REVIEWS

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

PENDULUM Craft Recordings (Half-Speed Master LP)

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MARDI GRAS Craft Recordings (Half-Speed Master LP)

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Half-speed mastered editions of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s final studio albums, 1970’s Pendulum and 1972’s Mardi Gras, have just been released. Both records were mastered by the award-winning engineer Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios and are now available in formats that replicate the albums’ original packaging.

The sound on both records is lifted to new sonic heights due to the exacting process of half-speed mastering. Using high-res transfers from the original analog tapes, the process involves playing back the audio at half its recorded speed while the cutting lathe is also turned to half the desired playback speed. The technique allows more time to cut a micro-precise groove, resulting in more accuracy with frequency extremes and dynamic contrasts. This provides the music with much more clarity and torque, and the accents are now sharp and crisp.

In the case of Pendulum, the half-speed makes this record (often considered their last great release) really shimmer. The music here is a mix between tight, in-the-pocket grooves and well-known hits. The band experimented on Pendulum by using horns, choirs and keyboard to great effect. They even took a swing at the psychedelic. Even with all of that, the album maintains a wonderful balance and delivered two memorable hits. These songs are oceans apart in style, “Hey Tonight” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” — and both continue to leave a remarkable impact on their entire catalog.

As for , the sound improvements don’t do much to improve the overall lackluster results of the record’s material. Their final album presents the band as a trio, having lost Tom Fogerty to a solo career. It also opened the door for bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford to not only bring forward music they had written, but to also front those songs by taking over lead vocals. This creates a disjointed affair that feels more like an assembled concession than a complete piece of art. In the end that makes