Rattlesnake Highway

Background

“Rattlesnake Highway” is the fifth track on Blue Moon Swamp, the fifth solo album of John Fogerty. It came out in May 1997. The cut was written, produced and arranged by John Fogerty, engineered by John Lowson and mixed by Bob Clearmountain. The album peaked at #37 in the USA, #1 in Finland and #8 in Australia. It also won Best Rock Album at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998,

Personnel

Lap steel guitar, electric sitar, vocals: John Fogerty

Bass: Bob Glaub

Drums: Kenny Aronoff

Percussion: Luis Conté

Cuban percussionist Luis Conté has played in sessions and toured with Madonna, Phil Collins, Pat Metheny and James Taylor, just to list a few. Bass player Bob Glaub has played with an incredible range of rock musicians. Drummer Kenny Aronoff came to Blue Moon Swamp sessions in 1995. "Rattlesnake Highway" is one of the five cuts on the album where he contributed with a drum track (John Fogerty, Fortunate Son, 2015). 

Equipment

"Rattlesnake Highway" and "Rambunctious Boy" are the only songs in the catalogue of John Fogerty in which he played electric sitar.  The instrument Fogerty used on "Rattlesnake Highway" was an old Coral sitar. Fogerty commented on the sitar: "That's somewhat subtle; you can almost smell the patchouli oil on it. Those instruments have got great necks; you can play the heck out of  them! I played one in a studio for a couple of days, and found that a little of that sound would go a long way." (Willie G. Moseley, Interview with John Fogerty, The Vintage Guitar, August 1997). 

Production notes

Fogerty used a room sound in "Rattlesnake Highway". It's familiar from older records. He spent a lot of time to try out all of his guitars and amps. He eventually used a 1967 Stratocaster through a 100-watt Marshall Plexi, circa 1968. There was a certain place he and the studio crew could put it and they used three microphones, one right on the amp and two more inspecific places (Rick Clark, Interview with John Fogerty, The Mix, October 1997). 

Live versions

John Fogerty has never played "Rattlesnake Highway" live on stage.  

Critical reception

"--- a worn-out blues riff and a half-empty tank of gas ---." -Robert Wilonsky, The Dallas Observer, June 5th, 1997. 

"The pallid funker "Rattlesnake Highway" sounds like one of those bad Eagles songs off of The Long Run." -Bill Wyman, The San Francisco Weekly, July 16th, 1997. 

Fans' views

"I'm also a fan of Rattlesnake Highway. I don't see anything wrong with the occasional angry song - most of us get angry sometimes. I like playing it when I'm in a bad mood. I like those words - "Smiles like a cobra, With those rattlesnake eyes, Leaves you for dead on the highway, Just mumblin' at the sky." That's just so John - he calls a spade a spade, and I like that."

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