a harmonica instrumental that was recorded on the street corner, are examples of this.

The fantastic 'It Came Out Of The Sky' sees the band playing on higher tempi.  And when the text becomes social, standard-bearer of a rebellious youth, it gives 'Fortunate Son'. A thousand times covered, embellishing many cult scenes in the cinema, it remains one of the most famous titles of Creedence Clearwater Revival. When the band returns to its roots, it is to offer us a 'Midnight Special' whose rhythmic takes us once again in the middle of the bayou. The album ends with the sound of 'Effigy' with almost false chords but supporting the heavy atmosphere of the title which on more than 6 minutes reveals us a group suddenly more serious, almost possessed.

1969 will undoubtedly remain a key year for Creedence Clearwater Revival, present in all the world charts with no less than three albums and more than ten singles, each one with an unreleased B-side. Varied, spontaneous and lyrical, "Willy And The Poor Boys" remains to this day one of the best productions of this unique band in the history of rock.  
- Official website

TRACK LISTING:
01. Down On The Corner
02. It Came Out Of The Sky
03. Cotton Fields
04. Poorboy Shuffle
05. Feelin' Blue
06. Fortunate Son
07. Don't Look Now
08. The Midnight Special
09. Side O' The Road
10. Effigy

LINEUP:
Doug Clifford: Basse / Batterie
John Fogerty: Chant / Guitares
Stu Cook: Basse / Batterie
Tom Fogerty: Chant / Basse
   
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