In Sept., 1967, Cream played at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. I was there. (I was a 15-yr-old budding guitarist at the time, and already a fan of Cream.) The band had released 'Fresh Cream' earlier in the year, which only reached #39 in the charts in the U.S., and so the band wasn't that well-known in the U.S. This was reflected by the attendance at the Brandeis concert: I remembering looking out over the small crowd, which I estimated to be, at most, a few hundred people. Also, rock concerts in the 60s tended to be slapdash events. I arrived slightly early at the venue -- the university gymnasium -- where I witnessed a roadie pounding nails into the gymnasium floor to anchor down Ginger Baker's drums! The band wasn't even going to play on a stage, just on the open gymnasium floor. The concert itself was terrific, if a little short, and I didn't know most of the songs which were from the yet-to-be-released 'Disraeli Gears' album. (The exception being the opener, "Tales of Brave Ulysses", which I'd heard on the radio.) Yes, they were loud, but because they were not playing on a stage, I was able to stand next the band (rather than in front), which saved my eardrums, and enabled me to get a closer look at Clapton's playing. (At the time, that kind of virtuoso guitar playing was something new in rock music.) This was my first rock concert and, I think, my favorite. Never again was I able to get up so close-and-personal to rock stars while they were playing!
Besides all his other awesome skills, Jack Bruce was the most incredible singer, His exquisite voice, clear pronunciation and ability to sing poetry, throwing mad sentences into cramped spaces of musical notation was mind blowing. I don't have the language skills or musical technical terms to describe what I mean. Jack Bruce's voice has always given me goose bumps. I love Cream
My Dad, upon hearing Cream belting out of my bedroom, told me that Jack had been a close pal of his at school in Glasgow. He regaled me with tales of their schoolboy exploits, telling me that the once reticent and timid Jack had initially practiced consolidating his confidence to perform in front of others by singing in front of my Dad & another 2 pals, until (as my Dad put it) "he could fair belt 'em out!". Dad said that Jack had been quite a gifted pianist too, as I recall?
As a kid I remember going into a " head shop " and hearing White Room being played through the speakers . Stoned on pot , black lights and psychedelic posters all around , it was a altering experience for me . The music was just better back then . Everything from Motown , to some great blues and Rock n Roll . Man do I ever wish we could turn back time to the 1960's .
Sure, everyone would love to go to Woodstock, no one ever thinks about getting that telegram (or however it was they informed you) telling you to report to your local Draft office to be shipped out to Vietnam. (although I admit, it would almost be worth it just to hear “Strawberry Fields Forever” (or “White Room”) coming out of a radio for the very first time).
Oh I loved the head shops the incense burning the black light posters. I had the one of Nixon on the toilet. I ain't going to work on dizzy's farm no more.Wizard rat. The one with the couple up on the mountain . I just remembered I had Disraeli gears Eric Clapton and Delaney & Bonnie . Great stream. Thanks for bringing back memories ! I always wanted to go back to the 60s. Then I woke up and I was in my 60s! Be careful what you wish for 🤣🤣🤣
I remember an interview with Ginger Baker and loved his facial expressions and smile while he recounted the moment Slowhand asked him: “What about Jack?” not knowing their past history. So funny.
First band to give me goosebumps, i was shook when i first listened to NSU live, after the intro when that insane energy is building up, it literally made me freeze and gave me goosebumps like no music ever did The funny thing is that my father was similarly shook when he first listened to it when it came out, it shook his understanding of music and opened his mind to progressive rock much like me, about 30 years later 😅 I got to take my father to the last gig Baker ever did, some years ago in Berlin and it was beautiful. He was already weakened by his heart condition and because he played the night before in Hamburg After not even half an hour he had to leave the stage and it was already announced that it would be over..but then he came back, on his own and just had to bless us and himself with one last number, he played a beautiful version of Passing the Time and i was in tears. This unique maniac has a very special place in my heart and his energy remains unmatched to this day. (Not even by his fanboy Bonzo;)) Clapton is God, Baker the Devil. 🤟👹❤
Goodbye was fabulous. Their studio songs were great but the three live songs were simply outstanding, in the same flavor as Wheels of Fire. Awesome. Another treasure.
Agreed. And "I'm So Glad" is substantively different from its studio counterpart not just in terms of length, but also because Clapton sings what is arguably a co-lead vocal on it.
Well here I go again! I saw Cream's last USA performance in Providence, R. I. in 1969 or 1970. Jack Bruce and EC each had four, count em, double stack Marshall amps. They were so loud they overpowered the PA. They finally gave up trying to sing and just jammed out on Crossroads and Spoonful. Ginger Baker was a fantastic drummer and btw was the thinnest person I ever saw outside of a war zone. I think he may have had a amphetamine problem at that time. Anyway it was a great show. Nice work as usual Matt.
@@michaelrochester48 I did some research on the interwebs. The show I saw was Nov. 4 1968. They did play Spoonful but not Crossroads as I remembered, but Toad apparently according to the setlist. Well, it was a long time ago and I may have been under the influence. Regards.
Baker was a Heroin addict even before he was in the Graham Bond Organization and didn't get clean until the 80's, I'm sure he tried other stuff too, Coke was getting big in the late 60's as were amphetamines, I remember my Mom freaking out when she saw him for the first time on TV, "so that's what Heroin looks like".
Tales of Brave Ulysses, Badge, White Room, such great songs. Cool lyrics, great riffs, awesome solos by Clapton. Bruce's bass was excellent and the same for Ginger's drumming. Too bad they couldn't hold it together for a little longer.
It can be argued that greed was a secondary factor in Cream's dissolution. Many bands had dealt with the greed of managers, record companies and even their own members but were somehow able to remain woking together in some form. The primary reason for the breakup was the personality clashes which had grown from passing annoyances to all encompassing strife. Some say that the strong personalities and volatility of the members, particularly those of Bruce and Baker, were responsible for the creation of such great and enduring music, and there's a lot of truth to that, but it was also the thing that doomed them as a band. That was evident even during the reunion. The first run through they all were on their best behavior but the old problems emerged during the second go around and they were done. @@craigsheppard1065
You're so right, Tom!! I had almost forgotten all about that live stuff. That driving, insane beat on Crossroads is just outstanding, it's so frenetic!
I worked on the live sound for Cream when they played in Miami. During soundcheck, I had to go up and pay homage to my favorite group. I vividly recall Clapton being very gracious, as was Baker, who looked much older than his actual years. I assume this was from significant drug use/abuse. None-the-less, he was very nice to his teenaged assistant sound engineer. Bruce, on the other hand, was very dismissive, totally lacking in graciousness and came across fairly arrogant, like I would experience with Neil Young a few years later. No wonder Baker didn't like him!
@theflash1425 As brilliant , groundbreaking musician / composer as he was , Jack COULD be a prick. He snobbed Jimmy Page when Jimmy tried to draft him for Zep's formation. Saying later,in a late 80's Guitar player, or RS interview. "they were just session musicians". Yes ,Jack , but as we saw, much better at marketing themselves.
I really enjoyed myself at that Miami show; as I recall, it was held at the Miami Baseball Stadium, and the Cream were staged somewhere around the pitcher's mound?¡ 🤔 Our major music store in Miami, Ace Music, had a sensational poster made from a huge blow-up of a picture taken of the Cream at the show, which was hung above the store's front reception area!☆¡ 🙄
@@SuperAmin1950 As a native-born Miamian, I well-remember Ace Music, though I don't remember that poster, but then, I probably wasn't paying attention! Yes, the concert was in the stadium, making our job in sound reinforcement somewhat difficult, as we would experience a year or so later doing the sound for Jimi Hendrix in the Miami Jai Alai fronton - all those hard surfaces! Do you remember Cream's opening act, Terry Reid? They were amazing! They should have been more highly promoted in America because they were excellent!
@@36karpatoruski you have no idea what you're talking about, Baker sure could've been a prick (and often for no good reason), but he also could've been very respectful towards others, ESPECIALLY other talented drummers, including those who had influenced him, such as Phil Seamen or Art Blakey. There seems to be this misconception that Ginger was just a lunatic, while in reality his character was much more complicated.
You cannot complete a history of Cream without mentioning the reunion concerts, especially the 2005 ones in the Albert Hall in London which were videoed and are available on RU-vid. White Room and We're Going Wrong are the standout tracks for me. Amazing how good they still sounded.
I'm old enough, but I never saw them in the 60s. I did catch the reunion show at Madison Square Garden in 2005(?). I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was as if no time had passed at all. They were amazing. In Badge, about a minute in, when George would have come in, the entire band laid out for 2 bars or so, and the audience went nuts. Grown men (me) were in tears. I'll never forget that concert. They were my band.
I caught three of the RAH gigs, and their final performance at MSG. Sure glad EC made the decision to get back together with his old bandmates for a few shows, it gave me an opportunity to see them that I never thought would happen.
no, they did not just sound good. they never sounded better. Clapton led the way and played with all the mastery of his years. i know they never sounded better.
The interpersonal problem that overshadowed all others in Cream was the fact that Baker had Borderline Personality Disorder. It's an explosive anger disorder which erupts when the sufferer senses that he (usually she, though) is at risk of being abandoned (you have to consider "abandon" somewhat symbolically). Sometimes the primary victim of this anger will get revenge by fanning the flames a bit, setting the sufferer up for explosions. Reading between the lines, I suspect that Bruce was complicit in the dysfunction in this way. If you haven't seen the film "Beware Mr. Baker", you need to find it. It is essential for understanding the complex, brilliant mess that was Giinger Baker.
I read that Ginger Baker was a narcissist which, having studied psychology, makes more sense to me. But really, neither of us were his therapist so pretty much anything we say here is just so much psychobabble.
Surprised to see that 'Clapton' is credited as the writer of, 'Badge,' on the US single you showed us. I bought the UK single, at the time of release, and it credits both Eric Clapton and George Harrison as the writers.
Surely Harrison,L'Angelo Mysterioso or whatever, wrote the 'our kid and Mabel 'stuff.? Also,Disraeli Gears is a pun on derailleur gears and was ,along with Elephants Gerald considered for the title.
"Cream's importance in the development of rock music cannot be underestimated." Did you mean overestimated? Cream was one of my favorite groups in the 60s. I was already a fan of Clapton's seminal blues phrasing and tone from the Beano album with John Mayall's Blues Breakers. The polyrhythms of Bruce and Baker pushed Clapton to some of the most innovative playing of his career. Unfortunately, by the time I heard them live in concert in Miami at the end of their 1968 US tour they seemed to be merely going though the motions. They didn't even look at or speak to each other while on stage at Thee Image. After the concert I wondered what had happened to the exciting jamming I had heard on their records. You made the reasons for the lackluster performance clear in your video.
Outstanding rock journalism, Matt. Your reviews are incredibly faithful and expertly cater to every discerning connoisseur of music. This channel is becoming areal treasure to many of us. Many blessings, my man.
That is very kind of you Aceface. I do put loads of passion and work into these and I'm so happy other people appreciate the music of this era. Plenty more to come!
@@popgoesthe60s52 nobody does it better, and it shows you put everything into it. And these things are an art form unto themselves - if you do them well, they hold a tremendous shelf life. You found your groove, and we are all most grateful for this, thank you.
Thank you for this excellent and thoughtful overview of The Cream. I cannot describe with words the force and power of this band. There was pop music, then there was Hendrix and Cream. It was so heavy that radio stations didn't know what to do with them. As a child, imagine one is listening to "I Love the Flower Girl" by the Cowsills then, BOOM "Strange Brew". It opened our eyes. It was absolute genius to merge pop songs with heavy blues guitar; but Clapton took it a step further. Lyrically they were impressive; the songs still sound fresh and unpretentious 50 years later. I attribute this to the years with Graham Bond.
Great work Matt! Cream was brilliant and while their sound takes you immediately to '67 London, it never ages. Baker was a huge influence on me taking up the drums and "Badge" is my absolute fav and I constantly watch their version in '05 at the Royal Albert. Good stuff.
Cream became my favorite band when “Sunshine of Your Love” was released as a single. I saved up enough for the album “Disraeli Gears” then I bought Fresh Cream . I decided to find anything else he played on so I discovered John Mayall and the Yardbirds because of him. Thought Felix Pappalardi did a brilliant job producing them. I also love Mountain he co-wrote , produced and played great bass with them.
Not only the Cream of the crop, but my Dad taught me that cream rises to the top Me, early Clapton was so strong . Bluesbreakers especially touched me . Yardbirds too . I found Cream to be great players , but I got lost with their improv . The Dead never lost my attention . Never understood why I could not connect ? Great video Matt . I learnt a lot Cream are not a super group , but yes three super players .
As far as Cream I think their singles were consistently good, Fresh Cream is my favourite of their albums especially the mono version and my favourite live material is the live tracks on Goodbye Cream.
Dear Pop Goes the Sixties, Good material, well presented. You might have put the searchlight on a little brighter to the fact that Delaney and Bonnie and Friends' basic lineup became the Dominoes for Eric-Derek.
Very interesting overview; as always, you do a great job bring the music alive. Not too many 60s band interest me but your videos are always amazing and help us understand the importance of the bands. My favorites are the Byrd videos and this one. Thank you.
Great work. I had heard that Blind Faith split up because Ginger Baker mercilessly teased Steve Winwood, although this doco doesn’t confirm that. Anyway, fascinating historical documentary and thanks for it.
@@allanbriggs807 Ordinary? Huh?? An ordinary person could not write the lyrics of Those were the Days, nor could they improvise on the drums with such dexterity and complexity.
Another great video! The rate of output in those days was crazy - four albums in such a short time, all containing high quality music. Artists today can’t come anywhere near that.
Cream was Clapton's best lineup. Disraeli Gears was Cream's best album. Also watch the film of Cream's final tour, and their video project done shortly before the passing of Bruce.
Thanks for another great band history Matt. One of my favorite bands. Some of the songs are really quite beautiful, it was nice to hear them again. I'll have to break out the vinyl. I also love the studio sides more than the live ones. It's fortunate that Felix Pappalardi was around to advocate for the band and to produce them. The sound track for Ginger Baker goes to Africa( much recommended) uses Pressed Rat and Warthog as a template with much success. Cheers and looking forward to the next one.
Very nice work. I'd vote for Brian Jones as someone else who brought some blues over to the UK, way back when. He also did the same as Cream and started experimenting with other instruments in his band The Rolling Stones. That band didn't take the instrumentation anywhere to the levels of Cream. Interestingly, i recently watched a video about another, later virtuoso band Yes, and there are startling, non music related similarities that are well, starling, ha. Both bands had intense personal conflict going on and yet put out what i consider some of the best at what they did. Sommehow they used the tension creatively. I was in a trio, (no, not like Cream ha) and there was a lot of tension between the drummer and i (bass guitar) we could get in some hella arguments, but as soon as the jamming started we would launch the rig and the guitarist would weave in and out of our jams. Weird, not too many other bands i've researched were as tension filled as those two. And Steve Howe has mentioned Cream as a huge influence, just a note. Great stuff, sorry for the tl:dr
I know it is common that every generation says, "My generation's music was way better than the stuff that's out today." I try not to fall into that cliche. However, in the case of mid 60s to mid 70s - it's just TRUE. I grew up with this music - Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Doors, Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, and I could name 50 others. It was a burst of creativity that happens perhaps once in a century. My kids and grandkids have their own musical favorites and I'm glad they enjoy them, but we LIVED this music and the bands that produced it. Every new song or album that came out from one of your favorites was an event, and it was played to death. As Cream said "Those Were the Days"
Music today is consumed so differently than in the past. You are correct, music was more of an event because it actually reflected mainstream attitudes. Today's music is created - not by artists, but by software relying on algorithmic sequences by corporations. I can't see how anyone will be talking about the latest Taylor Swift record 60 years from now.
hello.. greetings from south wales, uk.. thankyou for sharing this.. ever do anything on Peter green and the early F/mac?? definitely one of my favourite bands, but know nothing of what it was like in the studio for them.. Peter becoming more dominant over time? with such tracks as albatross, man of the world.. ..oh well pts 1 and 2.. And the green manilishi... 🙂 x
The summer of 1968 sure was the ultimate “passing on of the baton” at the top of the newish and small “world” of blues/ power rock. In July Cream announced they were breaking up. That same month was the last show of the also fraught Yardbirds. The following month - no doubt partly inspired by Cream, below a record store in London (unlike Cream, three of them virtually unknown) the “New Yardbirds” played together for the first time. Who (as you would all of course know, as Zeppelin) with mostly extended songs, added a heavier sound to blues/ power rock … were fortunate to never experience the tensions which sadly, destroyed the often magic sounding Cream within only two years
Thank you for this informative and interesting video. You're probably aware that "Badge" was co-written by George Harrison and the title was a misinterpretation by Clapton of where George had written "bridge" on the sheet music.
Matt, you really do a great job of editing your videos. A big giveaway is that Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle. It is in several different positions during your presentation. Great job and great beer!
I've been waiting for this one. Sunshine of Your Love was a real clarion call announcing something new was on the scene. If you trace the careers in popular music, 1968 was a mini 1964 in which most of the big names of the previous pantheon simply disappeared. It just wasn't the same after that and no one came close to them until Hendrix made it here a bit belatedly in late 1967. I know what you mean about all those long live tracks that every band absolutely had to do with mind-numbing solos of totally uncreative boredom - Cream's were actually way above the pack. I hope you do an episode on Derek & the Dominos some day, one of the greatest of classics that was pretty much critically panned at first release. I actually liked Anyone For Tennis, it was so unlike anything else.
I read some years ago that continuous touring was a major factor in their splitting up... They all needed a break... This may have been the only way they could get one. My favourites live... crossroads on WoF and Sitting on Top... on Goodbye... outrageous 😎
Atco had inadvertently credited "Badge" to Clapton alone on the single, but it was in fact co-written with George Harrison. George and Eric have both told the story of how the song initially didn't have a title, and Clapton couldn't quite read Harrison's handwriting, and so he mistook his note for 'Bridge' as 'Badge', and that's what they named the song. Haha
Great job on history of Graham Bond and Cream. Any plans for a history of The Hollies? My wife and I are fans of The Hollies. How about early Pink Floyd? (Piper at the gates of Dawn) and or The Moody Blues? or 1967?
This was a GREAT and concise presentation. Thank you for not calling Cream a "supergroup" beause they were far from that. The only true supergroup was The Beatles. Nor were they even close to being "the cream of the crop" (wow such hubris!). They were quite good though but they had a huge amount of competition from other groups at that time. I have on vinyl most of the albums you discuss and IMHO only Disraeli Gears is a solid album, though the others do have a few good songs. The group should have been named "Jack Bruce & Company" because Jack seemed to be the driving force while Clapton's guitar work was pretty much the same old sound over and over again. I will say this about Clapton, IMO his guitar work on Spoonful on the album Freash Cream was the very first clear case of true heavy metal and I can see how this (and also McCartney's guitar bridge on Taxman) inspired Jimi Hendrix.
Thank you, Jim. Yes, Cream is one of those bands that people wear t-shirts of today as a sign of "rock cool" but you are correct in pointing out some of the soft spots in the armor. I appreciate the comments!
Strange Brew and Lawdy Mama use the same backing track with different vocals overlaid. Eric Clapton's excuse for leaving the Yardbirds was they were getting too commercial and yet the first thing Cream released was horribly commercial.
Fresh Cream has 2 favourites - I'm So Glad, Sweet Wine, still played regularly. Saw them at Epstein's Saville Theatre supported by The Bonzos - they watched them creased up, from a box. The live Crossroads remains a top ten classic. Saw the Blind Faith concert in London's Hyde Park. Great review Matt.
I've been wanting to talk to Eric for decades. "Eric, dude, lemme show you how Crossroads should be played...". I babysat John Mayall's son with Maggie Mayall in the early nineties. I saw the Bluesbreakers with Mick Taylor. They blew the house down. Albert King and Deep Purple were there (1969).
Excellent episode! All were incredible musicians with giant egos. Jack Bruce didn't always get his due, IMHO. That scene in the documentary Beware of Mr Baker in which Baker gives Jay Bulger, the documentarian, a bloody nose... Fortunately, Baker was one of a kind. 😂
He actually broke his nose with his cane. A follow up interview was uncomfortable, Baker claims he wished he broke his neck. Jay is effusive with praise, saying Baker was the most generous man he’d ever met.
Groupe fantastique, que j'ai connu par un de mes frères aînés au milieu des années 70. Trois musiciens au-dessus du lot, dont Ginger Baker qui reste un des plus grands batteur de l'histoire. '' Lady Mama '' est un petit bijou musical. 👍🎶🥂
I'm sure you have heard it but there's an album titled Would You Believe? by Billy Nichols that was backed by Small Faces. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it as I've had it on absolute repeat for the last few months. I was introduced to it by a RU-vid channel called "Yesterday's Papers".
Very comprehensive and thoughtful band review. I also like the song "Badge" a lot, and it is worth mentioning that it was co-written by George Harrison. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is another example of what they could do together. Why those two friends didn't collaborate more in their careers I don't know. (Typical big star ego issues? Patti Boyd? )
I'm still watching this, but just saw you did the GBO as well right before this video, could you do that for Ginger Baker's Air Force and Blind Faith as well? :D *Alright, you basically did Blind Faith in this one, but please just do more stuff about Baker 🤟👹❤ **Now i saw that you basically covered the Air Force a little in the GBO video 😅
Nice job as always, your investment of time and effort shows. I really wish they'd recruited Steve Winwood, that would have added a lot of dimension. He's one of those rare natural musicians that can play any instrument. I don't understand why 'Sleeping in the Ground' was left off of the "Blind Faith" album. They also worked up 'Key to the Highway'.
John Mayall had a unique gimmick, a 9-string guitar, shown in the slideshow. He made an excellent "solo" album called The Blues Alone. I do a wicked Mayall impersonation which also doubles for Kermit and as a vocal coach we call it "swallowing the tongue" which hides the real note. There is a simple solution, called "opening the throat". Apparently John likes the Kermit voice. Oh shite he lives 2 miles west of where I type...
Early in the Farewell Concert documentary, the narrator refers to the fact that no less a figure than Leonard Bernstein had made favourable comments about Cream. Seeing he was such an eminent composer and conductor of classical music, this seems improbable, but there must be some basis for it. I've tried several times to identify the original source, but without success. Anyone able to find out?
Well, back in the day when they started milking cows, they noticed if they let the milk sit in a pail for awhile, the fattier part of the liquid would rise to the top. So they skimmed that off, and there you have it
Surprised you didn't mention Jack Bruce's "As You Said" from "Wheels of Fire." It's not rock or blues (maybe that's why it goes over most people's head), but it's a great song with excellent production qualities. I think it's Bruce's greatest composition, and compares favorably with some of the greatest compositions by bass players, like those of Mingus and Pastorius.
Bruce formed a band that was Blind Faith's equal , if not better. Mitch Mitchell from the Experience, the superb Larry Coryell & keyboradist Mike Mandel from The Eleventh House ". They were flawless. To this day , only the '73 Larks Tongues /King Crimson incarnation was as good.
Both a joy n a regret - had 2/3 cup of CREAM in 2 sips - saw ♡Ginger w/ Leslie West (of Mountain) (along w/ Seatrain bassist / SpookyTooth rythm) 05/1975 ShrineMosque Springfield Mo. ☆Eric Clapton @ Fair Grounds Auditorium Memphis Tn 03/02/1978. No Jack....JACK
@@popgoesthe60s52 yes,but Gene Crupps didn't play on Claptons previous album the year before and you can hear toad and Moby dick influence in it clearly
2 comments: 1. Actually, there was a third version of Fresh Cream which was released in Scandinavia only. It contained 12 tracks and was basically the English version with Wrapping Paper added as the last track of side A, and The Coffee Song as track 3 of side B. And the title logo differed from the English and American versions as well. 2. Jack Bruce's Songs for a Tailor was the first solo album to be released, but his second album, Things We Like, was recorded earlier. SFAT was recorded April-June 1969 and TWL was recorded in August 1968. TWL is an instrumental, jazz-oriented album, so I guess his record company didn't want to release it as his first solo album.
Its a same that Ginger Baker was such a mental case, based on all we know its obvious it wasnt Jack's fault. Boy if it were me i wouldn't have had anything to do with that guy, he really must've been a special drummer for anyone to have dealt with his shit for more than a minute. I watched that show "Beware Mr. Baker" and there's no way i would've had anything to do with all of that nonsense, so kudos to that guy for sticking it out😢
It's actually a miracle Baker didn't receive a good thrashing on a daily basis. Great drummer, disgusting personality. Well, Clapton doesn't seem to be a very pleasant, smart guy, either.
How to tell whether you lean towards jazz or lean toward rock: If you really like the live Cream tracks (as I do) then you're more of a jazzer. If you prefer the studio tracks you're more of a blues/rocker. It's really that simple. Cream was a jazz rhythm section with a blues guitarist and a classically influenced composer, i.e. a pioneering progressive band.
I like creams weird songs like wrapping paper, doing that scrapyard thing, anyone for tennis, etc. Great guitar sounds from the band, never liked the way their drums sounded recorded though. Winwood with them would have been interesting
I saw them at Winterland in San Fran on their final tour . Talk about loud . geesh . myself and my buddy made the huge mistake of dropping an epic dose of acid prior to the concert . we were sitting in the balcony and it was so loud it became painful . we tried covering our ears with our hands but that proved to be exhausting holding our arms up . finally we freaked out and escaped ou the fire door . we stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes to get it together and then looked at each other like , WTF DID WE JUST DO ? We left the one and only time we would ever see Cream in the middle of the concert . Fortunately we were high enough to focus on something else and forget about it . But, sht , what idiots we were .😂
I bought the LP's Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire and someone gave me their original old 60's albums and so then I had Fresh Cream. Unfortunately, it was in stereo. The Ginger Baker drum solo was all panned to one channel...haha! That had to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard in recording history. What a stereo mix.
Ertegan wanting Clapton to be the fronman shows you he had no clue about the group dynamics. A couple of years later an executive told an up and coming band to "Get that blond kid from behind the organ, put him in some crushed velvet pants and let him front the group." Then band? The Allman Brothers. Clueless guys.
