Creedence Clearwater Revival

There is a strangely blurred line in music between fact and opinion. Not all opinions are fact naturally, but there are exceptions to the rule. Here's an example:

OPINION: CCR is one of the greatest bands of all time.

FACT: CCR is one of the greatest bands of all time.

See? Sometimes, there's no question it cuts both ways.

Friend of the blog Loran Bush and I started watching a fairly recent John Fogerty concert last night. At 65 years of age, the man is still rockin' quite hard. His guitar chops are very evident and his voice still has its distinctive flavor despite having aged and mellowed.

Despite only being an active band from 1967 to 1972, Creedence Clearwater Revival produced far too many hits to easily narrow my selections below.

"Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" and "Fortunate Son" are obvious selections. Both are songs you've likely heard either in films or television. That's partly because of an agreement Fogerty made with Fantasy Records during his departure from the label in the early 1970's. As a result, Fantasy retained the licensing rights to all of CCR's music, leading to the songs being put in lot's of random moneymakers over the years.

My last choice included today is, "Heard It Through The Grapevine". The sound quality isn't perfect unfortunately, but I think the video of the band in their heyday makes up for it.

Song Of The Day - July 15, 2008/MLB All-Star Edition

If you're a regular here at Stars and Slights we're guessing that, like us, you're an avid sports fan. With that said, today's song of the day is in honor of the 79th MLB All-Star being played at Yankee Stadium in what many are deeming a final send-off for "The House That Ruth Built." Arguably one of the best places to watch a baseball game, Yankee Stadium has hosted the New York Yankees since 1923. Aside from an array of famous baseball games it has also played host to several college and professional football games (former home of the NY Giants), boxing matches, concerts, soccer matches, and religious events such as masses (the most recent of which was conducted by Pope Benedict XVI). 

John Fogerty's "Centerfield" is a baseball classic and, with the exception of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," is one of the most recognizable song associated with America's favorite pastime. "Centerfield" is the eponymous title of Fogerty's 1985 album that reached #1 on the US Billboard charts. Pay close attention to Fogerty's guitar in the video. It's a baseball bat...awesome.