Cream Returns!

[indigobusiness]

Cream To Bring Back The Sunshine
Wednesday November 10, 2004 @ 03:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff


Cream

The lure of a full-scale reunion must be hard for classic rock bands to resist — countless bands who split up on the very worst of terms or suffered through the death of a key member have managed to find ways to launch lucrative reunion tours. So far, '60s rockers Cream have managed to pretty much steer clear of the reunion game (although they did play in 1993 when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame), but it looks like they'll be back on stage together in 2005.

For those too young to remember, Cream are the trio that featured celebrity guitarist Eric Clapton as well as drummer Ginger Baker and bass player Jack Bruce. Today, the band are best known for the opening guitar riff from their monster hit "Sunshine Of Your Love."

According to Billboard.com, Cream are set to play a week-long engagement at London's Royal Albert Hall — the same place that they played their final shows before calling it quits in 1968. It's not known if the band will stay together after that engagement — but depending on their appetite for quick cash, there's likely enough demand to keep the reformed band together for longer than the two years they were originally together in the '60s.



Cream only released three records in their career, but the band provided more than an ample launching pad for Clapton, who's gone on to become one of the most recognizable guitar players in rock history. Lately, Clapton has been indulging his Robert Johnson obsession, having released his Me And Mr. Johnson disc (full of Johnson covers) earlier this year. He'll follow that with a CD/DVD called Sessions For Robert J. on December 7.


http://www.chartattack.com/damn/2004/11/1008.cfm

[disgruntled_goat]

1. bwuh? really?

joy!

spooOOOoonfUUuulllllll!!!!!!

[LifeDuringWartime]

2. i'm so glad!

;)

[shanti]

9. i'm so glad

i'm glad, i'm glad, i'm glad! :P

[shrub chipper]

3. The amazing fact is that

Ginger Baker is still alive!!!

[seemslikeadream]

4. Ginger Baker is alive and makin' music

African Force

[indigobusiness]

5. His MASTERS OF REALITY

... good, too.



http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Bxe1ibka96akx

[seemslikeadream]

6. Excellent

[halobeam]

7. My.... I didn't know Lionell Luther was in cream ....

:silly:

[Steely_Dan]

13. Ginger Baker "Air Force"

Didn't Ginger Baker create the band "Ginger Baker's Air Force" or am I having a flashback???

And wasn't there rumors of Baker's death for a number of years???

-Paige

[ramapo]

20. He's very alive

Everyone thought he should be dead as he was rumored to take large doses of speed in order to play Toad. Actually he was (is) an excellent drummer.

Ginger was off the scene for a number of years raising horses but he's put out a few decent jazz albums over the past few years.

I have mixed feelings about the reunion. Cream was an early, very favorite group of mine and Ginger was my hero (yes I'm a drummer) for a long time. It just seems they might appear a bit foolish (and decrepit) and maybe we'd rather remember them as the group of the '60s not as a group that should've left well enough alone.

[seemslikeadream]

27. Yes he did and isn't it a nice flashback?

1970 Ginger Baker's Air Force

[Redleg]

63. Yes, that is surprising.

I heard he cleaned up his act.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

8. Baker and Bruce pulled a "fake" Cream 10 years ago...

...BBM..."Bruce, Baker, Moore"...as in Gary Moore, ex-Thin Lizzy and current blues guy.

The BBM album was very, very "Cream-y"...WAY past the point of being derivative. The title track was a virtual re-write of "Tales of Brave Ulysses."

[louis-t]

10. Grrrrreat!

Saw Jack Bruce with Ringo a couple of years back. Still got it. Sang great. Hope they tour over here.

[David Zephyr]

11. In a White Room.

:thumbsup:

[seemslikeadream]

12. with black curtains

In the white room with black curtains near the station.
Blackroof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings.
Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes.
Dawnlight smiles on you leaving, my contentment.

I’ll wait in this place where the sun never shines;
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves.

You said no strings could secure you at the station.
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows.
I walked into such a sad time at the station.
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning.

I’ll wait in the queue when the trains come back;
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves.

At the party she was kindness in the hard crowd.
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten.
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes.
She’s just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings.

I’ll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd;
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves.

[indigobusiness]

14. ....Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves.

...sorry...but its my favorite line.

[Steely_Dan]

16. Indeed....

[Steely_Dan]

15. A Great song....

Baker's drums and Bruce's/Clapton's vocals...
Hard to believe that this band was together for such a short time and yet, had such a huge impact...I believe that they are considered the first 3 member "power" band of their time.

-Paige

[indigobusiness]

18. Of ALL time...

I'd say.

[americanstranger]

31. I always favored Jimi's Experience, myself.

While everyone else in my neighborhood bands were playing 'Spoonful' and Crossroads,' my band was doing 'Manic Depression' and 'Crosstown Traffic.' :)

The two greatest three-piece bands existed side by side back then, IMO.

-as

[indigobusiness]

32. Me too, sort of, but Cream was "first".

That was the context.
Choosing a favorite, nah...I can't really do that.

[americanstranger]

33. True.

The chronology escaped me - I was thinking of how they both hit in the US at the same time, pretty much.

And even though I favor Jimi, I still loves me some Cream. The live disc of 'Wheels of Fire' rages like a bastid, as we say here in NY. ;)

-as

[uppityperson]

17. oh this does take me back and makes me sad that we're needing

to revolt again. And now I've way over 30. But still revolting.

[meganmonkey]

19. I don't think you're revolting at all, I think you're quite

a lovely person.

;)

[uppityperson]

23. You must have mistaken me for someone else as I am definetly revolting

according to my ex and the guys down at the feed store. woohooo

[meganmonkey]

26. LOL

And don't worry. Us younger folk are pretty revolting too these days. And some of us even realize they don't make rock n roll like they used to (if at all).

[RadiDem]

21. Yeah ! My first concert in 67 ! 'Clapton is God'

[ET Awful]

22. I was talking about this with a guy at work today, and all I could think

of was how cool it would be to have a Blind Faith reunion tour afterwards :)

[americanstranger]

28. I think Rik Grech is dead...

...so it couldn't be a full-fledged reunion.

-as

[indigobusiness]

36. That's right. I seem to remember something...

not all that long ago. Heart, I think.

[indigobusiness]

50. Rick died March, 1970... time flies.

Hard to believe it was that long ago.



RIP

[indigobusiness]

54. That was supposed to be 1990

sheesh

[Danmel]

24. Derek & The Dominoes?

Was it Derek and the Dominoes who did "Can't find my way hone?"

And I'm near the end, and I just ain't got the time, oh no
And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home....

This is gonna sound mean and shitty but I really liked Clapton's music better when he was a junkie- I know it's better for him that he's not (otherwise, he'd likely be dead), but his music now is just way too Lite FM

[indigobusiness]

25. Blind Faith

Didn't Steve Winwood write that?

[americanstranger]

30. Yep. Winwood.

He's still out there kickin' it, too.

Old dogs are doin' it for themselves! ;)

-as

[indigobusiness]

34. He was sounding better than ever on 'Austin City Limits'.

I forgive him for his 'drifting' in the '80s.

That boy can flat out play a guitar...Who knew?

[americanstranger]

41. Half the guitar on 'Blind Faith' was Winwood.

Think of 'Had To Cry Today' - dual leads, like the Allmans. :)

And I think Winwood even plays part of the solo in that song, too.

He's just one of those musicians who is good at everything he does. I greatly admire his mastery of the Hammond organ, meself. That's an art form in itself.

-as

[indigobusiness]

44. I knew he was a decent player...

but, damn, he can flat out tear it up.

[indigobusiness]

49. Interesting 'Traffic' write up.- The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys

snip

The album opens with "Hidden Treasure," a number which could at first be easily mistaken for the work of Pentangle minus Jacqui McShee. As with John Barleycorn, the harmonies are English traditional sounding and the beat calypsoish. Gretch's bass is sturdy, Capaldi gets a hollow sound from his drums, Winwood sings in his high and sibilant balladeering voice, and Wood ties everything together with a subdued flute accompaniment. In this song, as in all on this album, overdubs on vocals and instrumentals are used moderately and economically for maximum effect. Toward the end of the piece, the flute becomes dominant, tabla drumming starts in, and the music seems to somehow have relocated itself from old England to that Eastern-sounding world often conjured up by Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane.

"Light Up or Leave Me Alone," by Jim Capaldi, and Rick Gretch's "Rock and Roll Stew" are, compared to Winwood's material, uninspired compositions, but both in the hands of the Traffic musicians are very pleasing and well worth listening to. "Light Up," with its chippy guitar lead and piquant vocal, is buoyantly humorous. Whatever impulse it is that causes a person in a good mood to wink his eye and grin at you is the same impulse that drives this music.

Winwood sings "Many a Mile to Freedom" with the high and gentle voice he used so well on songs like "Can't Find My Way Home." The song is based on two themes, one latin and flowing, and the other a more percussive variant of it. Capaldi is marvelously good with his drumming, and Wood with his warbling, soaring flute. Additional percussion, an electric piano, and a couple of splendidly direct guitar breaks round out the performance beautifully.

snip


http://www.superseventies.com/sptraffic.html

[Steely_Dan]

55. John Barleycorn...

Always reminds me of my all-time favorite band from that era....Jethro Tull. In fact, I was going to make my user name JTull but decided on another "Steely_Dan."

Tull was unlike any other offering during the 70's and 80's. The perfect combination of hard rock mixed with beautiful melodies.

-Paige

[indigobusiness]

56. Benefit and Stand Up

took me places I didn't know were there.

[Steely_Dan]

57. Aqualung

I've heard others tout these two albums...
However, for me, Aqualung will always be there best offering.

Yeah, I know. You're probably thinking it was because of its commercial success. I really didn't care how successful it was or wasn't...There was a reason why this album hit a chord.

It is some of the finest mix of hard rock and beautiful melodies I've ever heard. Often it is the cuts between the hits that determine a bands greatness.

I don't think that Ian Anderson and the boys ever wrote for commercial sake. Even Bowie admitted that "Let's Dance" was strictly to prove that he could write a "commercially successful" album. And Tears for Fears openly admits that "Songs From the Big Chair" was for the same purpose.

Tull never compromised...the best example of "progressive" rock - Well, of course there was "Yes" and "Blue Oyster Cult"...etc. etc.

-Paige

[indigobusiness]

59. Aqualung was ok

but 'Songs From The Wood' did more for me.

[Steely_Dan]

61. No Argument Here

There were two albums that came out one right after the other and were very similar and both very good...I believe that they were: Songs From The Wood and Heavy Horses. Tull had actually reached back and revisited some of their earlier themes and improved upon them to a considerable degree.

I would not argue against the opinion that Song From The Wood is/was one of the best offerings from the band...beautifully produced album.

-Paige

[Beware the Beast Man]

64. Old dog? Winwood can't be more than 55.

He was about 15 when he joined the Spencer Davis Group.

[indigobusiness]

65. Born May 12, 1948

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

Close.

[Gregorian]

29. We were a lot cooler when we were high.

And it was partly to hide from The Man.

But now we're fighting back. Again.

I'm straight now. And I'm able to fight.

[H2O Man]

35. trivial pursuit:

who was "Sunshine of Your Love" written as a tribute to?

[indigobusiness]

37. George Harrison's wife...

just a guess.

[Emboldened Chimp]

40. That was Layla...

[Emboldened Chimp]

38. Jimi Hendrix

[americanstranger]

42. And then Jimi turned round and recorded it!

I think he did it on John Peel's BBC show.

-as

[Emboldened Chimp]

43. Jimi did it live, but I don't think he recorded an album version

It's on the LA '69 show...and it's better than Claton ever played!

[americanstranger]

45. No, not on an album.

But there is this, from Launch:

http://launch.yahoo.com/album/default.asp?albumID=1019806

Weird, eh?

-as

[H2O Man]

47. yes, actually

there are versions on albums.

I've got a good collection of Hendrix albums, more than 60, and have several versions on LPs. More on CDs in recent years. They are all up in my son's bedroom, and if he gets in at a decent hour I'll ask him to look through some of them. But 20-year olds that listen to Hendrix rarely get in at a decent hour.

[H2O Man]

46. I have at least five

live Hendrix versions ..... no studio version that I'm aware of. Jimi played it as a tribute to Cream when they broke up; I think that's the version played on Lulu's radio show that was mentioned here.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

39. Wow! I saw them in Atlanta in I think 1970....

Wild time!

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

48. Strange Brew.........

[VOX]

62. Saw them at Cal State Northridge in spring of 1968...

they played in the Men's Gym, for God's sake -- it was enough to make your ears bleed, but it was incredible. Canned Heat opened for them, and they were tight and very festive.

What a great spring day!

[Kat45]

51. I got "Disraeli Gears" when it first came out; I was 12 or 13

and I loved that album then. Then when I was in college in the seventies, my friends and I listened to Cream all the time. Love that band. Wonder if they'll get along with each other well enough to pull off these shows?

[americanstranger]

52. That was always the gamble, eh?

The word 'volatile' described their music as well as their relationship to one another.

I still have 'DG' on vinyl. :)

-as

[Kat45]

53. I still have it on vinyl too.

As well as "Wheels of Fire" and "Goodbye Cream." :-)

Unfortunately, I don't have a turntable hooked up now and I don't have any Cream on CD.

[short bus president]

58. Can those old men still do "Tales of Brave Ulysses?"

I guess it's a good thing Clapton never really strained to sing lots of "notes" or "melodies" in the first place. He should be able to swing it pushin' 60 with the same... "meh" he sang it with back in the day. Provided those arthritic hands can still make that guitar sing...

[XNASA]

60. I can't believe that Ginger Baker would stoop so low.

:shrug:

[Wat_Tyler]

66. Yes, gentlemen, run, yes, run towards the big corporate whore teat!

RUN!

[blindpig]

67. slight misgivings

I just don't know if Clapton will have the fire anymore without the muse he rejected to save his life. While his recent work is technically superb somrthing is missing IMHO.

One of the things I liked best about Cream was the outstanding lyric writing of Pete Brown, who wrote most of the Bruce tunes and wrote lyrics for at least 2 Bruce solo albums that I know of. Wonder what's become of him?

Not that any of this blathering will stop me from greatly anticipating this event.