Rocktober 24: Born On The Bayou | Creedence

I told my friend Mark about The 31 Days Of Rocktober, and he said I should include Creedence Clearwater Revival. I agreed that some deep South music would be a good addition, which he promptly corrected. They’re from El Cerrito, a 25 minute drive over the Bay Bridge from my home in San Francisco. I realized that’s the genius of Creedence: they capture many moods perfectly. The way Mark figures it, Creedence bridged West & South, funk & rock, street & radio cred, rich & poor, and young & old.

So below are two songs for my friend. May they help him relive a time when this double shot was part of his regular routine. Suzy Q was from Creedence’s first album in 1968 and is a cover of the original written by Louisiana singer/guitarist Dale Hawkins in 1957. Born On The Bayou from 1969 went to number two on the billboard chart. Both somehow magically conjure all the moods noted above. Hope you enjoy, and Wikipedia editors please note: the In Popular Culture section of the Creedence page blasphemously excludes The Dude’s undying devotion to the band.