Released - July 1970
Genre - Rock
Producer - John Fogerty
Selected Personnel - John Fogerty (Vocals/Guitar/Harmonica/Saxophone/Piano); Tom Fogerty (Guitar); Stu Cook (Bass); Doug Clifford (Drums)
Standout Track - Run Through The Jungle
There's no doubt that Cosmo's Factory is Creedence's greatest achievement and, not only that, but probably among the very finest no-nonsense, back-to-basics rock albums of the 70s. Its only downside is the fact that, in order to achieve their career peak, Creedence seemed to have to sacrifice the notion of being a real band in the true sense of the word. Perhaps it's unfair of me to use that against them - after all, there are a huge number of bands that have been principally defined by the creative direction of one individual rather than being true democratic groups, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. On this blog already I've discussed Jethro Tull and the Who, both of which are very much driven by the leadership of Ian Anderson and Pete Townshend respectively, and I'd never use that as a point of criticism. But with both those bands I feel that other members of the band contribute key elements to the sound or the style that distinguishes the end product from the work of a glorified solo artist. But with Creedence by 1970, there's a sense that the trio of rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford had become little more than a glorified backing band for John Fogerty. They're a very capable backing band, and they keep things anchored well, but the moments on this record where you really actually notice any of them are virtually non-existent. Pretty much every time something happens that really grabs your attention, it's John Fogerty that's behind it.
But this really is a trifling issue on a band that rocks as much as this one does, and if nothing else then it means all the more credit is due to Fogerty for creating something as essential as this when the entire thing rested more or less on his shoulders. There's also a sense with this album that Fogerty was beginning to push Creedence into new territory. The band that perfected back-to-basics roots rock in 1969 more than any other was hardly about to take some stratospheric leap into the uncharted territory of lengthy prog jams or avant-garde composition, and Cosmo's Factory (named after an affectionate nickname for the building where the band rehearsed the material) sticks fairly close to the band's well-established formula of southern-inflected blues and swamp rock, jangly guitars over steady grooves, punctuated by Fogerty's smoky howls and wails. But the sound has certainly been rounded out, with saxophones and horns (the former played once again by John) added to the lineup, as well as a slightly greater reliance on keyboards which would be pushed even further on their next album, Pendulum. There are also tape effects used here and there, such as on the distorted, disorienting hisses and wails that opens the masterful "Run Through The Jungle," and the use of harmony vocals also rounds out the sound in a way they hadn't ever stretched to before. Fogerty was also learning the art of the album, clearly picking up on the sea change that, in the early 70s, would see the album becoming the dominant form of musical distribution rather than the single. Up until this point, most artists were still releasing albums with the mindset of their being a collection of hit singles and a few filler tracks, while albums that were coherent, consistent works of art in their own right were still yet to really take off. Creedence had certainly been guilty of the former method in the past, with both Bayou Country and Green River consisting of a few standouts and a few more forgettable tracks. Here, some of the album's biggest standouts are its album-only tracks, with the shorter, poppier singles acting as the key hooks to draw you into the relentless groove of the rest of the album.
Of those singles, the best is undoubtedly the aforementioned "Run Through The Jungle." Like their earlier hit song "Fortunate Son" from Willy And The Poor Boys, it became heralded as a classic anti-Vietnam anthem, even though Fogerty has claimed his initial inspiration was the proliferation of gun culture in America, rather than it being specifically about Vietnam itself. It's a slower, more sinister song than "Fortunate Son," channelling the same political ire and incendiary rage into something darker and swampier and altogether more hard-hitting. "Lookin' Out My Back Door" is one of the most playfully ridiculous songs the band recorded, with its upbeat, lightweight, almost throwaway melody, its childish sing-a-long chorus and bizarre imagery of "Giants doing cartwheels" and parades of animals (whether you take the consensus of the audience at the time that it was an ode to LSD or you prefer John Fogerty's more innocent defence that he wrote it as a piece of silliness for his young son is up to you). Then there's album closer "Long As I Can See The Light," an optimistic howl of brotherhood through hard times, of solidarity and of things getting better, complete with Fogerty's mellow sax solo.
There also has to be some mention for the album's two secret weapons, a million miles away from the simple, three-minute pop songs they'd become known for, in the form of its two extended jams, the only place where Tom Fogerty, Cook and Clifford are really allowed any room to show their prowess. The opener, "Ramble Tamble," with its insistent, urgent guitar riff and its constantly shifting, slowing and speeding time signatures, is perhaps the closest the band would ever get to recording a prog song and, to a casual listener familiar only with their singles, is perhaps one of the most surprising album openers in the band's discography. Then there's the eleven-minute jam of Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," something which takes the spirit of Motown soul and surrounds it with the mud and grit of southern blues rock, managing not to outstay its welcome for even one second as the band weaves their way through its classic melody, Fogerty's bluesy scream once again making the song sound cooler than it ever had before (and I say that as a big fan of Gaye's original version).
Cosmo's Factory was rightly celebrated on its release, and remains regarded as Creedence's finest moment. From this point, they would never again achieve the same success, and already the writing was on the wall. Fogerty's almost dictatorial control of the band's music was already strongly evident here, and resentment from the other band members was already beginning to set in. They had room for just one more great album (and one final one that really made very little impact) before the brewing tensions within the band meant that they had to go their separate ways.
Track Listing:
All songs written by John Fogerty except where noted.
1. Ramble Tamble
2. Before You Accuse Me (Ellas McDaniel)
3. Travelin' Band
4. Ooby Dooby (Wade Moor & Dick Penner)
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door
6. Run Through The Jungle
7. Up Around The Bend
8. My Baby Left Me (Arthur Crudup)
9. Who'll Stop The Rain?
10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong)
11. Long As I Can See The Light
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