A CAPTIVATING FOGERTY MINUS CREEDENCE SONGS

John Fogerty’s first local concert in more than a dozen years was a frequently spellbinding affair in which the former leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival reaffirmed his position as one of the half-dozen most rewarding figures ever in American rock.

In the fast-moving 100-minute show Thursday night at the Universal Amphitheatre, Fogerty prowled the stage with the lean and hungry intensity of a young rocker still obsessed with establishing his mark.

Wearing a black shirt, vest and jeans, Fogerty, 41, sang with even more passion and tailored phrasing than in his Creedence days. He combined gospel, blues and country roots with a purity and abandon that marks him as perhaps the finest American rock vocalist since Presley.

As a guitarist, he offers an ideal balance of technical skill and populist ear. Without a trace of the indulgence that creeps into the work of so many of rock’s celebrated guitar heroes, Fogerty has contributed as many distinctive guitar licks to the rock vocabulary over the years as anyone who plugged into an amp: from the updated rockabilly sparkle of the guitar lines in “Bad Moon Rising” to the raging expectations of “Up Around the Bend.”

And he continues to write songs that mix social commentary and rock celebration with as much sweetness of rhyme and street-level ease as anyone since Chuck Berry. His recent “Eye of the Zombie” album didn’t match the Top 10 success of his 1986 comeback, “Centerfield,” but songs like “Headlines,” “Change in the Weather” and “Sail Away” reflect the imagery and vitality of his most admired compositions.

When you add a four-piece band (plus three backup singers) that is even more forceful than his old Creedence unit, it’s easy to see why Fogerty’s series of shows is a contender (with the Dylan/Petty, Peter Gabriel and Elvis Costello dates) for tour-of-the-year honors.

The triumph of Thursday’s concert was that Fogerty exhibited such power without using any of his Creedence songs. Yes, that means no “Proud Mary,” no “Travelin’ Band,” no “Someday Never Comes,” no “Green River,” no “Down on the Corner,” no “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” no . . . and the list goes on.

Instead, Fogerty concentrated on songs from his last two albums and some carefully selected songs by other writers that underscore his gospel and R&B; influences. The only pre-”Centerfield” Fogerty composition was the closing “Rockin’ All Over the World,” from his 1975 solo album on Asylum Records.

The absence of the Creedence songs was no surprise. Before the tour started in August in Memphis, Fogerty announced that he wasn’t going to sing any Creedence songs because he didn’t want to contribute even indirectly to the sale of old Creedence albums.

The LPs are owned by Fantasy Records, which has been in a long, bitter lawsuit with Fogerty that kept the Berkeley-area artist from recording for nine years. The dispute was initially over royalty rates and other contract provisions but later expanded to include charges of libel and slander against Fogerty.

The audience showed respect for Fogerty by not interrupting the show by screaming requests for the Creedence tunes. Still, the absence of those songs was felt, and it’s an issue Fogerty needs to reassess before his next tour.

There wasn’t one person with whom I spoke at intermission who wasn’t hoping that Fogerty would relent and include at least one Creedence song. “Couldn’t he just give us eight bars of ‘Born on the Bayou,’ ” one fan said at the refreshment stand.

At one point near the end of the concert, you could almost sense the capacity audience edge forward in its seats. While strapping on a guitar identified with his Creedence days, Fogerty paused and said, “I’d like to make an introduction . . . this is an old friend.”

As he went went through a lengthy guitar intro, the anticipation built. Was the intro going to lead--at last--into one of the old numbers?

No, he simply moved into “Change in the Weather,” which is the most Creedence-sounding song from the “Zombie” album.

While it’s a flavorful number, there was almost a collective sigh of disappointment. The Creedence songs represent one of the most prized bodies of work in rock, songs that are frequently employed by artists as varied as Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, Lone Justice, the Meat Puppets and R.E.M.--and here was a chance to hear them by the man who wrote them.

There’s an especially strong communal side to rock, a shared experience that allows an emotional release when celebrated in concert. By not doing any Creedence song, Fogerty denies his audience that release, and denies part of his own rock history. By finding a way to include the songs, Fogerty could erase the only disappointment in an otherwise perfect evening of heartfelt rock ‘n’ roll.

Fogerty’s engagement ends tonight. Opening act Bruce Hornsby & the Range was reviewed in these pages recently.

LIVE ACTION: Huey Lewis and the News has added a Forum second show (Jan. 13). Tickets go on sale Sunday. . . . Julio Iglesias returns to the Universal Amphitheatre on Jan. 22 and 24. . . . Among the New Year’s Eve shows: Los Lobos and Dave Alvin at the Wiltern, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis at the Pantages, Al Jarreau and Miles Davis at Universal Amphitheatre, X at the Variety Arts Center, Journey and Glass Tiger at the Long Beach Arena, Anita Baker at the Beverly, the Busboys at the Palace, Preston Smith at the Palomino, Maggie Mayall at the Coach House.