| Green River | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival | ||||
| Released | August 1969[1] | |||
| Recorded | March - June 1969[2] at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, California[3] | |||
| Genre | Roots rock, swamp rock, southern rock | |||
| Length | 28:47[2] | |||
| Label | Fantasy | |||
| Producer | John Fogerty[4] | |||
| Creedence Clearwater Revival chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Green River | ||||
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Green River is the third studio album by American rock and roll band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in August 1969 after their second release Bayou Country which was released in January of the same year (see 1969 in music). In 2003, the album was ranked number 95 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[5] It features two of the band's best-known songs, "Bad Moon Rising" and the title track.
Contents |
In January 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival released their second studio album Bayou Country and released their breakout single "Proud Mary" b/w "Born on the Bayou", which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1][6] Prior to recording their new album in March,[2] Creedence conducted a test session at the recently-built Wally Heider Studios where they recorded three instrumental test tracks (two of which, "Broken Spoke Shuffle" and "Glory Be", are included in the 2008 remastered CD).[3] The recordings for Green River lasted until June.[2] While completing the forthcoming album the band issued two singles: "Bad Moon Rising" b/w "Lodi" and "Green River" b/w "Commotion", in April and July. Both reached #2 on the Billboard charts.[1]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [2] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
Rolling Stone called it "a great album" with the reviewer further stating "they are now creating the most vivid American rock since Music from Big Pink".[8] Allmusic gave the album 5 stars (out of 5) with Stephen Thomas Erlewine stating: "If anything, CCR's third album Green River represents the full flower of their classic sound initially essayed on its predecessor, Bayou Country."[2]
The song "Lodi" describes the plight of a down-and-out musician whose career has landed him playing a gig in a small town named Lodi (pronounced "low-die"), which happens to be a small agricultural city in the Central Valley about 70 miles from John Fogerty's hometown of Berkeley. After playing in local bars, he finds himself stranded and unable to raise bus or train fare to leave. Fogerty later said he had never actually visited Lodi before writing this song, and simply picked it for the song because it had "the coolest sounding name."[9] However, the song unquestionably references the town's reputation as an uninteresting farm settlement, although the narrator does not mention any specific complaints about Lodi. The song's chorus, "Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again," has been the theme of several city events in Lodi.
All songs written by J.C. Fogerty, except where noted.
Note: All tracks recorded mid-1969, except for † recorded March 1969
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Billboard R&B Albums | #26[6] |
| Billboard 200 | #1[6] | |
| RPM Top Albums | #2[11] | |
| 1970 | UK Albums Chart | #20[12] |
| Year | Single | Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100[13] | UK Singles Chart[14] | RPM Top Singles | ||
| April 1969 | "Bad Moon Rising" | #2 | #1 | #5[15] |
| "Lodi" | #52 | – | – | |
| July 1969 | "Green River" | #2 | #19 | #5[16] |
| "Commotion" | #30 | – | – | |
| Preceded by Blind Faith by Blind Faith |
Billboard 200 number-one album October 4–31, 1969 |
Succeeded by Abbey Road by The Beatles |