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The acrimony between CCR front man John Fogerty, who wrote nearly all the songs, and the rest of the band is the stuff of legend. After disbanding in 1973 the original lineup reunited only once, in 1980, for rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty’s wedding. Now and then over the next decade John Fogerty worked informally with an old bandmate or two, but by the time CCR was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993–three years after Tom died from AIDS contracted via blood transfusion–his relationship with the surviving members was such that he refused to play at the ceremony with them, instead hiring session cats to back him.
That cleared the way for deluxe reissues of the six classic albums CCR made between 1968 and 1970, an astonishing burst of creativity. The label passed on the band’s final album, the mediocre Mardi Gras, which featured other members singing and contributing tunes. They came out in September on Fantasy with bonus tracks and new liner notes.
