Premonition (Live 1997)

Upon its release in the spring of 1997, John Fogerty's long-awaited comeback album Blue Moon Swamp was lavished with praise -- it didn't become the crossover hit that Centerfield was, but it earned great reviews and a solid cult audience. Furthermore, his tour -- his first ever to feature classic Creedence material -- was, if anything, even better received than Blue Moon Swamp, so it made some sense that he quickly released Premonition, his first solo live album, in 1998. Premonition is frighteningly good -- Fogerty doesn't sound like a veteran rocker, he sounds nearly as powerful as he did on old Creedence live shows. He also sounds more mature, bringing increased depth to his older songs as he energizes recent material, from "The Old Man Down the Road" to "Swamp River Days." Premonition is essentially the province of dedicated Fogerty fans -- there's only one new song, and the differences in the live performances are things only the hardcore will spot -- but they'll be delighted with the quality of the music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine