Cream...what a cool band
Discussion
I was never impressed by the lyrics or the delivery of them. I think they were too restrained as well, I get the impression that Ginger Baker wanted to let loose a lot more but didn't get the chance. The whole was less than the sum of the parts, which is why they didn't last. My own opinion, of course.
Personally, I think Cream suffered from their own sense of self-importance in as much as they were all - individually - the subject of huge respect from their peers.
As a result of that, we have a catalogue of work that is - for the time - technically excellent but musically bereft. Examples?
Sunshine Of Your Love : Simple riff with no redeeming features, and a solo that mimics Blue Moon.
Politician : Complex tune, that is difficult to listen to unless you like odd time signatures and "outside" notes
Born Under a Bad Sign : Not necessarily better than the Albert King original
Crossroads : A Robert Johnson cover with extended guitar / bass / drum indulgences
Pressed Rat & Warthog :
I'm So Glad (
) I have Wheels of Fire and Goodbye on vinyl, but they weren't a well-rounded group IMO.
As a result of that, we have a catalogue of work that is - for the time - technically excellent but musically bereft. Examples?
Sunshine Of Your Love : Simple riff with no redeeming features, and a solo that mimics Blue Moon.
Politician : Complex tune, that is difficult to listen to unless you like odd time signatures and "outside" notes
Born Under a Bad Sign : Not necessarily better than the Albert King original
Crossroads : A Robert Johnson cover with extended guitar / bass / drum indulgences
Pressed Rat & Warthog :
I'm So Glad (
) I have Wheels of Fire and Goodbye on vinyl, but they weren't a well-rounded group IMO. Crossroads is a great piece of guitar work, and so far removed from the Robert Johnson that it's barely a cover. Sunshine is a classic rock tune, played it in a jam session last night. Always goes down well. White Room is odd but good, and Badge becomes an epic once Clapton lets loose on the live versions. Plus George Harrison played rhythm.
All in, a great band, and for me not letting Baker go too far into jazz experimentation was a good thing.
All in, a great band, and for me not letting Baker go too far into jazz experimentation was a good thing.
gazza285 said:
I was never impressed by the lyrics or the delivery of them. I think they were too restrained as well, I get the impression that Ginger Baker wanted to let loose a lot more but didn't get the chance. The whole was less than the sum of the parts, which is why they didn't last. My own opinion, of course.
I thought the reason they didn't last was that, if they hadn't split up, either Bruce or Baker would have ended up dead by the other's hand. In an interview, Bruce said something along the lines of "he's my best mate and I love him, but we just can't play on stage together". Given that Bruce seems quite a level-headed bloke and Baker seems like an unhinged nutcase, I'm not really sure where the blame lies...Go and listen to Live Cream Vol 1. This is what Cream were all about. Check out the live version of NSU, its mind blowing. Cream were always a live band, Robert Stigwood drove them in to the ground touring, the albums were shoe in's in the diary it would appear. The studio stuff sounds a little sterile in comparison.
I keep meaning to watch this to see just how unhinged Mr Baker is
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1931388/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1931388/
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