Von Wiley Brothers

Lacking slightly the fidelity of later live recordings, this set captures something not present in the rest. That is, a real relaxed feel and enjoyment in the playing. This set is not performed at the speeded up pace of the 1975 Greek Theater, LA show that included Michael McDonald. Something about the latter live show leaves me cold, while this earlier one is much easier to get into, including the frequent interruptions for tuning. I just love it. They do all the best songs on The Captain and Me, still their strongest lp, and a few others from Toulouse Street with a lot of heart and early enthusiasm. It’s just a pleasure to hear this great band performing with their whole heart before the touring and fame wore them down a bit.

The documentary of the 1970 Royal Albert Hall performance shows it in its entirety. It gives viewers a new way to fully appreciate the previously released record, which was always held in high regard. Interviews with band members during the tour tell a little story about each of them, which sets up the music segment very well. Jeff Bridges narrates the film. Everyone that heard the record when it was released knew it was a smokin’ set. Several tunes were performed at an even FASTER tempo than the original recordings. However, seeing them live on stage at Royal Albert Hall in 1970, it’s the musicianship and tightness of the band that really comes through. They are locked in—particularly Stu, Doug and Tom—allowing Tom’s brother John Fogerty to go off, playing lead guitar, harmonica and singing. The group’s tightness made them special and may be fully appreciated here. They launch into several numbers at full velocity from the first note demonstrating their virtuosity. Hard to do—unless you’re The Allman Brothers Band who had nothing on Creedence. All the band’s energy is confined to making each tune as clean and note-perfect as possible. There’s no stage patter until they announce the last number, “Keep on Chooglin’”. Like Miles Davis, the band’s lack of interaction does not detract from the way the RAH audience or viewers respond to the music; this performance is all about the music—however short the concert—around 40 minutes. Some may see the similarity between these performances and the recorded LP versions as a negative. I would argue, the RAH versions are as powerful as the radio classics. Watching them sing and play them with so much heart and fervor enhances fans’ appreciation of the records. It’s a great performance which the documentary does not overpower, giving viewers a chance to sit back and evaluate without narration or instruction. I doubt any CCR fans will be disappointed. Anyone on the fence may be converted. —Monty Orrick