Quick Hits- Daft Punk and John Fogerty

I couldn't really get into Daft Punk's Random Access Memories as much as I was hoping to.  There are some catchy songs, but there are some awfully repetitive ones and some just plain worn-out concepts.  "Instant Crush" repeats its refrain to the point of exhaustion similar. "Touch", while having an intriguing beginning, becomes pretty soggy by the time it's (over)done.  "Giorgio By Moroder" uses an interesting technique:  Moroder introduces himself and explains how he got into music, and then the song kicks into gear.  It's one of the best tracks on the album, but perhaps DP would have been better served spreading this into two tracks, as repeated listening of the intro gets a bit annoying.  The last few songs are the strongest (concluding with "Contact", which sounds like a space shuttle's re-entry to Earth) and leave a good impression in the listener's memory, but the middle of RAM prevents it from being great.







I was surprised by how much I really got into Wrote A Song For Everyone, which features John Fogerty reworking his Creedence Clearwater Revival songs with other artists.  I think I've heard CCR on the radio about as much as I've heard John Mellencamp, which means that they're pretty burned into my brain.  I didn't have high expectations when I started listening, mostly because I've seen Fogerty perform his songs live on television a few times and he seemed pleasant enough, but kind of bland and boring.

I was thrilled that Fogerty really let his collaborators give their flavor to his songs, and having him in on it still lets in some of the original flavor.  Fogerty mostly trades verses on these songs, and it's a fired-up Fogerty.  The Foo Fighters rock the opening "Fortunate Son", Zac Brown Band lends their jammy country sounds to "Bad Moon Rising", and the title track is a soulful collaboration with Miranda Lambert and Tom Morello.  Fogerty sounds like he's having a blast, and Wrote A Song is a treat to listen to.  It's also an excellent choice for a long drive, as most of the songs are upbeat and pretty free-wheeling.