This live album is a release from 2022, together with a 40 minute movie on Netflix (not in the Netherlands, alas) about the concert. The recordings themselves had taken place on the date advertised on the cover, finding John Fogerty’s band at the height of their power. The British competitors had split up, leaving the swamp rockers the biggest group on the planet.
Or so says voiceover Jeff Bridges in the movie. But is that likely? This was also the era of the Rolling Stones, Santana, Led Zep and the end of Simon & Garfunkel. Was CCR better than those big names? Sales numbers from the time are sketchy, and limited to the US anyway. And how do we measure success anyway?
What is certain is that Creedence had a short period of incredible success. In just four years they made seven studio albums, three of which were in the top ten in 1970. In 1970 they had no less than ten hit singles on Billboard. That year’s Cosmo’s Factory stayed at number 1 of the Billboard 200 for a staggering 9 weeks. It was hard to get around the screaming voice of Fogerty if you didn’t like it! It is that kind of density of output that is unprecedented. Even the most successful bands take decades to reach that level.
Without better proof, saying they were the biggest is a little pretentious. Of course, it does sell the movie, especially if you compare them to the ever present Beatles.