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

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.


The most quintessential and definitive box set of the best short lived band   May 25, 2006
 26 out of 27 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!


Chooglin Mania   July 7, 2002
 17 out of 22 found this review helpful

Why in the world would you want to buy a Creedence Clearwater Revival box set? A band that has been so overplayed on classic rock and oldies stations that I used to joke every time I heard CCR on the local dinosaur station that they should have a CCR song of the day segment in addition to Getting the Led Out. I will tell you why you might want to buy this box.

CCR matters, it's as simple as that. In the midst of the 1960's Haight-Asbury drug-fueled self-indulgent morass of most bands from San Francisco (early Sly and the Family Stone a notable exception), CCR crafted passionate, intelligent, simple, to-the-point American rock that has rarely been equalled. Other bands have drawn on American roots music as inspiration, but they seldom achieve the distinctive and original sound CCR did. A great song is a great song no matter how oversaturated it becomes. If you can extract from your consciousness every two-for-tuesday pairing of "Fortunate Son" with "Run Through the Jungle" you've heard in your life, you can truly appreciate what fantastic pieces of work these are. There's nary a clunker in the entire CCR catalogue. Personal unsaturated favorites are "Walking on the Water," "It Came from the Sky," "Don't Look Now," "Feeling Blue," and countless others.

Every CCR recording is represented in this box set-from their early days as the Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets-through the Golliwogs-and up through their only real low point as CCR, Mardis Gras. Also included are the posthumous live records, and a couple of non-LP CCR singles. You get all the hits, all the albums, and the entire collection has been remastered (finally!). If you've never actually owned a CCR record you'll be suprised at the consistency and high-quality of dang-near everything they did. Sure, the music is basic meat-and-potato rock, and sounds deceptively simple-but if simple was so easy, why hasn't every roots band written a "Proud Mary?"


Essential rock music - Essential box set (well, maybe)   November 5, 2001
 16 out of 19 found this review helpful

Based on the music contained on this box set, it surely ranks 5 stars. To date, no other American band has been able to recreate the musical success that CCR had in the late 60s/early 70s. To some, the music may seemed cliched, but that's only because the songs have become American standards.

And unlike many other bands, the album cuts rank right up there alongside the singles in terms of quality. In fact, it's a shame that some songs are forgotten through the pile of hits CCR created. A song like Effigy is as powerful as any of the hits.

If you only own Chronicle or a handful of the original vinyl or the first pressing CDs (not the remasters), then this box is in every sense of the word essential. It is the beginning and the end of your CCR collection. The early CCR CDs are basically junk compared to the remasters (one listen will verify this). Even those who have accumulated the individual remasters may want to consider selling them off in favor of owning just this box. The first discs covers the early years and much of the material is appearing in public for the very first time (even bootlegs have missed some of this stuff). And while the Golliwogs (pre-CCR) material isn't always up to the same snuff as the later material, there are some wonderful songs to be had (Fight Fire is the hit they should've had...it had my wife singing after one listen).

If the first disc is all you're after, you may want to wait and see if Fantasy decides to release that one seperate from the box (the Doors did the same with their box set...though they put one extra track on the single disc, making fans shell out the money once again). But really, one can't go wrong in buying this box.