The early 1970s found Creedence Clearwater Revival on top as one of the most popular rock bands in the world, and April 14th of 1970 found them playing a concert at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London, England. That concert has now emerged from the vaults and been released in a number of formats. (Several decades ago, there was a release under the same title, but it turned out to be a San Francisco performance.)
Creedence Clearwater concerts can be both enjoyable and not very creative at the same time. All their live performances from the era have a sameness; the set lists are the same and the individual song performances are impeccable, but have few differences from each other. If you’ve heard one of their songs in the studio or live at Woodstock or San Francisco, then any of the performances at Royal Albert Hall will basically be the same. The positive is, if you like their music, you will enjoy this release.
The year 1970 found the band transitioning from their more bluesy sound toward a rock and pop fusion. The concert begins with “Born On The Bayou,” “Green River,” and “Tombstone Shadow.” The band is grittier than they would be just a year later and Tom Fogerty’s rhythm guitar fills in the sound. He would be missed after leaving the group and their decision to carry on as a three-person unit.
“Travelin’ Band” and a searing version of the anti-war song “Fortunate Son” look toward the band’s future. Covers of “Midnight Special,” “The Night Time Is The Right Time,” and “Good Golly Miss Molly” would quickly disappear from their concerts, but here offer a look back to the group’s bar band days. Tucked in between are their classic songs “Proud Mary” and “Bad Moon Rising.”
The final song, “Keep On Chooglin’,” returns the band to their swampy blues sound and clocks in at 8:37. Only one other song is longer than five minutes; the other 10 songs are all under 3:30 and remain wonderful relics of the past.
At The Royal Albert Hall finds Creedence Clearwater Revival at the height of their commercial appeal and this concert presents their music note for note. Again, enjoyable if not creative.
