Search - Creedence Clearwater Revival :: Mardi Gras

Better than I'd hoped

Robert A. Walker | Waterloo, New York USA | 09/22/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I just picked up the 6 cd Creedence boxed set, which includes all the music from Mardi Gras. From various reviews, I expected this album to be an atrocity aside from the the hits that got lots of air play. I was pleasantly surprised however. It's really not that bad. It's not the strongest CCR recording by any means. Doug Clifford's vocals are pleasant enough. Stu Cook's vocals may be ragged, but I've heard far worse on recordings by other big name bands. The album probably appears weaker than it really is because of comparisons to the rest of the CCR catalog."

CCR at their worst

J. Soward | Indianapolis,IN USA | 12/17/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"While John Fogerty was at the helm CCR sold record after record. They were at the top. That wasn't good enough for brother Tom who quits the band. Other members Doug Clifford and Stu Cook were busy yelling I can sing I can write songs. John gave in and said do it and more or less walked away from what he knew would be a disaster. And it was. Others that follow a genius might find they are better off in doing so. I gave this a big thumbs down when it first came out and still do."

Not as fun as actually going to Mardi Gras!

M. McKay | Downey, CA United States | 01/04/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Here it is. The "breakup" album for good ole CCR. The end of the road in 1972. A band who had nearly four years of glorified chart successes for it all to come down to this. I finally got my chance to hear "Mardi Gras" as part of the CCR box set (which I have my own review of) and while the album is what most people make it out to be, it's certainly not "the worst album ever recorded by a popular band" as Rolling Stone blatantly put it. Here's a run down of the songs:



LOOKIN' FOR A REASON - Fogerty opens up the album with this one. It's too hokey country for my taste, and I like some hokey country. John actually has an uncanny vocal r to Clarence White of the later-day Byrds on this one.



TAKE IT LIKE A FRIEND - Stu's vocal debut on the album. It's a funky, groovy rocker with Stu sounding not unlike Gene Parsons of the later-day Byrds, only more gruff and well, out of tune.



NEED SOMEONE TO HOLD - Doug's vocal debut on the album. Not all that bad, a good musical and lyrical exercise in lonliness. It's emotional and confessing. A point for ole Doug here.



TEARIN' UP THE COUNTRY - Doug's second song on the album. S-U-C-K-S.



SOMEDAY NEVER COMES - What can be said here? One of Fogerty's best songs ever! This one never fails to get me teared up. One of the most "four piece" Creedence sounding songs on a "three piece" Creedence album.



WHAT ARE..... - Doug handling vocals once again and it's a better rocker that Stu's "Take It Like A Friend," that's for sure. The song comes complete with female backup vocals on the chorus.



SAIL AWAY - Another one from Stu which probably would've made a better Jimmy Buffett song! Stu's vocals here are downright HORRIBLE. So bad you'll either sit through it and laugh or run to hit the skip button on your CD player.



HELLO MARY LOU - It works great in Fogerty's hands but he probably could have done without the reverb effect on his vocal.



DOOR TO DOOR - This is probably the best lead vocal Stu turns in on the entire album. He does well on sounding "rude and crude" here though the lyrics are pretty out of touch with the rest of the CCR catalog.



SWEET HITCH HIKER - And what can be said here as well? Full tilt classic CCR to close out a hodge-podge album. A hit single in 1971 before fans knew what would be coming in April of 1972!



So I give this album two stars for a rating of "FAIR." Cook and Clifford's songs suffer for a number of reasons, all of which have been previously stated in other reviews. Their lyrics are somewhat all right in places but some of their efforts to sing are another story. The musicianship between Fogerty, Cook, and Clifford is just fine, you don't really hear Tom missing. So only take a chance on this one if you really want to complete your CCR collection."