When diving into CCR's entire body of work, many myths dissipate and a more well-rounded view comes into focus: the quintessential singles band that dominated AM radio was also quite an album band, releasing solid records from top to bottom even though half of the songs were saturating radio long before the LP would hit. Also, they weren't quite as far removed from their Bay Area brethren (who were reared on the same roots music) as is often stated, offering a number of long and loose jams that, while not overtly psychedelic, gave them and their fans a chance to stretch out. Without question, though, CCR were the kings of the three-minute rock single, and it's these now-ubiquitous gems--the consummate AM band now dominates FM radio--that will always define them. --Marc Greilsamer

Here's why:
Creedence Clearwater Revival officially released 7 studio albums and 2 live albums. Of those 9 albums, 8 are exceptional: 8 classic albums that rock, rattle and roll. 8 albums that have no filler. 8 albums that you'll enjoy listening to repeatedly if you're a rock and roll enthusiast. (The ninth album, Mardi Gras, was the last CCR studio album and is neither up to the standards set by the other 8 albums nor is it the worst album ever released by a major band, as originally reviewed by Rolling Stone magazine; the worst I can say about it is that it's average.)

Don't bother with the "greatest hits" CDs. There's too much good stuff left out. For example: `Ramble Tamble' off of Cosmo's Factory and `Effigy' from Willy and the Poor Boys are only two of the classic CCR tracks that don't appear on the compilation CDs. They're just as good as Proud Mary, Bad Moon Rising or any of the other hit singles (the first time I heard `Ramble Tamble,' I couldn't believe my ears.) Even though CCR is considered a singles band, their albums are amazingly cohesive; listening to each album in its entirety and in the original order makes for a more pleasurable experience.

You could buy all of the remastered albums on CD, but that's a bad choice for a few reasons.
1. Live in Europe has yet to be released in remastered form on CD (as of November 2001) and the original CD sounds horrible. You'll get a remastered version only in this boxed set.
2. The rarities: All of disc 1 of this boxed set is devoted to tracks from The Golliwogs and Tommy Fogerty and The Blue Velvets. While not all of these tracks are up to the quality of the later CCR stuff, most of it's great rock and roll. Also you won't get parts 1 and 2 of 45 Revolutions Per Minute outside of this set.
3. The price: Even though this boxed set is a bit pricey, you'll still save over buying the complete set of remastered CDs.

So what's so great about this set? First, you're getting everything (and I do mean everything) in order on 6 CDs. The Pre-Creedence stuff comes first, then all of the albums in their original order, and all of the tracks come just as they did on the original albums. Everything's remastered and sounds terrific. The two live sets are full of energy. The booklet contains many great essays and many great pictures. Honestly, even without the unreleased stuff, this set is exceptional. Just having "everything Creedence" in one spot, sounding so crisp and full, is worth the price of admission.

Bottom line: If you don't have a complete CCR collection already, and can spare the money, BUY THIS SET. You'll end up wanting it in the long run, so you might as well make things easy on yourself and just start here.


The most quintessential and definitive box set of the best short lived band   May 25, 2006
Ed Hanley (Sweden)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful

The Creedence Clearwater Revival box set is very much a mammoth enterprise in its own right. Containing all seven original albums and two live albums, not to mention a whole disc full of material from their stints as Tommy Fogerty & The Blue Velvets and The Golliwogs, this is very much a unique offer.

All tracks have been superbly remastered, thus salvaging their legacy for forthcoming generations. Once you possess this set, you need not even browse through the other compilations, since all of it is here, and a little bit more.

The undoubted highlight of the set is the first disc, focusing on the pre-Creedence period. The Blue Velvets singles make their debut appearance here (the most devout Creedence fan may have noticed that the third single is absent, because of its scarcity). The Golliwogs singles made their first appearance on vinyl on the 1975 Pre Creedence compilation, which also included the first single under the name of Creedence Clearwater Revival. To top it all off, there are even extra tracks among the singles that prior to this set never saw the light of day: "I Only Met You Just An Hour Ago", "She Was Mine", "Gonna Hang Around", "Instrumental #1", "Little Tina", and "Try Try Try", which in all sound a lot different compared to the Blue Velvets material, which harked back to '50s style rock'n'roll. Another additional treat is the "abandoned" single "Tell Me"/"You Can't Be True" (second version) that was never released; the disc finishes off with an Action USA radio promotional spot.

The B-side of the first Creedence single "Porterville", "Call It Pretending", opens Disc 2, which, up to Disc 5, focuses on the original Creedence albums until reaching Tracks 3 and 4 on Disc 5. Probably the rarest of gems in the Creedence catalog, "45 Revolutions Per Minute (Parts 1-2)" was originally a promo disc recorded in late 1970 and distributed to radio stations. It is basically a group interview interspersed with added effects (not to mention a very amusing sequence where John Fogerty can be heard speaking backwards!) and musical backdrops to boot. This particular track is as yet not available elsewhere. The remainder of Disc 5 and the sixth (and last) one display Mardi Gras plus the two live albums In Concert and Live In Europe (with additional tracks apparently taken from Live In Germany, which was recorded at the same time period as Live In Europe).

Along with the discs is a full booklet with extensive liner notes and a review for each album, by various writers and chroniclers. The Early Years (by Alec Palao), especially makes for very interesting reading, with additional input from Stu Cook and Doug Clifford discussing the olden days. The only major shame is that John Fogerty did not contribute to the reminiscences. One could assume (given the current situation between him and the others) that he was not very much interested in their early history. Simply by reading the booklet it could easily evoke memories of a bygone era, especially among those who grew up listening to Creedence in the late '60s; without doubt one of the best and most significant bands America could ever boost. Therefore this box set is a milestone on behalf of their enduring legacy which ever continues to inspire and beguile thousands or even millions wherever Creedence is known, played, and loved.

Hats off to CCR!


Theyýve never sounded better   July 20, 2003
David A. Bede (Singapore)
30 out of 32 found this review helpful

CCR is high on the list of bands that made me glad I saved all my old records. As was the case with most bands from the pre-CD era, the first CD reissues of their albums had sound quality that seemed thin enough to tear, so you were better off with the pops and skips on the original vinyl. That finally changed a few years ago with the remastered versions of all their albums, and this collection features all of those (including liner notes and pictures) plus a bit more.

With nearly every note the four guys from El Cerrito are known to have recorded under their various band names from 1961-1972, this is about as close to a complete collection as we're ever likely to get. (The infamous "lost" 1962 single of "Yes You Did" and "Now You're Not Mine" is still lost, but everything else appears to be here.) So unless you bought all the remastered CDs individually, this collection is well worth the price tag to any serious fan. Creedence was all but unique among singles-oriented bands in that most of their album cuts have aged just as well as their hits, and it shows here. If anything, relatively obscure songs like "Wrote a Song for Everyone" and "Ramble Tamble" sound fresher than "Proud Mary" and some of the other classics which oldies and classic rock stations have done their best to play into the ground. Even the much-maligned "Mardi Gras" album proves not to be the disaster it was once made out to be (although it is still their weakest link). Stu Cook's "Door to Door" actually rocks pretty convincingly, and most of the other selections have their moments as well.

One word of advice: If you're thinking about buying this collection only for the pre-CCR songs, I wouldn't recommend it. Some of the early sides are quite good ("You Better Be Careful" and "Fight Fire" would have sounded at home on their first album) and even the weaker efforts are an interesting look at the roots of one of rock's all time greatest bands; but bottom line, there is a reason why they didn't become famous until 1968. But if there are any other holes in your collection, this is the perfect addition to it.


CCR Box Set   December 11, 2005
matt
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

Creedence will always hold a special place in my heart, for two reasons.

One: They are, in their own right, amazing. They never produced a bad song, and produced only a handful of songs that were merely "good." The rest all ranged from great to unbelievably great. They are without question one of the greatest American bands--maybe the greatest American band?--of the rock and roll era (i.e. since the 50's).

Two: Although every great rock and roll artist of the 60's and 70's professed a love of contemporary Soul, Gospel, and Motown artists, CCR were one giant step closer to these genres than any of their white rock and roll colleagues. CCR is the group that bridged the gap for me, a white suburban kid, and they are the reason (along with Van Morrison) that I started to take stereotypically "black" music seriously. Without CCR, I doubt I would have ever discovered the huge pleasures of classic records by guys like Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye, who are now among my very favorite artists. Much thanks to John Fogerty, for helping me figure out how to judge music not by demographic characteristics of the person making it, but on the merit of the songs themselves.

Regarding this box set: You get all 6 of their studio albums, plus a disc of early material that they performed under different names (before becoming "Creedence"), and their two excellent live albums. This is the most space-economical box set I own. Nothing flashy, just great music in a nice package. All 6 of their albums, since they were short, are fit together 2-per-CD on 3 CDs total--now that's cool.

Also, the remastering is terrific--better even, it seems to me, than the job done on "Chronicle," the one-disc best of CCR. There are minor sound quality problems with the early stuff, but this is inevitable, as it is due to limitations in the source tapes (some of these tracks date to before stereo recording even existed) and not to the remastering job. Anyway, the problem is only with the pre-Creedence disc; as for the stuff that you know and love from the radio, you cannot get it in a better sounding CD version than right here.

This is one of the few box sets I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.



Stunning   January 6, 2002
VAT (New Paltz, NY United States)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

I once owned all of the original series of CCR albums on CD.
They have passable sound quality. But this Box Set is Creedence Done Right. The Guitar notes at the end of "Who'll Stop The Rain"
are so clear and lifelike you can not only hear the harmonics in them but you can taste them as well. "Up Around The Bend" jumps out of the speakers with renewed vigor.

The same is true for the rest of the set. Live In Europe sounded a little fuzzy and on CD. Not a complete tragedy just a little muted. Here it sounds fresh and spirited.
It also includes two songs (Door To Door & Sweet Hitch-Hiker) that were left of the original CD.

For the true CCR fan this is a must have. It is a well deserved, and well done digital overhaul of the songs of a classic band.