His ambition results in a stumble - "Rude Awakening 2" portentously teeters on the verge of prog-rock, something CCR just can't pull off - but the rest of the record is excellent, with such great numbers as the bluesy groove "Pagan Baby," the soulful vamp "Chameleon," the moody "It's Just a Thought," and the raver "Molina." Most bands would kill for this to be their best stuff, and the fact that it's tucked away on an album that even some fans forget illustrates what a tremendous band Creedence Clearwater Revival was. Instead, Pendulum finds a first-class songwriter and craftsman pushing himself and his band to try new sounds, styles, and textures. Top 10 Creedence Clearwater Revival Songs 10 Lookin Out My Backdoor 9 Green River 8 Up Around The Bend 7 Suzie Q. Yes, it isn't transcendent like the albums they made from Bayou Country through Cosmo's Factory, but most bands never even come close to that kind of hot streak. Hit singles such as Suzie Q, Bad Moon Rising, Up Around the Bend, and Proud Mary established CCR as one of the top rock groups of the late 1960s. In 1993, CCR was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band 82nd on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all. Best Yusuf / Cat Stevens Songs: 20 Peaceful Pop Hits. But, given time, the album is a real grower, revealing many overlooked Fogerty gems.
To some fans of classic CCR, this approach may feel a little odd since only "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and maybe its B-side "Hey Tonight" sound undeniably like prime Creedence. The song has become synonymous with the era to the point of parody. His songs became self-consciously serious and tighter, working with the aesthetic of the rock underground - Pendulum was constructed as a proper album, contrasting dramatically with CCR's previous records, all throwbacks to joyous early rock records where covers sat nicely next to hits and overlooked gems tucked away at the end of the second side. According to Song Meanings and Facts, Creedence Clearwater Revivals famous anti-war tune 'Fortunate Son' is sung from the perspective of a less privileged youth who cannot afford to evade the US draft. He spent time polishing the production, bringing in keyboards, horns, even a vocal choir. During 19, CCR was dismissed by hipsters as a bubblegum pop band and the sniping had grown intolerable, at least to John Fogerty, who designed Pendulum as a rebuke to critics.