CD 10 tracks, 33:55

In Collection
#466

01	Deja Vu (All Over Again)							04:13
02	Sugar-Sugar (In My Life)							03:30
03	She's Got Baggage							02:35
04	Radar							03:07
05	Honey Do							02:51
06	Nobody's Here Anymore							04:03
07	I Will Walk With You							03:02
08	Rhubarb Pie							03:17
09	Wicked Old Witch							03:26
10	In The Garden							03:51

Personal Details Links Amazon US	Details UPC (Barcode) 602498634684 Packaging Jewel Case Spars DDD Sound Stereo

2004 Geffen Records\n\nOriginally Released September 21, 2004\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: John Fogerty is many things, but predictable is not one of them. His solo career has proceeded in fits and starts, with waits as long as a decade separating solo albums, and when the records did arrive, they could be as brilliant as Centerfield or as bewilderingly misdirected as Eye of the Zombie. There was no telling what a new Fogerty record would bring, but perhaps the strangest thing about his sixth studio album, 2004's Deja Vu All Over Again, is that it's the closest thing to an average, by-the-books John Fogerty album that he's released in his solo career. Unlike its immediate predecessor, the Southern-obsessed Blue Moon Swamp, there is no unifying lyrical or musical theme, nor was it released with the comeback fanfare of that 1997 affair. Instead, Deja Vu slipped into stores in September of 2004, and its sound was as low-key as its release. Fogerty handled the arrangements and production, and while it was recorded in a professional studio in L.A. with studio veterans like drummer Kenny Aronoff and mixed by Bob Clearmountain, the album retains a homemade feel, largely because the songs are so simple and modest. Deja Vu has a little bit of everything that fits into Fogerty's signature style -- revamped rockabilly ("Honey Do," "Rhubarb Pie"), swamp rock ("Wicked Old Witch"), old-fashioned rock & roll ("Sugar-Sugar (In My Life)"), choogling minor-key jams ("In the Garden"), sweet country-tinged acoustic tunes ("I Will Walk With You"), even a protest song in the vein of "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" (the title track, a truly effective effort in drawing parallels between Vietnam and the Iraq war). While the sound on these is a little too polished, these are enjoyable songs which are somewhat undercut by a handful of cuts that recall the flailing cluelessness of Eye of the Zombie: the empty hard rocker "She's Got Baggage," the odd disco/new wave vibe of "Radar," and "Nobody's Here Anymore," where Fogerty sounds like an old fogy as he despairs about disconnected computer geeks with "a stash of Twinkies" and a bored kid in a classroom "listenin' to the rock star on a CD," when he'd be more likely to listen to rap on his iPod. These songs amount to minor bumps on a record that's otherwise pretty smooth sailing -- a relaxed, friendly collection of songs that reside comfortably within Fogerty's signature sound. At its core, it's more of a collection of songs than a unified album, and these songs are enjoyable, but modest. Apart from the title track, there are no major statements here, but there's enough craft and spirit to ensure that most Fogerty fans are bound to find several songs to actively enjoy on Deja Vu All Over Again. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nI like it!, October 16, 2004\nReviewer: R. Lewis (Bay Area, CA)\nI've been a Fogerty/CCR fan since 1969. I will buy anything he puts out, no matter the reviews, here or elsewhere. Fogerty is a great songwriter and still has the skill to write memorable tunes. This new album shows his influences: there's a protest song, a rockabilly shuffle, some swamp rock, a finger-picking gospel, a psychedelic guitar-fuzzing progressive, and an acoustic blues of a black-folk's-southern-sweet-rhubarb-pie kind of mood! Tasty stuff. Finger lickin'. \n\nIt's been said that Fogerty is a master of the two and half minute pop song. Most of the songs on Deja Vu are short. I found his last album too long and over produced, a disproportionate amount of highs and lows. With Deja Vu there's a let-down-the-hair-get-your-hands-dirty-in-the-kitchen feel. The melodies are good--I'm already singing some of them as I walk around the house, bugging my kids ("Wicked Old Witch" is going to be great on Halloween night). Stay outta that swamp chillun. The old man's got his guitar back.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nSeven Years For This?, October 1, 2004\nReviewer: Wade M. Breaux "WadeBreaux" (Ashland, WI)\nIt's been seven years since John Fogerty released the excellent 'Blue Moon Swamp' and the thought that kept going through my head as I listened to this CD for the first time was "It took him 7 years to come up with this mess?" There are certainly some good songs on the CD...the title track is a catchy, poignant and melodic song that sounds exactly like CCR, which is not a bad thing. But songs such as 'Radar' and "She Got Baggage' are simply horrible - like something a band of 13 year olds would come up with in their garage. Even the songs that are musically pleasing ('Honey Do' 'I Will Walk With You' 'Nobody Here Anymore') are filled with the type of inane lyrics you would expect from a teenager, not the creator of 'Fortunate Son.' If it is taking John Fogerty 7 years to comeup with this type of music and lyrics, he might want to give it up now.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nAdequate, September 25, 2004\nReviewer: Kevin L. Nenstiel "omnivore" (the University of Nebraska at Kearney)\nTwice before in his career, John Fogerty has taken long hiatuses from recording, and both times he's come back with sterling albums--Centerfield and Blue Moon Swamp respectively. So I expected another groundbreaker when Fogerty returned from his third long pause. Instead, I got Deja Vu All Over Again. \n\nDon't misunderstand me: there's nothing wrong with this album. Indeed, there are a couple of standout tracks, including the title song, and "Wicked Old Witch," which plays like a knowing wink to his heyday with Creedence Clearwater. Though Fogerty's singing voice has changed as he's matured, it's still a stong blues instrument that drips with the depths of human emotion. \n\nBut there's just nothing particularly special about this album either. Songs like "Honey Do" and "Sugar-Sugar (In My Life)" feel like radio-friendly pablum, and even attempts to seem engaged, like "Nobody's Here Anymore," seem like rote efforts. This album is firmly rooted in Fogerty's heyday, and doesn't stretch to take any chances. It feels like Fogerty as background music. \n\nI can't bring myself to say it's bad, because it isn't. It's just not distinguished. This album is really for established Fogerty or CCR fans; new listeners should be steered toward Blue Moon Swamp or Centerfield. \n\nWhen Blue Moon Swamp came out in 1997, five Denver Post critics compiled their Ten Best of the Year lists. Blue Moon Swamp appeared on all of them except the classical list. Though there's nothing wrong with Deja Vu All Over Again, I only expect to find it on a list of the Ten Best John Fogerty solo albums.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\n3 1/2 stars for "Deja Vu All Over Again", September 25, 2004\nReviewer: Wayne Klein "Wayne Klein" (Fairfield, CA United States)\nThere's no doubt that John Fogerty is a great American songwriter. His work with CCR and some of his best solo work are examples of rock 'n' roll at its best; Fogerty's "Who'll Stop the Rain?", "Fortunate Song", "Green River", "Proud Mary", "Rockin' All Over the World", "The Old Man Down the Road" all are thoughtful/fun with a groove that's difficult to resist. So how does "Deja Vu All Over Again" hold up in comparison? While it has some weak material on it, the album doesn't shame John and although it's darker than his last album, it's not as dark (and tuneless) as "Eye of the Zombie". It's an average album with some stand out tunes such as the title track (which does, indeed, recall his work from CCR)the lilting "Sugar, Sugar" (which seems like a natural sing-along for kids just because it's so darn catchy)and a handful of other songs either meet the expectations of this Fogerty/CCR fan or surpass them. \n\nThe weak material on the album doesn't damage Fogerty's reputation. He's just coasting along. At nearly 60, he's doing better than many of his contemporaries and better than singer/songwriters/performers less than half his age. Think of "Deja Vu All Over Again" as the work of an older musician who doesn't have anything to prove but just wants to pass along his thoughts on what's happening in his life and world. Settling down made John happy and no one would begrudge him that. If some of the material lacks the bite of a 20 year old, it's because John Fogerty isn't a 20 year old. To expect him to produce the same music nearly 40 years on just isn't realistic just as it isn't realistic for Paul McCartney, Roger McGuinn, Van Morrison or any of Fogerty's contemporaries to produce the same stuff. If he was producing exactly the same type of songs he did in 1969, everyone would be howling about how he hasn't changed. His artistic vision has become crystal clear to him so more power to him as he tries to pursue whatever drives him now. \n\n"Deja Vu" is aptly titled because Fogerty's music has much in common with the songs he produced before. His music isn't radially different from album to album (and when it does venture too far astray as in "Eye of the Zombie" fans aren't really happy, either). Instead, he adds the perspective of someone who has crossed the threshold of middle age without growing old. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nJohn's White Album, September 23, 2004\nReviewer: Jerry P. Danzig (New York, NY USA)\nThe advance reports on John Fogerty's latest studio album were mixed; as a long-time Fogerty fan, I was hoping he had assembled a transcendant, socially conscious theme album like Springsteen's The Rising. Well, Deja Vu is not that at all; but like the Beatles' White Album, it is an eclectic sampler that is so full of charm and melody, it is very hard to resist. The best of Fogerty's songs have always sounded from first listening like something you have known and loved for years, and to my ears there are at least four numbers here as good as anything he has ever written: the title track Deja Vu, about the Iraq War, with conscious references to Who'll Stop the Rain; Sugar-Sugar, a song about the power of love with a lovely acoustic guitar solo; I Will Walk with You, perhaps the most beautiful love song from a father to his daughter that I've ever heard; and Rhubarb Pie, a timeless bluegrass tune about rhubarb pie and -- maybe something else too... The balance of the songs aren't quite in that rarefied league, but they're all catchy and meticulously crafted, and IMO they're still head and shoulders above most of the me-too garbage I hear on radio and MTV. As others have noted, this album has more acoustic stuff than most of John's other albums, but the acoustic songs are some of the best cuts on Deja Vu. And any album that makes you laugh ("Honey Do", about working in the "Honey Do Patch"), cry ("I Will Walk with You"), and stomp your foot ("Wicked Old Witch," "Nobody's Here Anymore") has to have SOME mojo working. Highly recommended...\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nAnything But Deja Vu, September 22, 2004\nReviewer: Gianmarco Manzione (Jensen Beach, FL USA)\nThis is an interesting album, but when that adjective is the first resort in describing a new release, it is often an indication that the album is more intriguing than satisfying. For the most part, that rings true here. While the range of styles Fogerty explores here is astonishing -- from the funk/reggae leanings of "Radar" with its organ licks stolen right out of Question Mark & The Mysterians' "96 Tears," to the punk surprise of "She's Got Baggage" and the mildly rockabilly "Honey Do" -- but the result is often a skitzophrenic and self conscious departure from the bullfrogs and the bayou Fogerty made his name singing about. Anyone anticipating an encore to 1997's incredible "Blue Moon Swamp" is bound for disappointment. Actually, Fogerty's angry, alienating follow-up to Centerfield, "Eye of the Zombie," more closely resembles "Deja Vu" than most other Fogerty releases. Where Fogerty went "walkin' through a hurricane" to be with "the joy of my life" seven years ago, now he warns of a "wicked old witch" and a wife who gives him "the honey do blues." "Honey do this, honey do that . . . woman oh woman whats a wrong with you," Fogerty laments. It is not necessarily an autobiographical song, but it reflects a rather dramatic shift in temperament for Fogerty that manifests itself in the dark and brooding music. Similarly, the Mark Knopfler-led "Nobody Here Anymore," with its tales of technology-induced isolation, illustrates a fascinating generation gap between Fogerty's baby boomer fanbase and younger audiences who may have caught on to him during his Premonition Tour and Grammy recognition. Railing against cell phones and software upgrades, Fogerty revisits the anger and jadedness that led to glories like "Fortunate Son," but, this time, the focus has shifted from war to wires, and the loss of substance is evident. Fogerty only meets expectations with his great guitar picking and silver vocals, while "The Garden" and "Wicked Old Witch" offer more familiar territory to long-time fans: the twang and rumble that made Blue Moon Swamp and all those CCR records so rewarding. Deja Vu All Over Again sounds like the work of a man whose muse is distracted. If the 59-year-old legend ever does return for yet another album, one can only hope it will be with far more focus and inspiration.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nExhilarating and Exasperating, As Ususal, September 21, 2004\nReviewer: Philip R Schatz "philschatz" (New York, NY USA)\nA new John Fogerty album is the object of exhilaration and exasperation -- exhilaration, because Fogerty is one of the great unique rock and roll voices; exasperation, because he never quite seems to match the expectations he created with CCR. (In this way he is a little like Brian Wilson). This album falls somewhere in the middle of the exhilaration/exasperation line; better than Eye of the Zombie, not quite as good as Centerfield or Blue Moon Swamp, still far from the up-to-date social/political statement that many fans hope for. For all the quashed expectations, there is something to be said for relaxed and melodic professionalism that indirectly reflect upon (at least I think so) the simple joys of marriage and parenthood. \n\nThe title cut, "Deja Vu (All Over Again)," is the closest thing to a protest song on the album. It is an enjoyable but restrained comparison of Iraq with Vietnam -- something like a cross between "I Saw It On TV" and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain." \n\nThe best of the remaining songs -- "Sugar Sugar (In My Life), "I Will Walk With You," and "Rhubarb Pie" -- are relaxed, pleasant, uncomplicated songs ("I Will Walk With You" would perhaps have benefited from a middle eight) the latter two of which evoke the timelessness of late summer southern afternoons. The latter two, especially, would not seem out of place during the musical interludes of Prairie Home Companion. Neither, for that matter, would "Honey Do," a bluesy novelty number about the inability of a married man to kick off his shoes and relax on the weekend. There are a couple of decent, if not particularly meaningful, rockers -- "She's Got Baggage" and "Nobody's Here Anymore." "Radar" is inoffensive cross between Devo and Randy Newman and not without charm (like the other weaker songs, it seems better on relistening). "Wicked Old Witch" is the sort of throwaway blues/swamp rock riff that Fogerty could knock off in his sleep. The only real down note is the final song on the album, "In the Garden," a hippie anthem so doofy it almost seems a parody of the genre. \n\nThe musicianship is first rate throughout. \n\nAny Fogerty album is better than no Fogerty album, and this one has plenty of good stuff, but it is no earth-shaker. You'll like it best if you come to it without the curse of high expectations. \n\nHalf.com Album Credits\nJohn Fogerty, Producer\n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: John Fogerty (vocals, guitar, organ, bass guitar, percussion); Bob Britt (electric slide guitar); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Bob Applebaum (mandolin); Benmont Tench (organ); David Santos, Paul Bushnell, Viktor Krauss (bass guitar); Kenny Aronoff (drums); Alex Acuna (percussion).\n\nRecording information: NRG Recording Services, North Hollywood, California.\n\nAttention rock & roll fans! Presenting John Fogerty--the name you know, the music you trust--in a new, improved 2004 version! DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN contains tunes that admirers of classic rock can appreciate, like the old-school, acoustic blues-rock of "Honey Do." The record features themes reminiscent of Fogerty's heyday, particularly the quasi-political title track. And, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, there's Mark Knopfler laying down those "Sultans of Swing" licks on "Nobody's Here Anymore." Owing a lot to Creedence Clearwater Revival circa PENDULUM, the DEJA VU of the album's title feels more like a summing up. The crispy riffs of "She's Got Baggage" and the Cream-y "In the Garden" may rock harder, leaner, and cleaner than anything Fogerty has ever done, but "Rhubarb Pie" and "I Will Walk with You" have a feel reminiscent of Fogerty's BLUE RIDGE RANGERS album. Elsewhere, the "Wicked Old Witch" could be the wife of Fogerty's earlier "The Old Man Down the Road." Fortunately, this all adds up to the kind of familiarity that breeds anything but contempt, making DÉJA VU a warm reminder of this rock & roll giant's gift.