As the drummer of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Doug “Cosmo” Clifford saw the group release over two dozen hit singles, seven studio albums, and tour the world as headliners, including Woodstock in 1969. In the years that followed, the drummer released a solo album and joined CCR bassist Stu Cook in the Don Harrison Band. In the 1980s, he began to focus his creative energies on producing album projects. His concept was to assemble top-shelf players, write an album’s worth of original songs, then record, mix and master the album. And after each project was completed, the masters were archived and safely stored away. In 2020, he came across some old recordings, cleaned them up, and issued a 10-song album called Magic Window. For 2021, he’s got another one called For All The Money In The World.
Together with Steven Wright, best known as the bassist with the Greg Kihn Band, Clifford co-wrote and played drums on all 11 songs. The title track opens the record with a sweet clean guitar lead over the top of singer Keith England’s growl. “I Need Your Lover” is an archetypical 80s track with big keys over muted guitar, Cosmo’s snapping snare, and wild, high-flying backing vocals upfront in the mix. Though it’s been dated, it’s a solid little tune, proving good songs last the span of ears.
“Lost Pride Fever” is the first of four songs that guitar master Joe Satriani wails through. He lays out even riffing across “You Keep Runnin’ Away.” Both tunes showcase Satriani as much as some subtle organ playing from Tim Gorman. We get the first real upfront playing from Wright as he pops his growly sounding bass through this echoey, slide-led barn-burner.
Clifford and Wright (who died in 2017) managed some tight songwriting on For All The Money In The World. There are plenty of moments where you feel you are listening to something written, played, and produced back when MTV was in full blush. One wonders, had Cosmo managed to open his vault back then, he might have given bands like Huey Lewis and The News or even Wright’s old partner Greg Kihn a run for their money.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
