Versions:
LP
CD
CD (Remastered)
Tracklisting:
Side One
1. Ramble Tamble
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Travelin' Band
4. Ooby Dooby
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door
6. Run Through The Jungle
Side Two
1. Up Around The Bend
2. My Baby Left Me
3. Who'll Stop The Rain
4. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
5. Long As I Can See The Light
Best Tracks:
Run Through The Jungle
Ramble Tamble
Long As I Can See The Light
Who'll Stop The Rain
I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Currently listening to: LP
This is a record that's been with me for a long time. And, one that I don't listen to nearly as much as I should these days.
Back when I, around the age of 12, was discovering - and falling helplessly in love with - music from the late 60's, there were a few records (from my step-father's collection) that really stuck with me. Pearl was the main one. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was another (along with a handful of Beatles records). The other big one was Cosmo's Factory. Today, if someone were to ask me to list my favourite albums, both Pearl and Plastic Ono Band would still be high on that list. Cosmo's Factory, on the other hand, probably wouldn't even enter my mind. While I've never (ever!) fallen out of love with Creedence, I think I have - somewhat - forgotten what an impact Cosmo's Factory had on me.
I'm fairly certain that the first song that resonated with me was 'Long As I Can See The Light'. It was a similar story to that of Pearl (see this blog). I heard it (I think) at a party my parents had. And, that song stuck. So, I listened to the rest of the rest of the album. It was all familiar. I knew 'Ooby Dooby' from singing it at school (I did grow up in a hippie town, remember...). I knew many of the other songs already, too. Now, though, I was listening to them through the ears of a 12 year old hungry for something more than early 90's pop offered (although, thanks Melissa Tkautz, your cassingles did me well up until this point). And, Cosmo's Factory certainly fed my head.
Looking at the record cover tonight, for the first time in a long time, I did recall the many hours spent pouring over it (as was customary, as a teenager). As far as 60's record covers go, Cosmo's Factory is a pretty daggy cover. In these days before the internet, I knew nothing about the band other than what the record cover offered me. I didn't know which one was the singer, which drove me crazy. I clearly ranking them in order of preference. Looking at the photos on the back cover, I wished this guy was the singer:
I think it was the shirt, the moustache and the (almost) John Lennon glasses. All I had to go on was what I'd seen of 60's culture in the many school library books and record covers that I'd accumulated, so this guy was my best guess (for the record, that guy is Stu Cook, the bass player). I also clearly remember hoping it wasn't the weasely little guy with the crap haircut, sitting at the drums on the front cover:
(Nah, that guy couldn't be the singer)
By the time I was 13, I'd moved back to Adelaide to live my Dad. Who enlightened me to the fact that it was, indeed, the dorky guy at the drum kit that was John Fogerty, the singer. It was also through my Dad that my love for Creedence blossomed. Now, it has to be said, that just about everyone my age has a Dad who's favourite band is Creedence. This was evident to me when I was on my road trip through England with my friend Marie, a few years ago. We listened to Creedence for about 2 hours, and she unwillingly knew every song. Because her Dad loved Creedence. Because everyone's Dad loves Creedence. For her, it was a nice nostalgic trip to hear these songs driving through England. For me, it was nice to hear the songs because I'm just as big a fan of Creedence as my Dad. It's not nostalgic, generally. Which is, I think, an important distinction. I know a lot of people who like Creedence because it brings back memories of family road trips. I was, and am, a fan in my own right.
That said, my Dad did play a huge part in my love for Creedence. I would never deny that. I did, after all, inherit my love of music, in general, from my Dad. And, as it turns out, Creedence are his favourite band. I seem to remember him being particularly pleased that I loved Cosmo's Factory. And, we did bond over a mutual love for Creedence over the next few years. In fact, it's a mutual love over which we still bond.
By default, I'd list my favourite Creedence albums as either Green River or Willy & The Poor Boys. Those two albums, when I first heard them, offered familiar songs ('Lodi', 'Green River', 'Fortunate Son', 'Down On The Corner', etc, etc, etc) along with lesser known gems (particularly 'Effigy' and 'Wrote A Song For Everyone', which have, funnily enough, turned up on a few CCR compilations released since the 90's). Cosmo's Factory, by contrast, is all familiar. Every song is a fucking classic. Which is, I think, a big reason why I've neglected it for so long. Which sounds absurd, but when I was - as a teenager - listening to a religious amount of Creedence, all their other albums offered something to explore. I already knew Cosmo's Factory like the back of my hand. Instead of embracing that familiarity (and the wonderful songs contained within), I think it fell by the wayside. Because it was too familiar. Which, in itself, shows what an extraordinary album it is. Seven of it's eleven tracks are some of Creedence's most recognisable songs - if not the most recognisable (aside from 'Proud Mary' and maybe 'Bad Moon Rising'). And, this was the fifth album they'd put out in two years.
My initial copy of the album was a vinyl copy that I picked up for $1 or $2. It was another cheap treasure from the record shop in Reynella. I never bought the CD, as my Dad always had it. I eventually found a cheap copy and added it to the collection. Only a few weeks ago, I finally picked up the remastered CD with bonus tracks. The remastered version isn't a revelation in the way that, say, The Beatles or The Stones' remasters were. Though, it's still a nice addition.
My first ever concert ended up being John Fogerty, back in 1998. I was 16. And, I took my Dad (yes, I took him - not the other way around!). It was a great show, and a fitting introduction to my world of seemingly endless gigs. Since I never got to see Madonna, and I was never going to see Janis or The Beatles, I think John Fogerty was probably the perfect first concert for me. I remember feeling choked up when he played 'Wrote A Song For Everyone', and he did a stellar run through 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine'.
I'm still not sure I'd say Cosmo's Factory is my favourite Creedence album. But, in some ways, it is. It will always have a special place in my heart. It certainly open a door or two in my mind when I discovered it, as a 12 year old hippie kid. And, it's still a really fucking great album.
