John Fogerty - Deja Vu All Over Again

For John Fogerty fans, the wait is over with the release of his latest solo album Deja Vu All Over Again. It may have taken some time but happily, the album is everything that Fogerty fans could wish for and them some. There's something here for every breed of John Fogerty fan - for the ones who first-picked up an appreciation of the gritty-voiced singer during his years with Creedence Clearwater Revival to those who loved his solo successes.

The man who gave us such classics as the stinging antiwar anthem "Fortunate Son" is still alive and kicking. Sadly, the words he wrote then are still applicable to the goings on in our world today. The album's title track, "Deja Vu (All Over Again)" takes no prisoners as it boldly points out the similarities between Vietnam and our current political situation. When the singer/songwriter asks "Did that voice inside you say I've heard it all before", it's a haunting moment and a great example of the power of rock and roll.

Like many other classic rockers of a certain age, John Fogerty also has a young family and he pays affectionate tribute to them on his album. "Sugar-Sugar" (In My Life) is a love song that veers a little to often into overly sweet territory. Beware sugar shock! On the other hand, Fogerty gets it just right on "I Will Walk With You" a sweet song for his little daughter.

While the lyrics mention such childish things as jelly beans, pink ice cream and Christmas Teddy Bears, the melody keeps things humming along. Let's just say it's not the kind of song that will ever embarrass little Miss Fogerty.

The former Creedence front-man may be happily settled now, but there's obviously a lady or two who burned him at one time or another. "She's Got Baggage" and "Radar" are the two heaviest rockers on Deja Vu All Over Again and Fogerty laces them with a venom-soaked vocal and a 1980s sound that makes them pop with wit and fire.

"She's got the radar workin' / Torpedoes at 12 o'clock high" sings Fogerty on the latter song and you get the feeling that some kind of bloody warfare is going to break out at any moment. "She's Got Baggage" contains such "low-key" lyrics as "Watch out / We got a whacked out woman/Hurricane warning". He may not be pulling any punches on these two, but they prove that he can still rock hard-core with the best of them.

It's a credit to the long-standing career of John Fogerty that he can write and record two strange tunes like "Rhubarb Pie" and "Wicked Old Witch" and have them be absolutely infectious - even in their weirdness. In fact, "Witch" almost sounds like it's been kicking around since Fogerty's Creedence days just waiting to land on an album somewhere someday.

"Deja Vu All Over Again" finds John Fogerty still working at the top of his game. It's good to have one of the most important voices in rock and roll back again and in such fine form.