This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Sometimes you get the sense that John Fogerty can take the recording studio or leave it. And lately, he seems to prefer to leave it — his last studio release arrived seven years ago, and it came 11 years after its predecessor.
But if you think Fogerty spends all that downtime tirelessly honing his songs, think again. If his sixth solo disc Deja Vu All Over Again is anything to go by, the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman prefers not to overthink his approach.
These 10 songs add up to one of the most easygoing and understated efforts Fogerty has issued. Depending on your view, it’s also one of his most representative discs — or his most predictable. Either way, this set of familiar fare suits its title. You’ve got the rockabilly of Honey Do, the rangy bayou rock of Wicked Old Witch, the folky-pop of Sugar-Sugar (In My Life), the punky burst of She’s Got Baggage, the antiwar anthem title cut (which borrows from CCR’s Have You Ever Seen the Rain?), and the amiable country-blues of I Will Walk With You and Rhubarb Pie.
What you don’t get, though, is a high-powered chartbuster like The Old Man Down the Road. Or any sign that Fogerty cares about writing that kind of material anymore. Whether you care or not might help you decide whether to take Deja Vu or leave it.
