Creedence Clearwater Revival
Pendulum

[40th Anniversary Edition]

(Fantasy)

First Appeared in The Music Box, August 2009, Volume 16, #8

Written by John Metzger

Tue August 4, 2009, 06:30 AM CDT

Sooner or later, all good things simply must come to an end. For Creedence Clearwater Revival, everything began to fall apart during the recording of Pendulum, the sixth and final album to feature the group’s original line-up. Without a doubt, the outing has its moments, some of which — including the hit single Have You Ever Seen the Rain — rank among the many highlights of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s storied career. Yet, Pendulum also is plagued by its share of problems, stemming from the pressures that increasingly were weighing upon the band.

Since issuing its debut in the summer of 1968, Creedence Clearwater Revival had become so consistent that its popularity as well as its commercial success rivaled The Beatles. Yet, in spite of the magnificence of Cosmo’s Factory, there also was no doubt that front man John Fogerty was beginning to fall into a routine with his writing style. Recognizing that he needed to move Creedence Clearwater Revival’s signature sound forward, he began searching for new ways to frame his compositions.

A recording session with Booker T. Jones — several outtakes from which were featured as bonus tracks on the reissued rendition of Cosmo’s Factory — likely provided the impetus for the way in which Fogerty approached Pendulum. In effect, he jettisoned his whip-smart electric leads in favor of the heady swirl of a Hammond B-3 organ. This didn’t necessarily mean that he had altered his approach to writing songs, but it did lend fresh textures to the Creedence Clearwater Revival’s arrangements. As a result, Fogerty was able to push against the boundaries that had defined the band’s style without crafting material that felt so unfamiliar that it alienated the group’s longstanding fans.

Only Pagan Baby, the opening track on Pendulum, was a complete throwback. Its chugging momentum and serrated edges, which exploded forcefully over the tune’s funky groove, mirrored many of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s previous singles, thus providing an easy point of access to the endeavor. Everything else, however, was designed to reconstruct the foundation of the group’s sound in order to lay the groundwork for its future. With the utmost level of confidence, Fogerty switched from a guitar-driven attack to a keyboard-heavy approach. Nevertheless, although Pendulum was a solidly constructed affair, it also boasted a few songs that have never left much of a lasting impression.

There is little doubt that the changes that Fogerty had instituted likely would have born fruit for Creedence Clearwater Revival somewhere down the road, if only the outfit’s inner turmoil had not become too much to bear. Fogerty’s authoritative grip increasingly was being challenged not just by his older brother Tom, but also by Stu Cook and Doug Clifford. While the tracks for Pendulum were being written and recorded, this conflict upset the quartet’s carefully balanced chemistry. Not surprisingly, the elder Fogerty split shortly after the effort was released, and although both Cook and Clifford were allowed to have more input during the making of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s next endeavor, it quickly became clear that the group’s demise was imminent. Even as it looked toward the future, Pendulum effectively marked the end of a journey. ½

Of Further Interest...

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Creedence Clearwater Revival / self-titled

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Willy and the Poor Boys

Pendulum is available
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Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2009 The Music Box