I Can't Take It No More

Background

"I Can't Take It No More" is the tenth track of Revival, the eight solo album of John Fogerty with new material. It was also his first CD with previously unreleased songs since rejoining Fantasy Records in 2005. The piece was written, arranged and produced by John Fogerty and recorded by Jim Scott, Seth Presant and Ryan Freeland at NRG Recording in North Hollywood. The album was released in October 2007. It reached #14 in the USA, #5 in Sweden and #6 in Norway.  

A 99-second song of outrage, "I Can't Take It No More", slaps at George W. Bush explicitly. It was literally this punk energy thing that came out of him in reaction to some thing he heard in the news (Art Thompson, Interview with John Fogerty, The Guitar Player, March 2008).

Personnel

Vocals, guitar: John Fogerty

Guitar: Hunter Perrin

Bass: David Santos

Drums, percussion: Kenny Aronoff

Trivia

During an interview with John Fogerty on September 27th, 2007, Jim Ladd of KLOS, Los Angeles, played the song twice in a row. 

Live versions

The world premiere of the live version of "I Can't Take It No More" took place on TV. John Fogerty played it in a medley together with "Long Dark Night" on The Late Show with David Lettterman on October 3rd, 2007 - one day after the release of Revival. 

As for regular concerts, Fogerty delivered "I Can't Take It No More" for the first time on the opening leg of the Revival Tour at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on November 2nd, 2007. He delivered the number live on stage regularly until summer 2009. The medley of two songs was always started with "Long Dark Night". 

"I Can't Take It No More" was also added to the set list in the PBS Soundstage  TV concert Fogerty and the band recorded at WTTW Studios in Chicago on November 29th, 2007. It was aired in the USA on February 7th and 14th next year.  

Fogerty also played "I Can't Take It No More" at Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, on June 24th, 2008, but it wasn't included in the Comin' Down the Road DVD filmed at the venue. 

Critical reception

"Even when Fogerty strays from his standard template, he still remains firmly connected to his peers and his followers. He traces his influence as well as his interests across the generations, delivering a Chuck Berry-inspired motif with a punk-ish fury on the assaulting, anti-war anthem I Can’t Take It No More and providing a faint undercurrent of reggae to River Is Waiting." -John Metzger, The Music Box, September 25th, 2007. 

"Then, barely pausing to draw breath, Fogerty roars into the vehement anti Iraq war tirade “I Can’t Take It No More”: a breakneck tirade that says more in 1 minute 38 seconds than the whole of Neil Young’s lumbering ‘Living With War’ album." -Gavin Martin, The Uncut, October 2nd, 2007.

"And for anyone who ever wondered what would happen if the Ramones and CCR joined forces, there’s the one minute, 39 second thrash tune “I Can’t Take It No More"." -Phil Gallo, Variety, October 2nd, 2007.  

"'Long Dark Night' and 'I Can't Take It No More' are enraged, direct hits on the reigning fortunate son. But Fogerty's documentary roots rock was always rebel music, a counterculture of factory-floor politics via Hank Williams and Dale Hawkins." -David Fricke,The Rolling Stone, October 4th, 2007. 

"Yes, “I Can’t Take It No More” is a blistering, scathing screamer that lashes out at an unpopular war just like “Fortunate Son” (the former even references the latter). However, to compare the newer tracks with the older ones only result in seeing Fogerty’s newest songs as pale imitations of his classics which they aren’t." -Michael Franco, The Pop Matters, October 10th, 2007. 

"He lets loose most on "Can't Take It No More", which is the most frantic and fiery of the anti-Bush rockers. The chorus, "I'm sick and tired of your dirty little war / I can't take it no more", almost begs some Democrat to pick it up and run with it as their campaign anthem, but no one will have the balls to. Fogerty calls out the president Creedence style, "I bet you never saw the ol' school yard / I bet you never saw the National Guard / Your daddy wrote a check, and there you are / Another fortunate son", on the stormy two-minute guitar-focused strut." -Chad Grischow, IGN, October 26th, 2007. 

"Nothing more to say about “It Ain’t Right” followed by “I Can’t Take It No More,” except to echo Dave Letterman --- and add that I have never in my life been so thrilled and delighted and enjoyed myself more in under three and a half minutes (with my clothes on)." -Charles Andrews, Audio Video Revolution, November 1st, 2007. 

Fans' views

"The edgy lyrics of Fortunate Son meets the super fast pace of Commotion. Another very short song 1:39. If he does this one live you'd better have ear protection."

"Even if you disagree with the politics, this is a fast paced Travellin' Band style rock track. All over in 1:39. This one ain't going on George Bush's Ipod, that's for sure. One of my favourite tracks on the album. Great guitar solo."

"I've heard a couple of comments about the more Ramones-ish type of 

tracks. I don't go for that. To me, those track (especially I Can't 

Take It No More) are more in the rock vein of 'Travelin' Band'. Just 

high energy rock n roll."

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