This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - John Fogerty's "Rock and Roll Girls"

Usually when an artist produces music that riffs on his compositions of old, he might be accused of being a hack. But in rare cases, particularly that of Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman and mastermind John Fogerty, the songs are so good that any similarities they may bear to earlier efforts can easily be forgiven, even unnoticed. This sleeper track from the singer's major '80s comeback album, Centerfield, may not tread miles of fresh musical territory, but it boasts a direct, timeless appeal and winning melody that make it sound huge and inviting.

And this is no back-handed compliment: Fogerty's recent anti-war tune "Deja Vu (All Over Again)" sounds much like the classic "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" in both tone and chord structure, but that doesn't make the newer song any less powerful or devastating. As always, great songwriting transcends just about anything, and that includes a relatively narrow artistic sweet spot in the case of Mr. Fogerty, still one of America's greatest roots music practitioners.