Proud Mary, a song about a riverboat of that name, was the single that established Creedence Clearwater Revival as a force to be reckoned with. It made the top ten in Britain and did even better in America, where it became the first of several Creedence Clearwater Revival singles to reach the top three. Curiously, they eventually had a number one hit in Britain (Bad moon rising, from a later album) but never reached the very top in America, where they were far more popular.
Supported by a cover of Good golly Miss Molly, the rock'n'roll classic, and several great original songs including Born on the bayou, Keep on chooglin', Penthouse pauper and Graveyard train, this album laid down a marker. It gave the public a clear message that Creedence Clearwater Revival was different from what had gone before. Although all the members were born in California, the group had absorbed a variety of influences, including some from Louisiana, prior to hitting the big time.
While this is not their best original album (that distinction belongs to Cosmo's factory), it provides a fine sampling of Creedence Clearwater Revival's music and all committed fans of the group need this album in their collection.