Moody River

Background

"Moody River" is the eighth 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. 

John Fogerty didn't think twice about recording Pat Boon's romantic tragedy about a woman who drowns herself after being unfaithful to her man. "'Moody River' is a wonderful murder ballad, and Pat sang his butt off on that one," Fogerty reasoned his choice in a couple of interviews (Randy Lewis, The Los Angeles Times, September 2nd, 2009; Edna Gundersen, USA Today, October 19th, 2009).

Personnel

Vocals, acoustic guitar: John Fogerty

Electric guitar: Buddy Miller

Mandolin, steel guitar: Greg Leisz

Drums: Jay Bellerose

Bass: Dennis Crouch

Backing vocals: Jason Mowery, 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. 

Live versions

Fogerty has never played "Moody River" live in concert. 

Critical reception

"One of the album's great curiosities, though, is the murder ballad Moody River, popularized by Pat Boone in 1961. Fogerty maintains a similarly spry tempo with chirpy mandolin and guitar melodies that fly in the face of the song's frightful lyrics. It is one of the most stunning treats on an album that purposefully avoids forward motion. Rides Again instead favors an unapologetic but altogether gentler glance backward at the roots inspirations behind one of our most tireless rock 'n' roll warriors." -Walter Tunis, The Lexington Herald Leader, August 31st, 2009. 

"--- in reprising the Kendalls' big country hit "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" and Pat Boone's No. 1 single "Moody River," he makes the case that beneath the stiff arrangements of the original recordings lurked a great, deeply unsettling narrative." -Greg Kot, The Chicago Tribune, September 1st, 2009.

"'Moody River' --- benefits from some excellent harmony vocals that make it one of the more upbeat murder ballads I’ve heard." -The Sounds Country, September 15th, 2009.

Fans' views

"--- a surprise to me because I was wondering how John would pull this one off and I like it. John doing Pat Boone just boggled my mind but I like John's sound and this one is a better recording than the original. Similar in theme to Endless Sleep."

previous | next