Paradise

Background

"Paradise" is the opening track of The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, the ninth solo album of John Fogerty with new material. The collection is a follow-up to Fogerty's first solo album The Blue Ridge Rangers which consisted of covers of old country and gospel tunes and came out in 1973.

Recording of The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again started in October 2008 at Village Recorders in Santa Monica with engineer Mike Piersante. The album was arranged and produced by John Fogerty. It was released in August 2009. The album peaked at #24 in the USA, #1 in Norway and #3 in Sweden. . 

It's hardly a pure coincidence that John Prine's "Paradise" from the year 1971 opens the album. Thematically, it reminiscents Creedence Clearwater's "Green River".  Both cuts describe childhood memories at the green river. Fogerty's watercourse is located at Putah Creek, California, and Prine's close to now-defunct Paradise town in western Kentucky. Prine's lyrics are just more environment concerned. 

Fogerty was most familiar with John Denver's version of the John Prine tune. "His sugarcoating made it even cooler, so the message sneaks up on you," said Fogerty at the time The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again came out (Edna Gundersen, Interview with John Fogerty, USA Today, October 19th, 2009).

Personnel

Vocals, acoustic guitar: John Fogerty

Electric guitar: Buddy Miller

Steel guitar: Greg Leisz

Bass: Dennis Crouch

Drums: Jay Bellerose

Dobro, fiddle, mandolin, backing vocals: Jason Mowery

Backing vocals: Jodie Kennedy

The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again was the second John Fogerty release featuring Jodie Kennedy on backing vocals. She debuted on the Comin' Down the Road live DVD. 

Trivia

"Down by the Green River where Paradise lay" is one of the lines of the lyrics of the song. 

Paradise, Green River, Muhlenberg County and Airdrie Hill are located in western Kentucky.   

Live versions

The world premiere of the live version was witnessed in the free open air concert at Pier 17, South Street Seaport, New York, on September 2nd, 2009. He also performed "Paradise" regularly on the subsequent tour in the USA in fall 2009 and occasionally in Europe in summer 2010.  Surprisingly, it made a one-off return to the setlist in Park City, Utah, on June 21, 2012. 

Critical reception

"Not surprisingly, Fogerty settles into his country surroundings with a self-assured grace, especially on John Prine's melancholy "Paradise," ---."  -The Billboard, August 24th, 2009.

"Even the well-worn John Prine classic Paradise and its demon images of coal-company shovels in Muhlenberg County sounds relaxed, with renewed emphasis on bluegrass acoustics. The environmental message, though, chimes loudly." -Walter Tunis, The Lexington Herald Leader, August 31st, 2009. 

"Done as a bluegrass-inflected romp, the album-opening take of "Paradise" is so exultant that it all but glosses over the wistful undercurrent of John Prine's lyrics." -Bill Friskics-Warren, The Washington Post, September 1st, 2009.

"John Prine’s “Paradise” and John Denver’s “Back Home Again” get the acoustic treatment with a bluegrass feel spiked by Leisz’s ace dobro work. Prine is a nice choice for the discerning country listener who might scoff at the inclusion of a John Denver song, but Fogerty’s earnestness makes the two sit naturally on the same record. In fact, Fogerty’s earnestness and obvious passion for these songs are what make this record work. These tunes are so dead simple that it would be impossible pull them off if you didn’t believe in them whole-heartedly, and John Fogerty leaves no room for doubt about that." -The Sounds Country, September 15th, 2009.

"The album opens with the thoroughly disappointing tune, "Paradise" which pretty much sets the lame crummy country music flavored tone for this album by Fogerty." -Paul Hooson, The Wizbang Pop, October 3rd, 2009.

Fans' views

"I really like John's arrangement and vocals on this one. A perfect lead song for this album. I wondered with John Prine's very folky arrangement how John would sound and I am not disappointed."

previous | next