John Fogerty Performs Creedence's Full 'Cosmo's Factory' and Hits in New York

Over the years, John Fogerty has played the Creedence Clearwater Revival hits in his shows as a solo performer. But on Thursday night in New York, the singer revisited his storied past in a more in-depth way as he and his band performed CCR's 1970 classic album 'Cosmo's Factory' in its entirety as part of a two-night stand at the Beacon Theatre. (Fogerty will play CCR's 'Green River' there tonight, Nov. 18).

To the fans, the live performance of 'Cosmo's Factory' was an opportunity to revisit Creedence for the full-album experience and not just for the memorable songs, which that record had a string of: 'Travelin' Band,' Marvin Gaye's classic 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine,' 'Up Around the Bend,' 'Lookin' Out My Back Door,' 'Run Through the Jungle' and 'Who'll Stop the Rain.' Fogerty did all those last night, but he also explored the other tracks from the record such as the hard-charging 'Ramble Tamble' that kicked off the evening and the rockabilly feel of 'Ooby Dooby,' previously recorded by Roy Orbison.

The show's momentum, however, didn't end after the reflective 'Long as I Can See the Light,' the last song off of 'Cosmo's Factory,' was played. Fogerty was just getting started as the second half of the set list drew more CCR classics and his solo work. He quickly launched into the popular baseball-centric 'Centerfield,' followed later by 'Born on the Bayou,' 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain' and 'The Old Man Down the Road.' Fogerty also threw in more covers: Orbison's 'Oh Pretty Woman,' Robert Palmer's 'Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)' and Little Richard's 'Good Golly Miss Molly.'

Despite the overall feel-good and nostalgic atmosphere exuded by the music, there were also sobering moments during show that served as reminders of the turbulent times in the past as well as the present. Footage of guns and messages about violence were projected onscreen as Fogerty performed 'Run Through the Jungle.' For 'Gunslinger,' there was a juxtaposition of images of Great Depression, modern-day protests and Western heroes. And during a performance of the fiery anthem 'Fortunate Son,' the screen showed footage of unrest and protests from the '60s. Those moments in the show demonstrated how much Fogerty's music captured the feel and the mood of the country then and now.

Augmented his earthy and folksy persona, sense of humor and heartfelt gratitude, Fogerty played more like a 20-year-old -- his voice hasn't aged and he played a mean guitar. His supporting band performed admirably as well, especially veteran drummer Kenny Aronoff. Overall, the music from the show and its accompanying images from the past just merely confirmed the relevance and timeliness of Fogerty's music in the over the last 40 years, and will continue to do so for another 40.