..:: audio-music dot info ::..


Main Page      The Desert Island      Copyright Notice
 Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz


Creedence Clearwater Revival: Willy and the Poor Boys

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Fantasy Records
Released: 1969
Time:
 34:31
Category: Blues
Producer(s): John Fogerty
Rating: *******... (7/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.creedence-revisited.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2012
Price in €: 2,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Down on the Corner (J.C.Fogerty) - 2:46
[2] It Came Out of the Sky (J.C.Fogerty) - 2:53
[3] Cotton Fields [Huddie Ledbetter] (J.C.Fogerty) – 2:56
[4] Poorboy Shuffle (J.C.Fogerty) - 2:25
[5] Feelin' Blue (J.C.Fogerty) - 5:06
[6] Fortunate Son (J.C.Fogerty) - 2:19
[7] Don't Look Now [It Ain't You or Me] (J.C.Fogerty) - 2:11
[8] The Midnight Special (Trad./J.C.Fogerty) – 4:13
[9] Side o' the Road (J.C.Fogerty) - 3:24
[10] Effigy (J.C.Fogerty) - 6:26

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


John Fogerty – Harmonica On "Poorboy Shuffle", Vocals, Lead Guitar, Producer, Arranger
Tom Fogerty – Rhythm Guitar, Except On Tracks 11 & 12
Stu Cook – Washtub Bass On "Poorboy Shuffle", Bass
Doug Clifford – Washboard On "Poorboy Shuffle", Drums

Booker T. Jones – Organ On Track 13
Steve Cropper – Guitar On Track 13
Donald "Duck" Dunn – Bass On Track 13
Al Jackson, Jr. – Drums On Track 13

Chris Clough – 2008 Compilation Producer
Ed Ward – 2008 Liner Notes
Joel Selvin – 2008 Liner Notes
Rikka Arnold – Project Assistance
Bill Belmont – Project Assistance
Jennifer Peters – Project Assistance
Basul Parik – Photography

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Willy and the Poor Boys is the fourth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records in November 1969, and was the last of three studio albums that the band released in that year (see 1969 in music). The album was remastered and reissued on 180 Gram Vinyl by Analogue Productions in 2006. The album features the songs "Down on the Corner", from which the album got its name, and "Fortunate Son," which is a well known protest song. In 2003, the album was ranked number 392 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

In August, CCR released its third LP, Green River. Shortly after the band began recording songs for its next LP, Willy and the Poor Boys. Two months later the band released its sixth single, "Down on the Corner" b/w "Fortunate Son". The single's A-side reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and its B-side made it to #14, both in 1969. When the band members were finalizing the album, they and photographer Basul Parik went over to the intersection of Peralta St. and Hollis St. in Oakland, California and shot the photograph of the cover at Duck Kee Market owned by Ruby Lee. The album was released in November as Fantasy 8397,[1] and in 1970 made the Top 10 in six countries, including France where it reached #1. On December 16, 1970, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album Gold (500,000 units sold). Almost 20 years later, on December 13, 1990, the album was certified platinum (1,000,000 units sold) and 2x Platinum (2,000,000 units sold). In 1982 the band's rendition of Lead Belly's "Cotton Fields" made #50 on Billboard magazine's Country Singles chart. On June 10, 2008 the album was remastered and released by Concord Music Group as a Compact Disc, with three bonus tracks.

The album was well received, exemplified by the original review in Rolling Stone, which stated it was "the best one yet". Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine contrasted Willy and the Poor Boys with their previous album, Green River, because the songs were softer and more upbeat, except for "Effigy", and stating that "Fortunate Son" is not as dated as most of the other protest songs of the era. However, he also feels the song is a little out of place on the album. He also compared "Poorboy Shuffle" to songs performed by jug bands and he called the album "pure". In the Blender magazine review of the album it was called the opposite of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and psychedelic rock, which the reviewer feels is because of the band's performance at the Woodstock Festival. In his review for the album, Robert Christgau says that he thought it was their best album, when it was released, and feels John Fogerty's political lyrics are easy to understand, giving the album his highest rating of all of CCR's albums. For his Rolling Stone review of the 40th Anniversary reissue of the album, Barry Walters called the album "relaxed" and gives credit to Fogerty for writing a protest song, "Fortunate Son", that has a good beat to it.



The Band that Fogerty Built was truly an American phenomenon during their relatively short recording career. Each of their albums, beginning with 1969's Bayou Country, was a Top 40 hit-making machine. Willy & the Poor Boys produced two smashes--"Down on the Corner" (which is about the fictional black street group that gave the album its title) and "Fortunate Son," Fogerty's most ferocious political rant. Each LP was a concept collection of sorts, and this one was a tribute to the South, featuring two traditional standards popularized by Leadbelly as well as two instrumentals that made you swear CCR were from New Orleans rather than Oakland, California.

Bill Holdship - Amazon.com



Make no mistake, Willy & the Poor Boys is a fun record, perhaps the breeziest album CCR ever made. Apart from the eerie minor-key closer "Effigy" (one of John Fogerty's most haunting numbers), there is little of the doom that colored Green River. Fogerty's rage remains, blazing to the forefront on "Fortunate Son," a working-class protest song that cuts harder than any of the explicit Vietnam protest songs of the era, which is one of the reasons that it hasn't aged where its peers have. Also, there's that unbridled vocal from Fogerty and the ferocious playing on CCR, which both sound fresh as they did upon release. "Fortunate Son" is one of the greatest, hardest rock & rollers ever cut, so it might seem to be out of step with an album that is pretty laid-back and friendly, but there's that elemental joy that by late '69 was one of CCR's main trademarks. That joy runs throughout the album, from the gleeful single "Down on the Corner" and the lazy jugband blues of "Poorboy Shuffle" through the great slow blues jam "Feelin' Blue" to the great rockabilly spiritual "Don't Look Now," one of Fogerty's overlooked gems. The covers don't feel like throwaways, either, since both "Cotton Fields" and "The Midnight Special" have been overhauled to feel like genuine CCR songs. It all adds up to one of the greatest pure rock & roll records ever cut.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine - All Music Guide
 

 L y r i c s


Down on the Corner   

Early in the evenin' just about supper time,
Over by the courthouse they're starting to unwind.
Four kids on the corner trying to bring you up.
Willy picks a tune out and he blows it on the harp.

Chorus:
Down on the corner, out in the street,
Willy and the poorboys are playin';
Bring a nickel; tap your feet.

Rooster hits the washboard and people just got to smile,
Blinky, thumps the gut bass and solos for a while.
Poorboy twangs the rhythm out on his kalamazoo.
Willy goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo.

Chorus

Chorus

You don't need a penny just to hang around,
But if you've got a nickel, won't you lay your money down?
Over on the corner there's a happy noise.
People come from all around to watch the magic boy.

Chorus
Chorus
Chorus


It Came Out of the Sky   

Oh, it came out of the sky, landed just a little south of moline.
Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn't b'lieve what he seen.
Laid on the ground and shook, fearin' for his life.
Then he ran all the way to town screamin' it came out of the sky.

Well, a crowd gathered 'round and a scientist said it was marsh gas.
Spiro came and made a speech about raising the mars tax.
The vatican said, woe, the lord has come.
Hollywood rushed out an epic film.
And ronnie theCurrently no Lyrics available! popular said it was a communist plot.

Oh, the newspapers came and made jody a national hero.
Walter and eric said they'd put him on a network t.v. show.
The white house said, put the thing in the blue room.
The vatican said, no, it belongs to rome.
And jody said, it's mine and you can have it for seventeen million.

Oh, it came out of the sky, landed just a little south of moline.
Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn't b'lieve what he seen.
Laid on the ground a shakin', fearin' for his life.
Then he ran all the way to town screamin' it came out of the sky.
Oh!


Cotton Fields   

Chorus1:
When I was a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle,
In them old cotton fields back home;

Chorus2:
It was down in louisiana,
Just about a mile from texarkana,
In them old cotton fields back home.

Chorus3:
Oh, when them cotton bolls get rotten
You can't pick very much cotton,
In them old cotton fields back home.

Chorus2
Chorus1
Chorus2
Chorus3
Chorus2
Chorus1
Chorus2


Poorboy Shuffle   

(at the very faint beginning:)

Poorboy shuffle.
Ok. is it workin'?
You heard it. ha ha ha!
Hey rooster! hey, rooster!
(laughter)
Hey!

(instrumental)


Feelin' Blue   

Hey, look over yonder out in the rain,
Soakin' wet fever in my brain.
Now, I ain't certain which way to go,
But I got to move, sure.

Chorus:
Feelin' blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.
Feelin' blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.
Feelin' blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.
I'm feelin' blue. I'm feelin' blue.

Hey, look over yonder behind the wall,
They're closin' in I'm about to fall.
Now I'm no coward, but I ain't no cool
Feel it in my bones, my book is due.

Chorus

Hey, look over yonder, up in the tree,
There's a rope hangin' just for me.
Without a warnin', without a warnin',
Things are pilin' up to break me down.

Chorus

Hey, look over yonder, out in the street,
People laughin' by, walkin' easy.
Now, I'm no sinner, but I ain't no saint.
If it's happy, you can say I ain't.

Chorus

I'm feelin' blue (x6)


Fortunate Son   

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays hail to the chief,
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no,

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give?
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more! yoh,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one.

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no,


Don't Look Now   

Who will take the coal from the mine?
Who will take the salt from the earth?
Who'll take a leaf and grow it to a tree?
Don't look now, it ain't you or me.

Who will work the field with his hands?
Who will put his back to the plough?
Who'll take the mountain and give it to the sea?
Don't look now, it ain't you or me.

Chorus:
Don't look now, someone's done your starvin';
Don't look now, someone's done your prayin' too.

Who will make the shoes for your feet?
Who will make the clothes that you wear?
Who'll take the promise that you don't have to keep?
Don't look now, it ain't you or me.

Chorus

Who will take the coal from the mines?
Who will take the salt from the earth?
Who'll take the promise that you don't have to keep?
Don't look now, it ain't you or me.


The Midnight Special   

Well, you wake up in the mornin', you hear the work bell ring,
And they march you to the table to see the same old thing.
Ain't no food upon the table, and no pork up in the pan.
But you better not complain, boy, you get in trouble with the man.

Chorus:Currently no Lyrics available!
Let the midnight special shine a light on me,
Let the midnight special shine a light on me,
Let the midnight special shine a light on me,
Let the midnight special shine a everlovin' light on me.

Yonder come miss rosie, how in the world did you know?
By the way she wears her apron, and the clothes she wore.
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand;
She come to see the gov'nor, she wants to free her man.

Chorus

If you're ever in houston, well, you better do the right;
You better not gamble, there, you better not fight, at all
Or the sheriff will grab ya and the boys will bring you down.
The next thing you know, boy, oh! you're prison bound.

Chorus

Chorus


Side O' the Road   

(instrumental)


Effigy   

Last night
I saw a fire burning on
The palace lawn.
O'er the land
The humble subjects watched in mixed
Emotion.

Chorus:
Who is burnin'?
Who is burnin'?
Effigy.
Who is burnin'?
Who is burnin'?
Effigy.

Last night
I saw the fire spreadin' to
The palace door.
Silent majority
Weren't keepin' quiet
Anymore.

Chorus

Last night
I saw the fire spreadin' to
The country side.
In the mornin'
Few were left to watch
The ashes die.

Chorus

Why?
Why?
Why?
Effigy.

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


Currently no Samples available!