If you actively dislike Creedence Clearwater Revival, then I can never respect anything you have to say about anything.

Truly, if you don't thrill to "Born On The Bayou" or the riff to "Up Around The Bend" then you should probably defenestrate your stereo, as you clearly have no appreciation for decent `choons.

I've stated before that Creedence Clearwater Revival is one of my favorite bands. They have one of the best singles runs of any band in the last 50 years. Every Creedence single was a double A-side. "What's your favorite Creedence song?" you might ask. And I would say "Whichever one is currently playing or is about to play next, depending on the physical proximity I have to one or the other." However, their long songs are nowhere near the might and caliber of late-60s Dead explorations.

<i>They have one of the best singles runs of any band in the last 50 years.</i>

i.e. The entire history of rock and roll

The thread title is hyperbole, but there's a kernel of truth. There are bands I like way more than Creedence, but they're a universal litmus test. If you actively dislike them (rather than just don't know that much about them beyond Lebowski, which is true of pretty much the entire population of the UK) then we're coming at music and culture from such different directions that we're never going to get along and we better stick to topics we know won't bug us.

I'm from the UK, and I like them a lot. They just never got much popular exposure over here, and yet at the same time weren't sufficiently "underground" to be picked up as a hip reference.

They're generally ignored as one of those worthy, "authentic" groups beloved of a certain type of sentimental US baby-boomer.

What most people over here are missing is that they were actually a great pop band.

Yes, there are great swathes of "classic rock" that are pretty much unknown outside the music nerd community in the UK. E.g. I have never met a British Steely Dan or Rush fan who didn't have several hundred other records. I gather these people are pretty common in the US. Even Fleetwood Mac don't seem as universal in the UK.

Creedence Clearwater Revival: C or D?

Best Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) Single

I think "not liking CCR" is a condition listed in the DSM-IV

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That's kinda pointless

seriously, you guys need to relax with the CCR. it's getting culty up in here.

I'm from the UK, and I like them a lot. They just never got much popular exposure over here

Not much exposure apart from having a UK No. 1 Single, 3 other UK Top 10 singles, two further UK Top 20 singles and three more UK Top 40 singles... total unknowns really.

rather than just don't know that much about them beyond Lebowski, which is true of pretty much the entire population of the UK

LOL @ Americans not knowing anything about the UK

Eh? I'm from Sheffield.

You should know better then!

Um, or meet the people you know who like Creedence, because I don't know any.

You should get out more. Admittedly I don't know too many 50-60 year olds either.

It seems like young people like Creedence in the US. They don't in the UK.

this thread is making me feel patriotic

Do you feel born to wave the flag...oooohh, the red, white and blue?

(xxpost) Undoubtedly, but they were much bigger in the US. However that is not the same as saying they didn't get "much exposure" in the UK, or that hardly anyone knows who they are. We're not talking Three Dog Night here!

It seems like young people like Creedence in the US. They don't in the UK.

Most youg folks don't know 'em beyond Bad Moon Rising. They don't get radio play much or get namechecked by UK bands or have features in Mojo and Uncut and that v much. I think the comment about people who know 'em having hundreds of records is true, in my experience.

Oh who knows what young people like, not me, that's for sure!

... what I mean is, I don't know what young people like, not that they don't like me, errrrrrrrrrr, if you see what I mean

I think that if you ask a randomly selected 20-40 year old in the UK, they probably won't be able to name any of their songs -- and that's if they've even heard of them. Sure, they were known at the time, but they're just not part of the cultural canon in the same way over here.

Meaningless anecdotal evidence: most of my friends (in their 20s) are several-hundred-CDs types, but I think I'm the only one who actually owns any Creedence (apart from my brother, who got a copy of Chronicles from me for his birthday last year).

I think that if you ask a randomly selected 20-40 year old in the UK, they probably won't be able to name any of their songs -- and that's if they've even heard of them.

True. But true of most late-60s American rock bands.

Tom D. are you working around to a point or just being argumentative for the sake of it?

That Creedence Clearwater Revival are hardly an obscure band in the UK? Pretty obvious point I'd say.

I only knew Fortunate Son (via the Circle Jerks) and Bad Moon Rising until today, when (partly prompted by this thread although I already had it on mp3 anyway) I listened to Willy & the Poor Boys. I can report that I don't actively dislike CCR, but I'm not blown away by them either. I am British though, which may or may not have some bearing on the matter. I really like Effigy.

i like willy & the poor boys a lot, but i go with cosmo's factory or green river as legit "blown away" material

also, thread title otm x 1,000,000

I didn't realise Run Through The Jungle was CCR! I only know the 8 Eyed Spy & Gun Club versions. I guess I'd better download that one as well then...

Green River is the one.

THEY ARE ALL THE ONE

Yo Colonel: also go for the song 'Ramble Tamble' for brilliant uncharacteristic mesmeric psych jam! And in response to what people say upthread about lack of UK airplay etc., Wogan often rocks a bit of 'Lodi' or 'Bad Moon' in the AM! If that ain't mainstream, I dunno what is.

Every album has a song you don't notice much on the first few listenings, but which creeps up behind and sticks an ice pick in your noggin: "Sinister Purpose", "Penthouse Pauper" et al

I put Ramble Tamble (and a pre-CCR track of theirs) on my blog earlier this week: http://pentangle.net/blog/archives/156 and http://pentangle.net/blog/archives/153.

no mention of Bayou Country?? THAT one is the one that kicked my ass - i never have gotten up from that

by the way, in 1969, Bayou Country reached #41 on Billboard's "Black Albums" chart

someone just mentioned Penthouse Pauper, that's on Bayou, right? As is Keep on Chooglin'. I youtubed that Woodstock stuff this weekend, holy cow.

"Not much exposure apart from having a UK No. 1 Single, 3 other UK Top 10 singles, two further UK Top 20 singles and three more UK Top 40 singles... total unknowns really."

Yeah, but you'd never know it, would you?

They never crop up on those "Sounds of The Sixities"/"Rock'n' Roll Years" type nostalgia programmes. It might be because there's no readily available UK TV performances that are easy to dig out of the archives. Unlike, say, The Byrds, where you'll always see that TOTP "Tambourine Man" clip pop up sooner or later.

They've pretty much been erased from the collective UK memory, as far as I can see.

i just wanna pop in to say that i am more proud of this thrad than any other thread i have started on ILM ever.

They were overrated, but I don't actively dislike them.

Yo Colonel: also go for the song 'Ramble Tamble' for brilliant uncharacteristic mesmeric psych jam!

also on this tip - Pagan Baby!! total killer, that one.

I youtubed that Woodstock stuff this weekend

!!! I have never seen this footage, wasn't aware it was even available

"They've pretty much been erased from the collective UK memory"

Yes, it took a lot of work, but we did it. Skynyrd are next.

christ no wonder the uk's music scene sucks

hahaha

sad but true

Amen.

i'd got to war for CCR

CCR haters hate your freedom