As of three-years ago, if you told me that I would even have a copy of any Creedence Clearwater Revival album in my home, I would laugh at your face. A band I neither liked or admired, but just accepted that they were on the FM/AM radio and that is how the world was at the time. Like King Crimson, I have become more open-minded about bands that I never can imagine I would have in my collection. "Cosmos Factory" is essential to me due to two songs on it. "Ramble Tamble" and their 11-minute take on Marvin Gaye's "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." Both songs are on a genius level, not due to the songwriting, but the arrangements done by the band or John Fogerty. And Fogerty does get the credit, but I suspect that the group is very much part of the sound as well.
"Ramble Tamble" (hearing or reading the title reminds me of Russ Tamblyn, but that's another narrative) is a groover of a song. Still, it has a great, almost psychedelic guitar that is half that, and surf. It's a fantastic track. The other song of interest, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," has a bit of dark history for me. I remember camping on the beach for a week, and it was with Russ Tamblyn and his wife at the time. The dark part was not the company, but the beach itself. I was freezing in the nighttime air, and the one moment of happiness that night was my AM transistor radio. Some station was playing the entire length of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," and it was scary and intriguing at the time. I never felt so alone at 3 in the morning, and hearing this odd and strange recording. Listening to it to now brings back the memory of that beach trip, but also it's a beautifully arranged version of the song. Never have two electric guitars, bass and drums sounded so seductive.
No comments:
Post a Comment