As
long as were on the subject of mono mixes of classic rock we might
as well speak about The Singles Collection, by California country
/ rock and roll superstars Creedence Clearwater Revival. Featuring
30 songs spread over two CDs—including all the group’s charting
singles—The Singles Collection features a 16 page booklet
boasting liner notes from long time Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres,
who lived in the S.F. Bay area back in the Creedence heyday. No surprises
here—these songs were / are mostly all huge smash hit singles,
penned by Creedence founder John Fogerty, that are each deeply
ingrained into the classic American rock era of the late 20th century.
A key selling point here of course is that these are the stronger
sounding, yet not often heard, mono mixes that added even more punch
to the AM radio / jukebox sound that made Creedence such a household
word back by 1969. Also included in addition to the two CDs is a bonus
DVD featuring four very interesting, but never before available pre-MTV
videos of four Creedence classics—”I Heard It Through The
Grapevine," ”Bootleg,” “I Put A Spell On You”
and “Lookin’ Out My Backdoor.” In a move perhaps catering
to the group’s original fans or more likely those who missed
them or weren’t even born when CCR classics like “Proud
Mary” and “Green River” ruled the charts, Fantasy Records
/ Concord Music Group are also planning a limited edition collectors
edition of The Singles Collection, featuring the actual vinyl
45 rpm singles in their original picture sleeves, most of which are
depicted in a cool oversized color poster contained in the CD version
of The Singles Collection. www.ConcordMusicGroup.com
