The Blue Ridge Rangers - The Blue Ridge Rangers (1
The Blue Ridge Rangers - The Blue Ridge Rangers (1973)
Artist: The Blue Ridge Rangers
Album: Blue Ridge Rangers
Released: 1973
Fantasy FCD4502-2 (made in Germany)
Genre: Country - Roots Rock
amg review:
Biography by John Dougan
The Blue Ridge Rangers were never a band. In fact, it was never more than one person: Creedence Clearwater Revival heart and soul, John Fogerty. With acrimony over the breakup of Creedence (or more to the point, the jettisoning of rhythm players Stu Cook and Doug Clifford) still fresh, Fogerty released what is ostensibly his first solo album. It was notable for being an all-covers country/gospel record and for Fogerty's Todd Rundgren-like producing, playing of all the instruments, overdubbing all the vocals -- everything but selling it door-to-door. The point of submerging his identity (Fogerty's face is nowhere on the jacket cover) was to put some distance between himself and the Creedence legacy he wore like an albatross, pay homage to the American vernacular music he loved, and, rather inconspicuously (except for that distinctive voice), announce himself as a solo performer. Oddly enough, life as a solo artist (compounded by lengthy litigation against former Fantasy Records chair Saul Zaentz) didn't seem to agree with Fogerty, and his extremely limited production, while not helping him in terms of sales, did, ironically, cement his reputation as an American rock icon.
Tracklist:
01 - Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
02 - Somewhere Listening (For My Name)
03 - You're The Reason
04 - Jambalaya (On The Bayou)
05 - She Thinks I Still Care
06 - California Blues (Blue Yodel Nr4)
07 - Workin' On A Building
08 - Please Help Me I'm Falling
09 - Have Thine Own Way, Lord
10 - I Ain't Never
11 - Hearts Of Stone
12 - Today I Started Loving You Again