RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, New York, July 2, 1998
BILLBOARD REVIEW

Anybody who saw any of John Fogerty's shows last year supporting his Grammy-winning Warner Bros. set "Blue Moon Swamp" knew that no rock show this year would top the Foge's current run behind his just-released "Premonition" live album (featuring many of the prized late '60s and early '70s classic rock staples from his Creedence Clearwater Revival catalog -- which he had long denied his fans ever since his bitter legal disputes with that band's label, Fantasy Records).

The only real question this evening was, how measurable would be the absence of powerhouse drummer Kenny Aronoff, who departed the world's greatest rock show to sit behind the kit for the Smashing Pumpkins on their world tour The answer: measurable, but not detrimental. Maybe there's a drummer or two who can fully replace Aronoff's energy and flamboyance, and if Nashville-based Michael Cartelone (formerly with country singer Suzy Bogguss and hard-rock band Damn Yankees) can't quite, well, he did a more-than-effective job trying. And the rest of Fogerty's rock-solid band, thankfully, remains intact, with guitarists Johnny Lee Schell and Michael Knipe, along with bassist Bob Glaub.

The other changes, then, were in the set list, with Fogerty wisely substituting a number of fresh CCR staples that he didn't have time for in his two previous N.Y.C. engagements last year -- undoubtedly leaving fans of those songs now dissatisfied, though only slightly. But God knows he can't do all of his Creedence hits and "Blue Moon Swamp" songs and still send everyone home by 11 p.m.

Among the new songs performed were, of course, "Premonition" and a cover of Hank William's "Jambalaya," which Fogerty recorded on his 1973 debut solo set, "Blue Ridge Rangers" (on which he played all the instruments!). The "gonna-have-big-fun-on-the-bayou" classic was perfect, naturally, for Fogerty's patented "swamp-rock" style, not to mention his stunning stage set: a painted backdrop, carried over from last tour, that showed a bayou setting, with a tree snake, frog, turtle, pelican, and banjo-playing gator all sporting Fogerty's trademark red bandannas. And, as the set progressed, the blazing sun dimmed, the skies darkened, and the smiling blue moon of the "Blue Moon Swamp" album emerged.

An especially noteworthy performance was Fogerty's version of "Cotton Fields," the old Leadbelly folk song that Creedence recorded on the "Willie & the Poorboys" set. Here, though, Fogerty just mouthed the words, successfully prompting the house to sing the tune in its entirety. But CCR's first hit, "Suzie Q" (1968), was given the same treatment as on the previous tour and "Premonition" album: Playing through the amplifier he used on the song back then, he again segued directly into Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You," with an incredibly intense, extended guitar solo that reminded attendees of a time when guitar solos actually made sense and told a story.

And note need be made, too, of "Centerfield," in which Fogerty again brought out his Louisiana Slugger baseball bat guitar. On this and on "Blue Moon Swamp"'s "Rambunctious Boy"-- oh, hell, on every song throughout the whole show -- Fogerty demonstrated as no one else seems to be able to do any more that you can still play rock'n'roll with an unbridled joy, even in your '50s, for a crowd of aging '60s and '70s types who still want to rock out all the way with you.

[Jim Bessman]

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, New York, July 2, 1998
REPRISE RECORDS NEWS REVIEW

JOHN FOGERTY REVIVES CAREER AND CREEDENCE

Reported by Frank Tortorici

NEW YORK -- If you didn't know any better, you might have thought that John Fogerty's career was still peaking and that the classic roots-rock singles that made him famous were back at the top of the charts.

Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall, Fogerty -- former leader of the multimillion-selling rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival -- performed a prodigious, career-spanning set with enthusiasm and charm. He played many of the classic songs that he wrote for CCR in the '60s and '70s, and he blasted out selected tunes from his most recent collection of original material, the Grammy-winning 1997 album Blue Moon Swamp.

One baby boomer, Dennis Mincin, a mutual-fund claims manager from Belleville, N.J., who said he felt as if he'd been given a second chance at experiencing a rock pioneer, put the night in its proper historical perspective: "[Most of us were] too young [to see Fogerty] when Creedence was around. And they didn't tour much in the East."

After Creedence suffered an acrimonious breakup in the mid-'70s, Fogerty played few concerts and recorded only sporadically during the past two decades. He laid low because of legal entanglements with his music publishers and his old record company. When he did tour, which was infrequently, he always left out the classic Creedence cuts that he'd written, such as the swamp-rock opus, "Born On The Bayou" (RealAudio excerpt).

But, at the Music Hall that night, it was like he never left. In the middle of his tour to promote his new live album, Premonition, Fogerty was joyful and confident onstage for what was his first show ever at the famous Manhattan venue.

While some may have forgotten the breadth of Fogerty's talent while he's been out of the limelight, his current vitality was remarkable. His contractual hassles settled, Fogerty now is willing to plumb his entire songbook, from Creedence through his solo career.

Flashing a wide grin for most of the time he was onstage, the trim 53-year-old singer, guitarist and songwriter, dressed all in black, tore into "Bayou" and other CCR chestnuts such as "Green River" and "Lodi" with the energy of a teen-ager.

Fogerty, working his Southern twang, showcased his strong voice and blazing guitar on numbers from Blue Moon Swamp. He and his tight, five-piece Dirty Dozen Gator Swamp Band also took on songs that Creedence covered during their heyday, including "Susie Q." (with Fogerty zipping his fingers down the guitar neck to create a shrieking effect), "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "I Put A Spell On You."

The familiar sounds drove the crowd of thirty- and fortysomethings into a frenzy. They danced in their seats and sang the choruses for Fogerty. One guy even brought a guitar along and mock-played it in the audience.

Fogerty addressed the crowd's delight after each number with some of the most exuberant and heartfelt thank-yous likely ever heard at a rock concert. His frequent shrieks of "ow" and animated facial expressions were constant reminders that he was having a great time up there, and it was contagious.

"He just seems so joyful again," said Eileen Campion, 35, a New York City PR consultant.

Fogerty was wild under the spotlight, often duck-walking around the stage a la Chuck Berry and playing a baseball-shaped guitar during his ode to America's pastime, "Centerfield." He slowed things down a bit for the Creedence arrangement of the traditional "Cotton Fields," which initiated a long audience sing-along, and the 1997 ode to his wife, Julie, "Joy of My Life" (RealAudio excerpt).

Before he performed "Joy," which was more honky-tonk than the studio version on Blue Moon Swamp, Fogerty told the crowd that "love is the greatest" and wished everyone the same happiness that he has found.

For most of the slower songs, Fogerty brought his Swamp Band to the front of the stage. The ensemble, including L.A. session veteran Bob Glaub on bass, played acoustic instruments on gems such as "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" The campfire-like interplay was made all the more intimate by the set decoration, which transformed the stage into a faux blue-moon swamp complete with crocodiles, man-in-the-moon, snakes, marshes and shacks.

During "Blue Moon Nights," the good-time nature of the sounds and the swampy atmosphere achieved perfect synchronicity. Corny as it seemed, fans were holding on to each other and even swaying to the music.

The crowd's feverish, reverent reaction to Fogerty was in direct contrast to the audience response to Whiskeytown. The modern country-rock ensemble opened the show with a 25-minute set that was marred by a muddled sound setup and an indifferent attitude on the part of bandmembers to the paying customers.

For his part, Fogerty was humble. "It is an honor and joy to play for people like you," he told his fans as he closed the night. "You treat us with great honor."

And he rewarded the faithful with a string of ferocious set-closers, including "Fortunate Son," "Proud Mary" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Travelin' Band," during which the house lights pulsed to the beat.