Re: At a crossroads

Throughout my life, I've only heard a few Cream songs.
I'm thinking about investing some listening time with them.

What does this band mean to rock & roll?

Cream has often been called "rock's first supergroup." Meaning: All three members brought their well-established reputations and highly respected chops to the group ... along with over-developed egos and attitudes, which is why they didn't stay together very long.

There are a couple of decent best-of CDs available. Any one of them probably will offer all the listening time you need, IMO.

Not sure if this TP material but...

Cream's music holds up pretty well in my opinion. They are psychedelic and a campy but fun. Much better than Clapton's first group The Yardbirds. I will never forget the disillusionment I felt when, as a 13 year old guitarist wannabe, I bought a Yardbirds album and it was NOTHING like I expected. No decent guitar or anything. On my list of childhood music disappointments, this was second only to The Grateful Dead, who I assumed must be some incredibly heavy group based on the cool tee-shirts and turned out be a bunch of dopey hippies peddling laid back country-influenced swill.

As for Cream's canon: Skip the greatest hits album, the live album and the 97 minute drum solo on Wheels of Fire and listen to everything else. Disraeli Gears is my personal favorite: "Tales Of Brave Ulysses", "Born Under A Bad Sign", etc.

Disk One of "Wheels Of Fire" - apart from some of their biggest radio hits e.g. "White Room", also includes the delightfully bizarre Bonzos-esque "Pressed Rat And Warthog." (Disk Two - live wankery I never play). And I usually hate Clapton but you can't go wrong with this one, I'm tellin' ya.

I like the Yardbirds, but no, there's not much guitar pyrotechnics, just good snotty blooz-rock, very influential to "Nuggets"-type garage rawkers.

On BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, Giles and Buffy's mom listened to "Tales of Brave Ulysses" when they got turned into teenagers from eating the bewitched candy bars. So I've always thought that song was pretty cool because of that.

ira sez: "the live disc of Wheels of Fire is mindboggling. Blues-rock improv at an unmatchable peak"

Hmm, well, back when I got that album I wasn't nearly as interested as improvised music as I am now. Might have to check it out...

One of my dearest friends is a (thankfully retired) classic rock DJ. In the many years of our acquaintance, Cream is the only band he has attempted to sell me.

That counts for something.

Or does it?

the live disc of Wheels of Fire is mindboggling. Blues-rock improv at an unmatchable peak.

Much obliged, all.

'Wheels of Fire' it is.

Who knows I might even look into Stevie Ray Vaughn next. Nothing wrong with that right?

PS
I was @ a record store the other day...clerks played HOURS of 'Nuggets'
The Yardbirds really stuck out.

Well, as one of those "Nuggets-Type" garage rocker fans I would pit the Yardbirds up against Cream any day. However, I have always been a bit partial to the song "Badge" on Cream's last album. I always put it on my playlists of late 60s music. I also like "I feel free" from the debut too. On the whole a bit too bloated for my tastes though...

no decent guitar work in the yardbirds!!!!?????


you have to listen to I'm Not Talking among many other songs

My personal feeling is that a best-of should suffice. I've got one called The Very Best of Cream that covers every highlight I'd want. That said, I'm not remotely interested in the jam-band side of Cream, so take that into account. If it's blues-rock improv you want, don't listen to me.

Stevie Ray Vaughan's playing is very sharp, and more economical than Clapton's in the Cream era. Plenty of good songs to choose from too, although about half his catalog consists of covers — albeit well-selected ones.

Having done lights for SRV at one stop on his first solo tour, I can personally say he was a very nice guy, too.

Hard to pick a single favorite album by SRV. Essential offers a very thorough overview.

I thnk In Step is definitely his best though Could Not Stand The Weather is very good also. What about that stinging solo on Bowie's Let's Dance? Still sounds fresh when it comes on classic radio.

I saw Stevie at The Tower Theater just outside of Philly on the "Texas Flood" tour - before he was "big' but as "Pride & Joy" was getting airplay. Streams of fans pouring onto the streets shaking their heads, mouths wide open, faces set to stun......muttering "how did he DO that?"

My fave Stevie song is from that record - the cover of George Clinton's "Testify" .

Also caught Stevie the next tour at U of Penn........Jason & The Scorchers opening......great show.

Yep, Mats' description also suits the people who stumbled out of Rosé's in Colorado Springs, after the show I mentioned. None of them knew anything about Stevie Ray, except those few who'd picked up on Texas Flood early. I knew that he'd played on Let's Dance, but that was it. It was hard for my brother and me to do a good job tearing down the lighting gear after the show, because we were just as stunned as anyone else.

Stevie came back in from the tour bus, though, wanting a drink or two before the bar had to close. He invited us to join them for a round. We ended up equally awed that such a stunningly great musician could be so modest and unassuming about his talent.

I got to see him twice afterward — at Red Rocks in 1987, and on a double bill with Jeff Beck in 1989. Both great shows, but hard to compare to that first time.