John Fogerty - Déjà vu All Over Again

I’m disappointed. When I first heard the title track on the radio, I expected a reflective product that chronicled Mr. Fogerty’s musical experiences. Rather, Déjà Vu All Over Again is a hokey attempt to resurrect music epochs that are better left forgotten. The album opens with the title track. “Déjà vu” is a sobering toe-tapper that likens the Iraq war to Vietnam. “Déjà vu” casts a strong resemblance to CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” The second track worth exploring is “I Will Walk With You.” On this number, Fogerty employs a bluegrass framework to deliver a catchy song that would make John Prine fans believe in déjà vu. “Nobody’s Here Anymore” invokes poor déjà vu memories of Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing.” But Mark Knofler’s guest appearance will really have you second-guessing. “She’s Got Baggage” and “Radar” recall 80’s power pop. Loud guitar drives the former while Synthesizers animate the later. “Sugar-Sugar,” “Honey Do,” and “Rhubarb Pie” are manufactured country sing-a-longs that are just as cheesy as their names may suggest. The last two tracks, “Wicked Old Witch” and “In the Garden” return John Fogerty to his swampy blues rock roots, but the haunted memories it took to get there leave too much of a scar for any real appreciation to stabilize. [www.johnfogerty.com]