Creedence Clearwater Revival: Mardi Gras - 1972


This was a distinctly underwhelming end to the previously impressive career of Creedence Clearwater Revival. 

Now just a trio, it was basically a country rock album, tapping into the contemporary trend for such sounds. It is pleasant enough, as a country rock album, but it had none of CCR’s previous blues and rock ‘n’ roll fire and vitality. Like with Bob Dylan’s country stuff, it had many saying “what the....”, perhaps quite rightly. This was the great CCR they were talking about. 

There are a couple of highlights in the John Fogerty songs Someday Never Comes and Sweet Hitch-Hiker (the only one from the album to regularly appear on "best of" compilations) and Tearin’ Up The Country is ok, but otherwise it is just a harmless country rock album, typified by a barn-dance style cover of Hello Mary Lou. What a sad postscript to the story of such a great band.

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