Aug 29 AOTD: CCR - Cosmo's Factory

CCR - Cosmo's Factory

1970

Link to Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZPG1kEMNVg&list=PLWnVxuqvY7JjwVZcbCVRZlHQaSz9VvPiQ&index=1

This is it the band's zenith of creativity - producing five albums in two years, this one the best - Tom Fogerty walked out of the band by end of the year, having had enough of his brother (John's) overzealous control - so this is the last testament to a lineup that was one of the greatest bands of its time.

Take a listen to the journey that is the first song, what starts as a simple rock single, but then meanders into a monstrous jam session of beautiful guitar work, eventually returning to the chorus.

Travelin' Band is a scorching rocker with rat-a-tat-tat drum fills spitting out punctuation marks of urgency.  But then the horns sail in with a guitar whining away in the back ground - then another verse/chorus, and then guitar breaks free, loudly claiming its right.

The next four songs - after the opener - are all short and fly off the record like the listener is spinning an oldies radio dial between country, rock-a-billy and some far-reaching mountain, hillbilly station.

Then comes that sound of Vietnam (though it was NOT intended to be such) in Run Through the Jungle - actually, though the song is synonymous with the war - John meant it as a plea against the proliferation of guns in America.

Before the album is done, you will hear SEVEN classic rock staples, something very few other albums can claim. Did I mention ... FIFTH ALBUM IN TWO YEARS.

Last note: Every silver cloud has a grey lining - that massive output eventually took it's toll ... Tom left ... and they never had an albums this good again.  Also, the title refers to the studio where they recorded - it belonged to a guy whose nick name was "Cosmo" - and the "factory" part?  Well, that's what it felt like to some of the other band members as John put them through a daily practice schedule to keep up with his prolific creativity.