The Blue Ridge Rangers - The Blue Ridge Rangers

The Blue Ridge Rangers came out a year after the final CCR album Mardi Gras, which marked the end of an era. I cannot imagine the pressure applied to a still young John Fogerty (28) to replicate the magic he had created with his previous band. While Mardi Gras was a gold-selling record, I suspect that was more the general public's muscle memory, as it is generally considered the nadir of the band's output.

I suspect there were words exchanged when The Blue Ridge Rangers was the vehicle John was going with for his first "solo" effort. There were no original songs, and the songs were decidedly country. The only song that even came close to evoking some of that Fogerty charm was Hank Williams's "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)," and even then it wasn't swamp rock. I wonder if the idea was to have this be a crossover in the country market. By going with an alias, the album would sink or float on its own merits.

I don't know if there was ever an insert with lyrics and credits, but from what I've read the album was performed by John, which answers the question "Why do the silhouettes all look alike?" If the goal was to distance himself from his Creedence past, the album succeeded. I guess the hint was the lone credit on the back cover: Arranged and Produced by John Fogerty.

Many years ago, forty now to be exact, when Centerfield came out I remember rummaging in the bins, seeing John Fogerty The Blue Ridge Rangers, and asking my buddy Andy, who was a musical walking encyclopedia, if he knew about the album. He did, and the general sense I got from his reaction was it was best if I avoided getting it.

I'll admit I was always curious about this one, and when I happened to find a copy attributed solely to The Blue Ridge Rangers I couldn't resist. Yeah, there was ringwear on the cover and the album had seen some miles, but it cleaned up remarkably well.

Several of the songs were fairly engaging, but I can see how the general public took a pass on it. It's more a curiosity than anything. While it is enjoyable, especially when considering John performed all the parts, it's just not what you expect from John Fogerty. Andy was right. Twenty-two-year-old me would not have gotten through the first side. Ten-year-old me never knew this existed, and me at sixty-one (I'm almost sixty-two, but hey, I'm not in a hurry) is far more forgiving, and I really did enjoy this, although it's not something I'll revisit very often ... if at all.

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