Customer Reviews: Read 23 more reviews...
 No BS Rock and Roll June 14, 2005
Southern Man (Raleigh, NC)
21 out of 22 found this review helpful
Incredible that (not counting "Mardi Gras" which is best forgotten) the period during which CCR ruled the rock universe lasted just over two years. But during that period, they released six excellent albums - four of which (from Bayou Country to Cosmo's Factory) stand among the greatest rock albums ever. That's a feat that's difficult to comprehend in an age when most artists take 2-3 years between releases and are lucky to have three or four really good songs on each.
One of the tricks, of course, is that each of these great albums had 10-12 songs that clocked in at a total time of about 30-35 minutes (someone was paying attention to the Beatles). But, most important, was that these guys played ferocious gutbucket R&R in a period when bands, like fellow Bay Area alumni The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, were taking the youth of America on a totally different trip. And, in that fertile period, "Willy" has to stand out as my favorite.
This was an ALBUM, when that meant something. There is a cohesive feel to this album that works seamlessly. Even "Poorboy Shuffle", a consciously sloppy blues shuffle, works perfectly as a bridge between "Cotton Fields" and "Feelin' Blue". "Down On The Corner" and "Fortunate Son" (which Rolling Stone once deemed the greatest rock song ever) were the (desrvedly) smash hits from this album. Everything else, excepting Effigy, is every bit as good. "It Came Out Of The Sky" may be a bit silly lyrically, but I can't think of a song that gives a better adrenaline rush blasting out of the car stereo. But one of the greatest accomplishments here is that they took a couple of Leadbelly tunes and made them sound as if they were always meant for a group of white boys. This was accomplished while demonstrating the greatest reverence for the music.
CCR kept the flame of roots rock burning brightly, long before the tentacles of corporate rock could prevent music this fresh and exciting from reaching the mainstream.
 Great CCR record, not so great SACD February 26, 2007
JEFFREY IHDE (Milwaukee, WI USA)
12 out of 18 found this review helpful
My advice? Don't waste your time spending big bucks on the SACD version of this great CCR classic. I've listened to it alongside the 20bit K2 mastered version and I actually prefer the K2 version. I've got a lot of SACD's and played both on my Sony SACD player. I can't see the purpose of this realease at all. If it comes down to money I think you will be more than happy with the K2 release. Also, the SACD is not a multi-channel release so you won't find anything new with this mix. Overall as any familar with CCR knows, this is a solid gold 5 star classic. So, any fan of great rock and roll needs to own it. Just don't waste your money on this hybrid SACD release.
A rock and roll masterpiece.... May 2, 2003
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
When asked about their favorite CCR album, most fans predictably respond in favor of "Cosmo's Factory." Although I generally agree with the populace on the quality that album, my favorite is definitely "Willy and the Poorboys." What appeals to me most about this album is that it seems a little quieter then preceding ones. Two songs that have a strong influence on this mood include CCR's covers of the folk songs "Cotton Fields," and "Midnight Special", both of which are executed beautifully. "Don't Look Now", is a also a great, folk sounding tune, carrying a very profound message that takes many listens to even begin to understand. Of course their are also the two widely popular and highly overplayed classics "Fortunate Son," and "Down On the Corner." Although they are both great songs, I prefer the lesser played songs, because they are also wonderful, and I haven't heard them as much. I think what makes this band so great is that they offer a place of solace and escape from the rigors of our daily lives. This group of four musicians from Northern California created a whole musical mythology about the old world of the Bayou, digging deeper and deeper into the roots of the south, meanwhile creating a sound that is both historical and timeless. All of this is pretty phenomenal considering they weren't even from the south. For anyone with more then a passing interest in Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Willy and the Poorboys" is a definite buy.
If you've got a nickel, won't you lay your money down? July 9, 2005
Johnny Heering (Bethel, CT United States)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is a great, classic album by CCR. It has even more of a "Southern" influence than usual for the band. There was only one single released from the album, but both sides became hits ("Down on the Corner" and "Fortunate Son"). All the other songs on the album are great, too, even the instumentals which people sometimes regard as "filler". Highly recommended.
FANTASTIC Album! February 20, 2000
Henry R. Kujawa ("The Forbidden Zone" (Camden, NJ))
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
"Down On The Corner" may be my 2nd-favorite CCR song; it always reminds me of my own neighborhood (BEFORE it went bad!) as well as the one seen on the FAT ALBERT cartoons. Talk about painting an image with words! And THAT'S only the beginning here. One great tune after another! "It Came Out Of the Sky", "Feelin' Blue", "Fortunate Son" (a powerful anti-Viet Nam rocker that's become Fogerty's pre-encore finale); and 2 of the best covers CCR ever did, Leadbelly's "Cotton Fields" (this blows BUCK OWENS' version out of the water!) and the folk standard, "The Midnight Special". They really make this one their own; the arrangement paints a musical image of a train starting out of a station and getting up to speed as the song's tempo picks up. WOW! (This is also the song that inspired me to take my Dad to see Fogerty live in '97; a longtime LIMELITERS fan, he surprised me when he said he thought CCR's version was better than theirs!) With 3 albums in 1969 (Jan., Aug. & this one in Nov.) Fogerty was clearly working overtime-- but he wasn't done yet...!
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