John Lingan

A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival by John Lingan is a 2022 Hachette Books publication.

CCR- this is a band I’ve listened to nearly my whole life- and sadly, they are a band that I kind of took for granted a lot.

I added this book to my TBR list about a year ago, and of course it slid down the list- but I was reminded of it when my DH and I were scrolling through Netflix and happened across a documentary of CCR, narrated by….

Wait for it…

Jeff Bridges! 🤣🤣🤣

If you get a chance, check it out. The second half of the show is basically a full set performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London- in 1970, I think. It’s worth checking out, and this book would make a nice companion piece for it, I think.

This is a nice bit of history of how the band formed, and how John came to pretty much own it. The focus is more on the early history of the band, most of which I had not been familiar with before reading this book- which goes into much more detail than the documentary on that front.

There’s a history lesson here, in more ways than one. CCR was a working-man’s band- which came out in their stage appearance and performances as much as it did with their music and lyrics. There was a strong work ethic, a no-frills, no nonsense stage show, with the band dressed casually- looking like any other guy on the street. They may not have been ‘sexy’ so to speak, but they were solid and dependable- if a bit one dimensional with their signature sound- but they sold lots and lots and lots of records.

The author did a great job with his research and organization- and though he didn’t get a great deal of feedback from the living members of the band while writing the book, he still managed to capture the spirit of the band and its members. For the most part, he was very neutral, with only an occasional slip- which in this case I can’t say as I blame him.

Because CCR was not a flashy group by any stretch of the imagination, the information here is also a bit low-key and occasionally, my mind did wander off. I don’t blame the author- but I suppose some parts could have been a bit shorter or edited down for the sake of pacing- but he did the best he could with what he had to work with.

As with any biography or memoir there can be a risk of discovering that the subjects are not very likeable, etc., or maybe you might regret reading a book that tarnished your image of them. I don’t regret reading the book. I still like CCR- but I did come away with some mixed feelings about the band members- especially when it came to how they treated their own family and some of the dogmatic rules set for the group- which also included no encores- ever. Sometimes maybe musicians can take themselves a little too seriously...

But, other than that- the group has established a long-lasting legacy. Most of us of a certain age know all their hits by heart and I did enjoy learning about their journey from the beginning to the end- and a little beyond. The group’s songs captured a time and place, a balanced sentiment woven through them that spoke to a generation of people in a plain, open way that everyone could relate to and that’s what I’ll always remember about them…

Overall, a solid, informative biography.

3.5 stars… (lisätietoja)

A Song For Everyone: The Story Of Creedence Clearwater Revival (2022) by John Lingan. I’ve managed to read a large assortment of books by or about rock stars or their bands. All have left me with both a greater insight as to the workings of the band, and a fog of insight as to the actual people involved in the bands. This is a well written, well researched book that leaves me with only a few things to take away.
First and foremost, CCR never was and never will be from the swamps of America’s south lands. They came together as four teens living outside San Francisco. It seems the swamper affectation came about due to John’s writing and his singing style. After all, they sounded like one teen’s idea of what a swamp band might sound like, especially if you didn’t listen to country music and have the opportunity to hear the real thing.
Second is that the music wasn’t new, it was a throwback to the 50’s and 60’s sound coming from the studios of Stax, Sun, Motown and many other studios, translating that sound through a suburban white mind. The were not stealing the sound or the concepts, merely transforming them into something more homogenous for a hoped for audience.
Then comes the niche they found for themselves. They were industrious young men who spent far more time honing their craft than going to parties. It seems, when they did go to parties, they were the entertainment and they acted like hired workers. Show up on time, be prepared, play their agreed to set, and leave. They might have drinks after the show, but not before or during.
The fourth thing, but probably the greatest thing, was John’s abilities. A master writer, producer, singer, player of multiple instruments, it seemed like he knew no boundaries John was unstoppable on stage or off. From being asked to join the original members to taking complete control, he was responsible for the rise of CCR.
But that was also the worst thing. John’s need to do it all managed to cut out and ostracize his band mates. They could add nothing to the recordings and only managed to get into the act when they were on-stage. But it didn’t stop there. John dealt with all aspects of the band’s touring and booking. But the worst was in his need to deal with the record company, Fantasy, And by Fantasy we are talking Saul Zaentz. John Fogerty has been ranting on about his relationship with Zaentz for decades, but John only need look to the mirror to see who is at fault. If John had managed to reign in his ego long enough to ask Stu Cook’s father, a well respected West Coast lawyer, to either step in or refer the boys to another lawyer, everyone would probably have been far happier. It is a sign that when you go in to contract negotiations and come out worse then you were, you should have gone to a professional.
All he had to do was ask Stu to talk to his father.
This book does not harp on any of these things, merely points to them in passing. This is the story of a band that shot to the top, had a long list of hit singles that still populate the Rock airwaves and crop up in film after film, and then fell apart. There are many to blame for this, but instead of dwelling on that, Mr. Lingan paints the backdrop to this combo’s story. San Francisco during the rising of the hippies and drop-outs. Psychedelia in all its many forms, from music to clothing to drugs and attitudes about the world. Riots and sit-in, protests both peaceful and violent, Vietnam and horrible politicians. Somehow CCR managed to sound like they were involved with it all yet stayed aloof from what was happening all around them. After all, their music was rehashed sounds and feelings set to a guttural growl and a bashing percussion sound, a sound that managed to speak to all strata of people about the world and music that allowed the average person to feel that CCR was speaking for them..
Their songs will last long after they are gone.
One or two more things to add. John Fogerty, although he was asked, did not allow himself to be interviewed for this book, while Doug Clifford and Stu Cook did. Tom Fogerty had passed on in 1990.
His brother John did not see him in the hospital.… (lisätietoja)

A Song For Everyone by John Lingan exceeded my expectations on several levels. Informative, wonderful reading, and for those who bought the CCR records as they were released quite nostalgic.

Probably the biggest factor that will draw in many readers, aside from CCR fans, is the engaging quality of the writing. It is not quite conversational but as close as it probably should be for a cultural history told through the story of a classic band. Each chapter feels self-contained at the same time that it propels you into the next chapter.

The story of the individuals that made up the band is woven into the story of the band itself. The backgrounds are explored enough to illustrate how they contributed to the dynamics of the group without trying to be four complete biographies. To the extent possible I think Lingan tried, and mostly succeeded, to present a balanced view of the people in the band. When a group has as acrimonious a breakup as they had, and for the surviving members still have, it is hard to not be biased a little toward some side(s) even if you understand the other sides. I think keeping this book focused primarily on the thirteen year history of the band helps with that.

Of particular interest for those who might not be big CCR fans is how the period of the late fifties through the early seventies is presented. The story of Creedence Clearwater Revival shouldn't be told in a vacuum, and Lingan doesn't do so. From simply offering context about what was happening in the wider world while they were getting started to how the events of the day began to influence them, this is a nice cultural history of the period.

I would recommend this to anyone with either an interest in the music (of CCR or of the period) or an interest in the social and cultural history of that time. For those of us who remember all or most of those events, this is a fascinating trip back to that time from a different perspective than most of us had.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (lisätietoja)