Customer Rating: 
Summary: John Fogerty - Enough Said
Comment: Great album from the CCR genius. "Big Train from Memphis" and "And I Saw it on TV" are songs that the general public do not know and should know...they paint a great landscape for the US experience.
"Centerfield" makes me want to play baseball even the the February snows. "Rock and Roll Girls" and the "Old Man Down the Road" are just awesome. His best solo album!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Put me in Coach. I'm ready to play.
Comment: Probably on of the most unexpected comebacks on the 80's was this album. John Fogerty dropped "Centerfield" in early 1985, the same year Bruce Springsteen was dominating the world with Born in the U.S.A.. Prior to this, Fogerty's post CCR albums had not been wildly received, with his The Blue Ridge Rangers being released under a pseudonym and the second slipping through the cracks...followed by a nine year silence.
All that changed the moment the crackling riff from "The Old Man Down The Road" roared from MTV. Sounding more alive and energized than either of the solo LP's would have suggested was coming, it swamp-rocked it's way to the Top Ten, and driving "Centerfield" to number one. There was a lot of nostalgia here, as "Old Man" sounded so much like "Running Through The Jungle" that Fogerty's arch-nemesis at the time, Saul Zaentz, sued him for self-plagerization (Fogerty won). "Big Train From Memphis" memorialized Elvis, and the title track became appropriated by baseball teams nationwide. Fogerty was fired up, eager to prove his place in the rock pantheon, and filled with righteous indignation over his betrayal by Fantasy and his former bandmates. It made "Centerfield" feel good and effortless, a triumphant return of one of Rock and Roll's good guys.
But under closer scrutiny (and kind of like Springsteen's juggernaut), there is a dark streak to "Centerfield." "I Saw It On TV" took a direct shot at Richard Nixon, a broad swipe at Ronald Reagan and a not-so-optimistic glance at the way that the sixties seemed to be drifting into hazy nostalgia rather than a warning beacon we shouldn't let fade.
The old man rocks among his dreams, a prisoner of the porch;
'The light,' he says 'at the end of the tunnel,
Was nothin' but a burglar's torch.
And them that was caught in the cover are all rich and free,
But they chained my mind to an endless tomb
When they took my only son from me.'
Even meaner in spirit (and therefore, cooler) were the two potshots at Zaentz, for whom Fogerty all but spits upon in "Mr Greed" and "Vanz Can't Dance" (originally "Zanz" before a threatened lawsuit prompted a revision). That meanness turned to spite by the time Eye of the Zombie came out (and Fogerty went into another almost decade long hibernation), but when placed next to such good-timey fare like "Rock and Roll Girls" and the sheer rock joy of "Searchlight," the personal zingers were understandable. After all, Fantasy HAD screwed him over, and this was Fogerty's chance to vent. It wasn't until the 90's that he played a CCR song in public again, bitterly refusing to allow Zaentz a peeny of royalties. Having great new music made it all the more entertaining, as Fogerty hit the road with this album.
"Centerfield" remains Fogerty's best solo album and a highlight of the mid-eighties. He has also since come to terms with his past, and the terrific Revival is easily his best CD since this one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Digitally remastered makes for excellent sound.
Comment: Excellent sound (doesn't have the sound of an "old" CD). Priced a lot cheaper then what I could find at some retailers.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The "Searchlight" proudly shines on "Centerfield" 4.5 stars
Comment: As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various music supplies and recordings from the 60's and 70's.
On a cold winter day in January of 1985 John Fogerty's words ("Put me in coach") from the title track of his new release Centerfield miraculously warmed up the coldest home and heart with thoughts of spring and baseball once again.
Comeback is an interesting choice of words. On the one had we hadn't heard from a true musical genius in about a decade. On the other it almost diminishes his previous solo ventures. How about we say he surfaced again and brought us the following.
As the album was placed on the turntable for the first listen "The Old Man Down The Road" washed away the harshest critics doubt that the formula of a classic riff, the swamp rock vocals, and some of the tastiest guitar playing found on all sides of the Mississippi had somehow been diminished. A terrific opening track that achieved countless plays on the radio then and now puts Fogerty's stamp on a new era. "Rock And Roll Girls" isn't simply the strongest cut on the release but one of the most superlative songs written in the past twenty plus years. For three and one half minutes we are commandeered (Rather willingly) to the magical sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival circa 69. "Big Train (From Memphis)" has a well conceived sound somewhere between Elvis Presley and the country music of past decades. "I Saw It On T.V" gives us a history lesson in four minutes. The sincerity of the lyrics is haunting in presenting imagery at its finest. "Mr. Greed" turns the volume up enough notches to shake the house. Take it on the surface as a song attacking those that can never have too much or the more clandestine theme of Fogerty venting against his former boss Saul Zaentz of Fantasy Records. This would be a prelude of what would come in about eleven minutes down the road. "Searchlight" isn't far removed from the darkness and legendary Creedence tune "Sinister Purpose." If you counted the times "Centerfield" has been used as part of a promo for any of the organized baseball leagues (Especially Major League Baseball) it would reach infinity. You can proudly hear this composition flying high today on Classic Rock radio. "I Can't Help Myself" may be the most forgotten song of the nine but it isn't because of a sub-standard outcome. You are dealing with a plethora of competition. All the venom that has escalated in Fogerty over the years because of legal issues with Fantasy Records ran freely when the first version of "Zanz Kant Danz" made it to the final release. Saul Zaentz and court battle #234,567,189 for Fogerty forced John to change the title to "Vanz Kant Danz." Since the song had to be rerecorded the initial pressings have become a bit collectable.
It seems without comprehension that in another trip to the judges chambers Fogerty had to defend himself for sounding like John Fogerty. He was brought to court because "The Old Man Down The Road" sounded in the same realm as "Run Through The Jungle." Luckily the judge got this one right. A composer can't be liable for sounding like them self!
John it was good to see you again or should I say hear you.
Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"
Customer Rating: 
Summary: The Return of John Fogerty
Comment: I always thought of Creedence Clearwater Revival as the John Fogerty Show. The band was driven by his aggressive, skilled guitar playing, his strong singing, and his songs, many of which are enjoyable, even if on a lightweight level.
So, on the strength of AOR hits like Rock and Roll Girls, and Centerfield, we got this CD. Fogerty remains a good, but lightweight talent. Best tunes are the aforementioned Centerfield, one of his best, most enjoyable songs, and the often-played Rock and Roll Girls. Vanz Cant Danz is an interesting tune-tale about a pick pocket. Other than that, the overplayed "Old Man Down The Road" is recycled Creedence, Mr.Greed is an uncharacteristic whine about the evil boss man, and I saw it on TV is a lightweight commentary on the media.
If you really crave Fogerty, this is a good album; otherwise, opt for the livelier collection "Premonition."
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