Cosmo's Factory

Cosmo's Factory
Studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Released	July 25, 1970
Recorded	1969-1970, Wally Heider's Studio, San Francisco, California
Genre	Roots rock
Length	42:28 (original) 53:19 (40th Anniversary Edition)
Label	Fantasy
Producer	John Fogerty
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (A) link Rolling Stone (Very Favorable) link
Creedence Clearwater Revival chronology
Willy and the Poor Boys (1969) Cosmo's Factory (1970) Pendulum (1970)

Cosmo's Factory is the fifth album by American band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in 1970.

The peak of a prolific streak, Cosmo's Factory was Creedence's fifth album in less than two years. It was a major commercial success, reaching #1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and featuring three top-5 singles; "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (US #2), "Travelin' Band" (US #2), and "Up Around the Bend" (US #4) were all big hits, the latter two released before they were included in this album. More amazingly, it also reached #11 on what was then the Billboard Soul Albums chart, a crossover feat nearly unheard of for a white pop/rock band. In Britain it was their only No. 1 album, entering the chart at that position. In 2003, the album was ranked number 262 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The name of the album comes from the warehouse in Berkeley where the band rehearsed. Bandleader John Fogerty was so insistent on practising (nearly every day) that drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford began referring to the place as "the factory".

Early pressings of the album contain a three-second dropout on the left stereo channel during "Before You Accuse Me" and an earlier mix of "Travelin' Band" with John Fogerty's first solo mixed behind the horn section.

Popular References

In the film The Big Lebowski, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski has a cassette of the album in his car stereo. One car scene features "Run Through the Jungle", while another scene depicting The Dude smoking Marijuana in his car is accompanied by "Lookin' Out My Back Door".

The song "Long As I Can See the Light" plays over the ending credits of the 2009 thriller State of Play.

Track listing

All songs written by John Fogerty, except where noted.

Side one

1. "Ramble Tamble" – 7:09
2. "Before You Accuse Me" (Bo Diddley) – 3:24
3. "Travelin' Band" – 2:07 ‡
4. "Ooby Dooby" (Wade Moore, Dick Penner) – 2:05
5. "Lookin' Out My Back Door" – 2:31
6. "Run Through the Jungle" – 3:09 †

Side two

1. "Up Around the Bend" – 2:40 †
2. "My Baby Left Me" (Arthur Crudup) – 2:17
3. "Who'll Stop the Rain" – 2:28 ‡
4. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) – 11:05
5. "Long as I Can See the Light" – 3:33

Note: All tracks recorded June 1970, except for † recorded March 1970 and ‡ recorded late 1969

40th Anniversary Edition CD bonus tracks

12. "Travelin' Band" (Remake Take) - 2:15
13. "Up Around the Bend" (Live in Amsterdam, 9/10/71) - 2:41
14. "Born on the Bayou" (Jam with Booker T. at Fantasy Studios) - 5:58

Personnel

• Doug Clifford - drums
• Stu Cook - bass
• John Fogerty - lead guitar, piano, saxophone, harmonica, vocals
• Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar

Production

• Producer: John Fogerty
• Recording engineer: Russ Gary
• Mastering supervisor: Tamaki Beck
• Mastering: Kevin Gray, Steve Hoffman, Shigeo Miyamoto
• Arranger: John Fogerty
• Cover design: Bob Fogerty
• Cover photo: Bob Fogerty
• Liner notes (CD): Robert Christgau

Charts

Singles

External links

• The single "Travelin' Band/Who'll Stop the Rain