Willy and the Poor Boys

by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Overview

Make no mistake, Willy & the Poor Boys is a fun record, perhaps the breeziest album CCR ever made. Apart from the eerie minor-key closer "Effigy" (one of John Fogerty's most haunting numbers), there is little of the doom that colored Green River. Fogerty's rage remains, blazing to the forefront on "Fortunate Son," a working-class protest song that cuts harder than any of the explicit Vietnam protest songs of the era, which is one of the reasons that it hasn't aged where its peers have. Also, there's that unbridled vocal from Fogerty and the ferocious playing on CCR, which both sound fresh as they did upon release. "Fortunate Son" is one of the greatest, hardest rock & rollers ever cut, so it might seem to be out of step with an album that is pretty laid-back and friendly, but there's that elemental joy that by late '69 was one of CCR's main trademarks. That joy runs throughout the album, from the gleeful single "Down on the Corner" and the lazy jugband blues of "Poorboy Shuffle" through the great slow blues jam "Feelin' Blue" to the great rockabilly spiritual "Don't Look Now," one of Fogerty's overlooked gems. The covers don't feel like throwaways, either, since both "Cotton Fields" and "The Midnight Special" have been overhauled to feel like genuine CCR songs. It all adds up to one of the greatest pure rock & roll records ever cut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	02/14/2025
Label:	Craft Recordings
UPC:	0888072643710

Tracks

1. Down On The Corner [Remastered 2025]
2. It Came Out Of The Sky [Remastered 2025]
3. Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) [Remastered 2025]
4. Poorboy Shuffle [Remastered 2025]
5. Feelin' Blue [Remastered 2025]
6. Fortunate Son [Remastered 2025]
7. Don't Look Now (It Ain't You Or Me) [Remastered 2025]
8. The Midnight Special [Remastered 2025]
9. Side O' The Road [Remastered 2025]
10. Effigy [Remastered 2025]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Creedence Clearwater Revival   Primary Artist
Booker T. & the MG's   Primary Artist
John Fogerty   Guitar,Vocals,Lead Vocals
Stu Cook   Bass,Drums,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Tom Fogerty   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm),Vocals (Background)
Doug Clifford   Bass,Drums,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Basul Parik   Tray Photo,Cover Photo,Photography,Cover Art
Tamaki Beck   Mastering Supervisor
Steve Hoffman   Mastering
Lead Belly   Composer
Russ Gary   Mixing,Engineer
Johnny Rivers   Composer
John Fogerty   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Recording Producer
Huddie Ledbetter   Composer
Saul Zaentz   Producer,Recording Producer
Ed Ward   Liner Notes
Shane MacGowan   Composer
Marcia McGovern   Pre-Production
Shigeo Miyamoto   Mastering
Roberta Ballard   Production Manager
Kevin Gray   Mastering,CD Preparation
Traditional   Composer