Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cosmo's Factory (side A)

Perhaps the strangest thing about Cosmo's Factory is the reference to "Actors in the White House" from "Ramble Tamble"—1970 was 10 years before Ronald Reagan's election. I remain amazed by Creedence's ability to make timeless albums in such rapid succession, with Cosmo's Factory quickly following 3 albums in 1969. It includes a few blues and soul covers, but the consistency of Fogerty's songwriting given this prolific pace is still hard to fathom. Two extended songs ("I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "Ramble Tamble") reflect an evolution in the band's arranging style, and a few extra instruments like horns and what sounds like piano also show efforts to extend the basic CCR formula. The cover image is funny and memorable with a great font over it, and the drums here have a bit more kick than on the earlier albums.