Discovering some 60 music...Cream is the greatest

[innovador]

Reading the biography of Eric Clapton I found he played at a group called Cream. I have heard before about Cream but I never really gave it a try because I thought that was some kind of pop playing group. Man, I couldnt be more wrong!!. I heard every track yesterday of Disraeli Geaks and conluded Cream had to be the greatest rock group back in 60s. I just wonder why there is so little said in the press about it. I mean everybody talk about the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But really the Cream is something else!!

 

[puros_bran]

The GREATEST is strong terms..

but anywho.. Cream was alright for a bunch o white boys.. VH1 put them in the top 20 bands of all time sometime back so they do get credit.. The list of bands that have listed them as 'influences' is astronomical and includes Zepplin, Rush, Sabbath, even the frikkin Grateful Dead.. :lol: :lol:
If I understand correctly their guitarist went on to some minor commercial sucess.

 

[Vercer]

Quite possibly the best of their day, and easily in my mind the best trio of rock/blues artists ever. For some absolutely incredible drum work I'd recommend "Toad" off of Fresh Cream.

Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker have become sorely underappreciated. On their respective instruments they were easily the equal of Clapton on his guitar though to my mind Baker might well be the best drummer I've ever heard.

Definitely pick up Wheels of Fire too!

 

[CLRV]

I dig Cream, but I don't think they're the best of the 60s. Absolutely huge, of course, but not the best.

They actually do have a lot of notoriety, especially when compared with say, Moby Grape (another incredibly good group). Barely anyone talks about them, if at all.

 

[Hermit]

I heard every track yesterday of Disraeli Geaks and conluded Cream had to be the greatest rock group back in 60s.

That's "Gears," youngster. :lol:

 

[mark]

If I understand correctly their guitarist went on to some minor commercial sucess.

I heard someone thought he was God,,,,

 

[mark]

Innovador there's a lot of great 60s - 70s groups that need rediscovering,,,music not concerned with commercial success but made to kick ass,,,

 

[innovador]

Well, you know if you discover something new as great as Cream you tend to overreact. I shouldnt be ungrateful with Zeppelin and some other as great.

Hermit, I stand corrected...What was I thinking? According to Freud there is a reason for those mind slips, je.je

Mark, yes agree...looking forward to find those indy groups and singers that were not part of the establishment like Patti Smith and the Pixies. Anyway, I am having a lot of fun doing the research. Yesterday, I saw a series from the BBC it was called "The seven ages of rock and roll". I saw the seven chapters in two days. Great information about very unknown but great artists.

 

[thedeep]

Cream did some great stuff. But, gee, they had Clapton. Whether you like him or not--the only three time inductee into the R & R hall of fame. If you liked Cream, you should really listen to the Yardbirds. The only band to have 3 lead guitarists make it into the R & R Hall of Fame.

 

[Hermit]

Well, you know if you discover something new as great as Cream you tend to overreact. I shouldnt be ungrateful with Zeppelin and some other as great.

Hermit, I stand corrected...What was I thinking? According to Freud there is a reason for those mind slips, je.je

Mark, yes agree...looking forward to find those indy groups and singers that were not part of the establishment like Patti Smith and the Pixies. Anyway, I am having a lot of fun doing the research. Yesterday, I saw a series from the BBC it was called "The seven ages of rock and roll". I saw the seven chapters in two days. Great information about very unknown but great artists.

I remember (well sorta remember) buying it when it came out.
Glad to see it get rediscovered. It's a great album. (can I still call em albums?) :lol!:

 

[Harlock999]

Clapton rules!

 

[Brewdude]

Cream led me out of top 40 AM pop rock in the 60s into a whole new realm I never knew existed. To this day one of my more significant influences. And yes, I'm a picker and was profoundly impacted by Cream.

Copped a whole lot of Claptons' licks back in the day, and this remains in my style today (such as it is) - 40+ yrs or so later. Learned many solos of his note by note from the LPs, as did many of my contemporaries.

Never got to see them at their zenith back in the day. But did catch Blind Faith on their only US tour back in '68. First time I saw EC, and due to the material Blind Faith were playing plus Claptons' drug and alcohol problems......well let's just say he didn't shine! Just sort of faded back into the mix as it became obvious to me that Steve Winwood was the top billing artist on that group. However Ginger Baker did play a way great extended drum solo on "Do What You Like", so it wasn't all a downer.

Fast forward to 2005. Learned of the Cream reunion concert series to be performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Determined I absolutely had to see them at least once before I take the dirt nap, so made plans to secure tickets through a friend in the UK.

And so it came to pass that I saw the original Cream on opening night on Monday, May 2, 2005. I asked my UK mate to get me the best seats he could (he apparently was on line for several hrs to do this -- above and beyond the call of duty IMO) and he secured 3 seats (for me and 2 of my other UK mates) in the "mid-priced" range of 75 UK pounds (there were 3 prices - 50 pounds, 75, and 150 IIRC. And for some reason my computer OS will not allow me to type in the UK pounds symbol, among others).

Even all that only allowed us seats virtually in the nosebleed section, just below the top section of standing room only! Yet I had my trusty binoculars, and even though the figures on the stage were tiny I could zoom in on ECs' solos and such.

The mix up there was less than ideal though. The highs came through acceptably, but anything in the lower range was muddled. So the vocals and ECs' solos were fine, but Jacks' bass lines were pretty much lost.

I posted a pretty comprehensive review on a music site I hang out at, and if there's any interest I can c&p it here.

I also highly recommend the DVD of the reunion concert. It contains the entire song list, filmed from the 4 concerts. And the mix in this is fine quality. It's also interesting to view this concert against the "Farewell" concert in '68, also performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Some of the same tunes, but performed by much younger men in their prime!

All to say, that while I don't necessarily subscribe to the claim that "Claption is God", he clearly has his imprint stamped on my own style.

Whew, too much typing......



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