Creedence Clearwater Revival

Live At Woodstock

CRAFt Finally released after 50 years on the cutting room floor.

When Creedence took to the stage at Woodstock in ‘69, they were seven months into a year that will probably never be equalled: Bayou Country was released at the beginning of ‘69, Green River had come out a couple of weeks earlier, and Willy And The Poor Boys would follow in December. Three classic albums in a 12-month stretch that spawned eight US hits, and Woodstock should have been the crowning glory. But John Fogerty, who’d claimed that his band were the best in the world in the build-up, wasn’t happy with their performance and pulled it from both the soundtrack album and the film.

Fifty years on, it’s difficult to fathom what his problem might have been. Apart from the occasional extended gap between songs and the sloppy start to set opener Born On The Bayou, it’s peak choogle. The recording is great, Fogerty’s in fine voice throughout, the hits keep coming, and when the band slip into those chugging grooves they’re emphatically fierce. I Put A Spell On You is even more ominous than the recorded version, and the 20 minutes

given over to Keep On Chooglin’ and Suzie Q as the set climaxes are flat-out intense. ■■■■■■■■■■