by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Another in a long list of fun and inessential Creedence Clearwater Revival compilations, Creedence Covers the Classics rounds up the 12 covers CCR released on their albums over the years. Hits aren't plentiful — only "Suzy Q" and "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," both here in single edits — but there are plenty of great tracks here, music that showcases CCR's range. Old Sun rockabilly from Roy Orbison ("Ooby Dooby") and Elvis ("My Baby Left Me") sit alongside spooky R&B ("I Put a Spell on You"), blues ("Before You Accuse Me"), testifying soul ("The Night Time Is the Right Time"), sweet pop from Ricky Nelson ("Hello Mary Lou") and raveups from Little Richard ("Good Golly Miss Molly") and Leadbelly folk turned swamp choogle. While it might be hard to discern who this is for — casual fans want the hits, the hardcore know this — it's still a ripping good time, a perfect party record for any occasion.