Music Review
Deja Blue, Deja New, Déjà vu John Fogerty - Déjà vu All Over Again
Edward Savoy
Issue date: 11/10/04 Section: Features
Four Stars
At Vietnam's height, John Fogerty, with Credence Clearwater Revival, railed against that endless war and raged "it ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son," a song that I'm sure that George W. Bush knew quite well and that sticks in his conscience still, if there's any justice in this world. A little more than 30 years later, all that Fogerty can say is that even though we can all "stop to read the writing on the wall," it's still like "deja vu all over again." That statement, at the same time, is trenchant, resigned, and horribly depressing. The only (and I do mean the only) thing about such deja vu is that, in John Fogerty, it produces music worth remembering again.
The title track of Deja Vu All Over Again is the only with political overtones and though it is the most relevant of the collection of songs on the album, it is not even close to being the only good one. The entire album is filled with memorable songs that have a timeless quality, like the best of John Fogerty and Credence Clearwater Revival ourvre. John Fogerty's voice seems to have gotten a little softer and higher with age; while he doesn't have the same visceral, bluesy growl that allowed him to rip through "Fortunate Son" and "Traveling Band" with such driven vengeance, his voice has matured into an instrument that allows him to express the many emotions of his music.
The songs on Deja Vu... are largely good natured, reflective, and mellow songs; while Fogerty hasn't lost his ability to "rock out," he doesn't choose to do so as often. Instead, he croons sweet and rustic songs like "Sugar Sugar (In My Life)," "Rhubarb Pie," and "Honey Do," songs with themes more appropriate to middle aged adults than teenagers, something that I think Fogerty implicitly acknowledges. When he chooses to turn on the electricity however, he's still as good as anyone in the game, particularly with "She's Got Baggage"; if you didn't know better, you would think that Fogerty was doing a cover version of something by the Ramones.
Fogerty may believe that our warring minds are still stuck in Vietnam, but, fortunately, Fogerty's muse didn't get lost in that time period. Deja Vu All Over Again is easily one of the best new albums I've listened to this year and, if it isn't up for some Grammy awards come Grammy season, then I give up on the music industry entirely. The album may be appropriate for adults, but it should be mandatory for everyone else, for it is not often that you get a songwriter like Fogerty relaxing and spinning his gifts for everyone's benefit like this.
At Vietnam's height, John Fogerty, with Credence Clearwater Revival, railed against that endless war and raged "it ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son," a song that I'm sure that George W. Bush knew quite well and that sticks in his conscience still, if there's any justice in this world. A little more than 30 years later, all that Fogerty can say is that even though we can all "stop to read the writing on the wall," it's still like "deja vu all over again." That statement, at the same time, is trenchant, resigned, and horribly depressing. The only (and I do mean the only) thing about such deja vu is that, in John Fogerty, it produces music worth remembering again.
The title track of Deja Vu All Over Again is the only with political overtones and though it is the most relevant of the collection of songs on the album, it is not even close to being the only good one. The entire album is filled with memorable songs that have a timeless quality, like the best of John Fogerty and Credence Clearwater Revival ourvre. John Fogerty's voice seems to have gotten a little softer and higher with age; while he doesn't have the same visceral, bluesy growl that allowed him to rip through "Fortunate Son" and "Traveling Band" with such driven vengeance, his voice has matured into an instrument that allows him to express the many emotions of his music.
The songs on Deja Vu... are largely good natured, reflective, and mellow songs; while Fogerty hasn't lost his ability to "rock out," he doesn't choose to do so as often. Instead, he croons sweet and rustic songs like "Sugar Sugar (In My Life)," "Rhubarb Pie," and "Honey Do," songs with themes more appropriate to middle aged adults than teenagers, something that I think Fogerty implicitly acknowledges. When he chooses to turn on the electricity however, he's still as good as anyone in the game, particularly with "She's Got Baggage"; if you didn't know better, you would think that Fogerty was doing a cover version of something by the Ramones.
Fogerty may believe that our warring minds are still stuck in Vietnam, but, fortunately, Fogerty's muse didn't get lost in that time period. Deja Vu All Over Again is easily one of the best new albums I've listened to this year and, if it isn't up for some Grammy awards come Grammy season, then I give up on the music industry entirely. The album may be appropriate for adults, but it should be mandatory for everyone else, for it is not often that you get a songwriter like Fogerty relaxing and spinning his gifts for everyone's benefit like this.
