Throughout 1969 and into 1970, CCR toured incessantly and recorded nearly
as much. Appropriately, Cosmo's Factory's first single was the working
band's anthem "Travelin' Band," a funny, piledriving rocker
with a blaring horn section -- the first indication their sonic palette
was broadening. Two more singles appeared prior to the album's release,
backed by John Fogerty originals that rivaled the A-side or paled just
slightly. When it came time to assemble a full album, Fogerty had only
one original left, the claustrophobic, paranoid rocker "Ramble Tamble."
Unlike some extended instrumentals, this was dramatic and had a direction
-- a distinction made clear by the meandering jam that brings CCR's version
of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" to 11 minutes. Even if
it wanders, their take on the Marvin Gaye classic isn't unpleasant, and
their faithful, exuberant takes on the Sun classics "Ooby Dooby"
and "My Baby Left Me" are joyous tributes. Still, the heart
of the album lays in those six fantastic songs released on singles. "Up
Around the Bend" is a searing rocker, one of their best, balanced
by the menacing murkiness of "Run Through the Jungle." "Who'll
Stop the Rain"'s poignant melody and melancholy undertow has a counterpart
in Fogerty's dope song, "Lookin' out My Back Door," a charming,
bright shuffle, filled with dancing animals and domestic bliss - he had
never been as sweet and silly as he is here. On "Long as I Can See
the Light," the record's final song, he again finds solace in home,
anchored by a soulful, laid-back groove. It hits a comforting, elegiac
note, the perfect way to draw Cosmo's Factory -- an album made during
stress and chaos, filled with raging rockers, covers, and intense jams
-- to a close.
(by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All
Music Guide)
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