By the time 1970 was wrapping up, Creedence Clearwater Revival was essentially the biggest band in the world. They were out-selling the Beatles. Seriously. But if you look at the cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival Pendulum, something feels off. The four guys from El Cerrito are sitting in a semi-circle, looking somber, almost like they’re at a wake for their own career.
Honestly, they kind of were.
Pendulum is a strange beast. It’s the sixth studio album by the band, and it’s the last one to feature the original lineup. Most people remember "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?"—which is a masterpiece, obviously—but the rest of the record is this experimental, Hammond organ-heavy trip that doesn't sound like the "swamp rock" that made them famous. It was the moment the clock started ticking toward the end.
The Pressure Cooker of 1970
You’ve gotta realize how fast these guys were moving. John Fogerty was a machine. In just two years, the band released five classic albums. Bayou Country, Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys, and Cosmo’s Factory all hit like a sledgehammer. But John was also the manager. He was the producer. He was the only songwriter.
He was everything.
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The other members—Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford—were starting to feel like session musicians in their own band. They wanted a say. They wanted to write. John’s response? He basically told them to keep up or get out. This tension is baked into every note of the Creedence Clearwater Revival Pendulum sessions. They recorded the whole thing in about a month at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, which was actually the longest they’d ever spent on an album.
What makes Pendulum different?
If you put on Green River, you get that grit. You get the "chooglin" guitar. But Pendulum opens with "Pagan Baby," a six-minute-plus jam that feels more like a heavy blues-rock workout than a radio hit.
Then there’s the instrumentation. John started playing a ton of saxophone. He brought in a vocal choir. There are keyboards everywhere. It was a conscious effort to prove that CCR wasn't just a "singles band" for the AM radio crowd. They wanted to be "serious" artists.
- No Covers: This is the only CCR album where every single track is an original John Fogerty composition. No Dale Hawkins or Little Richard covers to hide behind.
- The Organ: The Hammond B3 is the secret lead instrument of this record. It gives tracks like "It’s Just a Thought" a haunting, progy vibe that most fans didn't expect.
- The Lyrics: John’s writing got darker. He wasn't just singing about riverboats anymore; he was singing about the band falling apart.
Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (The Breakup Anthem)
It’s the biggest song on the album. It’s a karaoke staple now, but at the time, it was a funeral march. When John sings about the "rain coming down on a sunny day," he’s not talking about the weather. He’s talking about the fact that CCR was at the absolute top of the charts—the sun was shining—but everyone was miserable.
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Tom Fogerty, John’s older brother, was done. He couldn't take the "dictatorship" anymore. Shortly after Creedence Clearwater Revival Pendulum was released in December 1970, Tom quit. He walked away from the biggest band in America because he just wanted to be a person again, not a cog in the Fogerty hit-making factory.
The album still went Platinum. It hit Number 5 on the Billboard charts. But the "magic" was leaking out of the bag.
Is Pendulum actually a good album?
That depends on who you ask. Some critics at the time hated it. They thought the experimental stuff, like the avant-garde "Rude Awakening #2," was pretentious garbage. That track is literally six minutes of sound effects and weirdness. It’s CCR trying to do their own "Revolution 9," and yeah, it’s a bit of a tough listen.
But then you have "Molina." It’s a short, punchy rocker with a killer sax solo. It’s classic Creedence. "Hey Tonight" is another one—pure energy, high-octane vocals, and that driving rhythm that Doug and Stu were famous for.
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Basically, the album is a tug-of-war.
On one side, you have the "Old CCR" trying to keep the party going. On the other side, you have John Fogerty trying to evolve into a complex, multi-instrumentalist composer who didn't need anyone else.
The Tracklist breakdown:
- Pagan Baby – Long, loud, and guitar-heavy.
- Sailor’s Lament – A bit of a soul/gospel vibe.
- Chameleon – Super underrated. Great groove.
- Have You Ever Seen The Rain – You know this one. It’s perfect.
- (Wish I Could) Hideaway – Very emotional, very "organ-y."
- Born to Move – A funkier side of the band.
- Hey Tonight – A total banger.
- It's Just a Thought – Moody and slow.
- Molina – Pure fun.
- Rude Awakening #2 – The "what were they thinking?" track.
Why it matters in 2026
Looking back, Pendulum is the bridge to the end. After Tom left, the band tried to stay together as a trio. They eventually made Mardi Gras, which is widely considered one of the worst albums in rock history because John forced the other guys to write their own songs as a sort of "be careful what you wish for" punishment.
But Creedence Clearwater Revival Pendulum still has the fire. It’s the last time the "four guys from the factory" actually worked together on a full project. Even if they were fighting, the chemistry between Doug’s drumming and Stu’s bass was still the best in the business.
If you've only ever listened to the Chronicle greatest hits album, you're missing the context. You're missing the sound of a band trying to outrun their own shadows.
Actionable ways to experience Pendulum today:
- Listen to the 40th Anniversary Remaster: The bass is way punchier, and you can really hear the detail in the Hammond organ parts.
- A-B Test "Hey Tonight" and "Pagan Baby": Notice the difference between the 2-minute pop perfection and the 6-minute jam. It shows the two worlds the band was living in.
- Watch the "Travelin' Band" Documentary: It gives a great look at the atmosphere during the 1970 European tour right before this album was made.
- Check out the B-sides: The expanded editions have some weird stuff like "45 Revolutions Per Minute," which is basically the band goofing off in the studio. It’s a rare glimpse of them actually having fun before the lawyers took over.
Don't just skip to the hits. Put the needle down on "Pagan Baby" and let it play all the way through to the weirdness of "Rude Awakening #2." It's not a perfect record, but it's an honest one. It captures a moment in time when the biggest band in the world was slowly, loudly, and beautifully breaking apart.