| Live at Woodstock | ||||
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| Live album by | ||||
| Released | August 2, 2019 | |||
| Recorded | August 17, 1969 | |||
| Venue | Woodstock, Bethel, New York, U.S. | |||
| Genre | Swamp rock | |||
| Length | 50:36 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Creedence Clearwater Revival chronology | ||||
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Live at Woodstock is a live album released on August 2, 2019 via Fantasy Records. The set documents swamp rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival's set at the Woodstock music festival on August 17, 1969. [1] The release has received positive reviews and moderate chart success.
Creedence Clearwater Revival was the first act to sign a contract for August's Woodstock festival in April 1969, for $10,000 (equivalent to $83,000 today). Given their late start time and omission from the Woodstock film (at John Fogerty's insistence), Creedence members have expressed bitterness over their experiences regarding the festival. [2]
In 1994, "Commotion", "Green River", "Ninety Nine and a Half (Won't Do)", and "I Put a Spell on You" appeared on Woodstock: Three Days of Peace and Music and for the 40th anniversary home video release of the film, the band allowed the inclusion of "Born on the Bayou", "I've Put a Spell On You", and "Keep On Chooglin". [3] This album also coincides with a 38-disc box set from Rhino Records compiling the entire festival, Woodstock – Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive . [4]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 84/100 [5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| American Songwriter |  [7] |
| Classic Rock | [8] |
| Mojo | [9] |
| Uncut | [10] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Live at Woodstock received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from six critic scores. [5]
On AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine said, "Throughout their hour-long set, CCR sound ferocious, tearing through their hardest material ... The hardness of their choogle is a bit of a revelation, as the band sound fiery in a way that they don't on any of the officially released Creedence live recordings." [6]
In American Songwriter , Hal Horowitz wrote, "The foursome cranks out their songs with requisite energy ... But it's the closing cover of Ray Charles' "Night Time Is the Right Time", plus "Keep on Chooglin'" and "Susie Q", the latter two over ten minutes long, where the sparks really fly ... The remastered audio captures each instrument with surprisingly sharp and clean separation." [7]
In Classic Rock , Fraser Lewry said, "The recording is great, Fogerty's in fine voice throughout, the hits keep coming, and when the band slip into those chugging grooves they're emphatically fierce. "I Put a Spell on You" is even more ominous than the recorded version, and the 20 minutes given over to "Keep On Chooglin'" and "Suzie Q" as the set climaxes are flat-out intense." [8]
In The Spill Magazine, Gerrod Harris wrote, "The band's cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' 1956 hit, "I Put a Spell on You" is a definite showstopper. With its haunting melody, rhythms, and chord progressions, Fogerty makes the track his own with a flawless performance that is topped only by his jaw–dropping guitar solo... It comes as no surprise that Live at Woodstock is a stellar live album." [11]
In the Chicago Tribune , Greg Kot said, "Contrary to Fogerty's original take on the performance, it's a blazing document of the band at its peak and should've helped cement the band's legacy ... 'The performances are classic CCR,' bassist Cook later told band biographer Hank Bordowitz, 'and I'm still amazed by the number of people who don't even know we were one of the headliners.'" [1]
All songs written by John Fogerty, except where noted
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Production
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [12] | 29 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [13] | 60 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [14] | 25 |
| French Albums (SNEP) [15] | 137 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [16] | 34 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [17] | 24 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [18] | 70 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [19] | 60 |
Creedence Clearwater Revival, commonly abbreviated as CCR or simply Creedence, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, his brother, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. These members had played together since 1959, first as the Blue Velvets and later as the Golliwogs, before settling on Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1967. The band's most prolific and successful period between 1969 and 1971 produced fourteen consecutive Top 10 singles and five consecutive Top 10 albums in the United States – two of which, Green River (1969) and Cosmo's Factory (1970), reached number one. The band performed at the 1969 Woodstock festival in Upstate New York, and was the first major act signed to appear there.
Cosmo's Factory is the fifth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records on July 8, 1970. Six of the album's eleven tracks were released as singles in 1970, and all of them charted in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album spent nine consecutive weeks in the number one position on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified 4x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1990. Rolling Stone ranked it number 413 on its 2020 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
Creedence Clearwater Revival is the debut studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in July 1968, by Fantasy Records in the US. Featuring the band's first hit single, "Susie Q", which reached number 11 in the US charts, it was recorded shortly after the band changed its name from the Golliwogs and began developing a signature swamp rock sound.
Bayou Country is the second studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records on January 15, 1969, and was the first of three albums CCR released in that year. Bayou Country reached number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart and produced the band's first No. 2 hit single, "Proud Mary".
Willy and the Poor Boys is the fourth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records on October 29, 1969. It was the last of three studio albums the band released that year, arriving just three months after Green River. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album number 193 in its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
Pendulum is the sixth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records on December 9, 1970. It was the second studio album the band released that year, arriving five months after Cosmo's Factory.
Mardi Gras is the seventh and final studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released on April 11, 1972 by Fantasy Records. Recorded after the departure of guitarist Tom Fogerty, it was the band's only studio album as a trio, and featured songs written, sung, and produced by each of the remaining members, rather than just John Fogerty. The recording sessions were marred by personal and creative tensions, and the group disbanded after a short U.S. tour to support the album.
Live in Europe is the first live album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Although released in 1973, it was recorded in 1971 during the Pendulum tour.
"Born on the Bayou" (1969) is the first track on Creedence Clearwater Revival's second album, Bayou Country, released in 1969. It was released as the B-side of the single "Proud Mary" that reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts.
The Concert is the second live album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records in October 1980. It was recorded at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena in Oakland, California, on January 31, 1970.
"Susie Q" is a rockabilly song co-written and performed by American musician Dale Hawkins released in 1957. The song was a commercial success, and became a classic of the early rock and roll era being recorded by many other performers in subsequent years.
Keep On Chooglin' is a Creedence Clearwater Revival compilation album released in Australasia in 1995, that includes the eponymous track, taken from the album Bayou Country. The meaning of the neologism "choogling" can be found in the lyrics of the song: "...You got to ball and have a good time / And that's what I call chooglin'."
"Who'll Stop the Rain" is a song written by John Fogerty and originally recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival for their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory. Backed with "Travelin' Band", it was one of three double-sided singles from that album to reach the top five on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and the first of two to reach the No. 2 spot on the American charts, alongside "Lookin' Out My Back Door"/"Long As I Can See the Light". In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 188 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
"Commotion" is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival from the album Green River, and was also the B-side of the single release of the album's title track. In 1980, "Tombstone Shadow" b/w "Commotion'" was released as a single in the United States. While released as a B-side, "Commotion" reached #30 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 in Germany. It was written by John Fogerty and recorded at Wally Heider's Studios in San Francisco in June 1969. The 45rpm was the debut session of the band at Wally Heider's and the first collaboration with engineer Russ Gary.
"It Came Out of the Sky" is a song written by John Fogerty that was included on Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1969 album Willy and the Poor Boys. It was also released as a single in some countries and has appeared on several of the group's compilation albums. It was included occasionally in the group's live set even after John Fogerty left the group and the remaining members reformed as Creedence Clearwater Revisited.
"Don't Look Now " is a song written by John Fogerty that was first released on Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1969 album Willy and the Poor Boys. It has also appeared on several of the group's live and compilation albums. It was covered by Minutemen on their 1984 album Double Nickels on the Dime.
"Keep On Chooglin'" is a song written by John Fogerty that was first released as the final song on Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1969 album Bayou Country. The song was often used to close Creedence Clearwater Revival concerts and was later covered by several other artists including Fogerty as a solo artist. The song popularized the neologism "chooglin'."
At the Royal Albert Hall is a 2022 live album recorded in 1970 with American swamp rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The performance was released as an album to coincide with the documentary film Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, directed by Bob Smeaton. The recordings document the band's first European tour and feature footage that has never been released; the album includes the entire set recorded on April 14, 1970. An earlier live album, The Concert, released in 1980, was initially erroneously titled The Royal Albert Hall Concert, but actually documented a completely different CCR show in Oakland, California, three months before their UK tour.
Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall is a 2022 documentary film directed by Bob Smeaton. The film documents the origins of the American swamp rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and their 1970 European tour, culminating in an April 14, 1970, performance at London's Royal Albert Hall. The movie takes its name from the band's song "Travelin' Band".
Ultimate Creedence Clearwater Revival: Greatest Hits & All-Time Classics is a three-disc greatest hits album by the American roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in 2012 by Fantasy Records and Concord Music Group.