A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival

In 1968, guitarists (and brothers) John and Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford, known collectively as Creedence Clearwater Revival, hit the charts and began an amazing run with seven consecutive gold albums and nine top-10 singles. They performed before muddy masses at Woodstock and rock royalty in London’s Albert Hall. Despite the outwardly visible success, a lack of shared direction led to the departure of Tom and the internal collapse of CCR in 1972. The last 50 years have been fraught with lawsuits, grudges, bitterness, and resentment. The tale has been widely told, perhaps most effectively in Hank Borowitz’s Bad Moon Rising, and John Fogerty told his side in Fortunate Son. Lingan adds to the canon with new interviews from Cook and Clifford and emphasizes the contributions of the rhythm section, although there isn’t a great deal of revelation. He is, however, most effective at placing the compositions and performances in their cultural context.