John Fogerty may have been writing songs since since the early 1960s, but the 67-year-old country crooner reportedly has no desire to retire anytime soon.
Fogerty’s recent release is aptly titled “Wrote a Song for Everyone”, with new takes on his old classics that has the potential to appeal to nearly any listener’s genre preferences.
The former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman has collaborated with artists like Foo Fighters, Dawes, Brad Paisley, and Jennifer Hudson to produce an album that incorporates country, folk, and classic rockabilly twang into the hits he has penned across the span of several decades.
Country fans will enjoy “Almost Saturday Night” with Keith Urban, which puts a new up-tempo spin on this track from Fogerty’s 1975 self-titled solo album.
“Bad Moon Rising” with the Zac Brown Band is upbeat and fun, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” with Alan Jackson feels more modern and fresh, and “Someday Never Comes” with Dawes has the potential to attract country-curious folk fans.
The album closes with a new take on “Proud Mary” with stunning vocals from Jennifer Hudson that feel raw and real, as if the listener were hearing her live at an some casual intimate venue in Nashville, Tennessee.
The instrumentals are spot on, with quality strumming – Fogerty was named one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time – and the vocalists Fogerty has chosen to work with balance out the nasality those long-time fans enjoy, but that could potentially alienate newcomers.
With its guitar driven rhythms and range of styles and musical collaborators, Fogerty has crafted an album with elements to appeal to generations both young and old across a wide spectrum of musical tastes – a rare and impressive feat.
