Upon its release in the spring of 1997,
John Fogerty
's long-awaited comeback album
Blue Moon Swamp
was lavished with praise -- it didn't become the crossover hit that
Centerfield
was, but it earned great reviews and a solid cult audience. Furthermore, his tour -- his first ever to feature classic
Creedence
material -- was, if anything, even better received than
, so it made some sense that he quickly released
Premonition
, his first solo live album, in 1998.
is frighteningly good --
Fogerty
doesn't sound like a veteran rocker, he sounds nearly as powerful as he did on old
live shows. He also sounds more mature, bringing increased depth to his older songs as he energizes recent material, from "The Old Man Down the Road" to "Swamp River Days."
is essentially the province of dedicated
fans -- there's only one new song, and the differences in the live performances are things only the hardcore will spot -- but they'll be delighted with the quality of the music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine