Jason Ross | Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada! | 04/23/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After his departure from CCR in the late 70's John Fogerty became the most accomplished singer & songwriter solo artist in the world. 1985's Centerfield brings back Fogerty's own creedence transition faze rock'n'roll roots and his most successful masterpiece CD album like any other musician has ever done. Songs include from Fogerty are "The Old Man Down The Road", "Big Train From Memphis" and "Rock And Roll Girls"!"
Fogerty Hits A Homerun
Thomas Magnum | NJ, USA | 10/09/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"John Fogerty was the driving force behind maybe the best American rock band of all time, Creedence Clearwater Revival. After the group disbanded in 1972, Fogerty released an album of country music covers under the moniker of the Blue Ridge Rangers in '73 and his self-titled "debut" album in '75. Then due to legal hassles with his record label, Fantasy Records, Fogerty went on a self-imposed exile until he resurfaced with Centerfield in '85. The years off didn't hurt Fogerty as Centerfield is an incredible album. The record kicks off with "The Old Man Down The Road" which easily could have been on album like Green River. It is classic CCR swamp rock and Fogerty's vocals are raspy and well seasoned and that adds to the song's spooky feel. "Rock & Roll Girls" is a good rocker while "Big Train" is an Elvis tribute. "I Saw It On TV" is the most underrated song on the album. It is a look back on the innocent time of the 50's & 60's, when we were naive enough to believe that everything we saw on TV was true. "Searchlight" has a r&b feel to it while the title track reminds us of our youth when baseball ruled the sporting world the Mantle, Mays, DiMaggio and others were the kings. The album isn't all about days of innocence and warm feelings, it contains two of Fogerty's angriest songs, "Mr. Greed" & "Zanz Can't Dance" (retitled due to a lawsuit from Saul Zanz). They take on his former boss and mentor and showed that he hadn't gotten over the bitter legal problems. They kind of bring down the overall feel of the record, but not enough to keep this album from being nothing short of a classic."
A Classic Recording.
Jason Stein | San Diego, CA United States | 03/18/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I remember getting the tape of this album in the summer of 1985, when I was 12. I thought then, and I think now, that this is John Fogerty's best post-CCR recording. Maybe it's because the formula he used on Centerfield is similar to what he did with CCR. But, in 1985 it was very refreshing after not hearing that sound for many years. It still holds up 15 years later too. Great songs like "The Old Man Down the Road" which is directly related to CCR's "Run Through the Jungle" proved that John could do it again. Other gems like "Rock and Roll Girls" and "Centerfield" showed how much fun rock and roll could be again. The other non-hits like "Mr. Greed", "Big Train From Memphis", "I Saw It On T.V.", "Searchlight" and "Vanz Kant Danz" round out the cd. A nice snapshot of American life all in 9 tightly produced and played songs. Centerfield is a must have for any rock collector."
Put Me In ,Coach!
Brent Evans | Rockhampton, Australia | 07/05/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"AAfter a nine year hiatus from the music scene, former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty gave us this pot of gold named Centerfield .Age had not robbed Fogerty of his lyrical prowress,nor his ability to catch you with a memorable hook.The opening track,THE OLD MAN DOWN THE ROAD,transports you to swamp and gator country before you have time to blink.ROCK 'N'ROLL GIRLS was a well deserved hit.BIG TRAIN FROM MEMPHIS is a heartfelt tribute to Elvis.We are transported back to 50's/60's USA in I SAW IT ON TV.Coporate America gets a boot to the face with MR GREED. SEARCHLIGHT is swamp rock with electro-drums. CENTERFIELD is a song for every true baseball fanatic.I CAN"T HELP MYSELF is a slice of happiness.ZANZ CAN'T DANZ is a jibe at his former record label boss at Fantasy.The only thing I do not like on this record are those damn electro-drums!However,this album is a worthy addition to any Creedence collector."