Cream

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Seeing as how Cream (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream_(band)) is a major precurser to all bands discussed here, and their short three year contribution to music has stood the test of time, why not a thread. They've quite geniously remade classic blues songs into instrumental and stylistic psychedelic masterpieces. Eric Clapton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Clapton), feuled by B.B. King, helps invent the concept of the guitar as an outlet for virtuosity, of extended solos, and it is these solos that influence the sounds of Hendrix and Page in Zeppelin. Jack Bruce (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Bruce), classically trained, has influenced countless others with his soaring bass lines and complex rhythm structures. Ginger Baker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_Baker), once primarily a Jazz drummer, has been gushed over for his use of double bass drums and virtuosic playing, never one to actually drum the beat but uplift it.

So alright, what exactly went through your mind the first time you heard songs like "Sunshine of Your Love" or "White Room?" What tool of the cosmos brought these three guys together? Discuss...

[Seafroggys]

Awesome band, on my top 5.

I only own Disraeli Gears and their Reunion Concert (both CD and DVD) but I must say they kick absolute ***.

Jack Bruce has one of the best voices ever.

[PrettyVacant]

Used to come home from elementary school to them blasting in my living room by my dad. They're one of the bands that introduced me to rock, so I guess I can credit them partially for steering me clear of all the pop **** that my generation had to sludge through. Sunshine of Your Love and White Room were a couple of the first songs that I picked up on the guitar.

Great f'in band.

[The Negation]

Strange Brew oh yeah....

[AA-12]

Awesome band. I was learning cocaine earlier.

[Seafroggys]

too bad Cream never did Cocaine

[A Spoonful Supreme]

too bad Cream never did Cocaine
Haha.

Jack Bruce has one of the best voices ever.
Best vocal vibrato I have ever heard, my favorite blues voice ever :thumb:.

[Ephemeral]

One of my favorite bands of all time.

Anyone ever hear Jack Bruce's solo stuff?

[BigTrav415]

I'm getting more into them recently. The original power trio... too bad Bruce and Baker had to be gay and fight all the time. You have to feel sorry for Clapton, he has caught the shaft with his bands from the beginning. His bandmates in Cream fought to the point of breaking up the band, Derek and the Dominos was just plain terrible luck across the board (Duane died in a motorcycle accident, the drummer was insane and stabbed his mother like 77 times or something crazy like that, and I think the rest of the members had something bad happen to each of them too).

Clapton's a bit overrated as a guitarist. He was certainly influential, but he's certainly not the greatest guitarist ever like everyone makes him out to be. Duane outshined him by a good portion in DatD, and his riffs can be boring and repetitive sometimes. He's still a good guitarist though.

[Ephemeral]

Hey Trav.

[magicbus]

Cream has been one of my favorite bands for a while now. IMO, they are blues rock. Plain and simple. They had some real great songs (Sunshine remains one of my favorites to this day), and Clapton is one of my favorite guitarists. Actually Ginger's probably my favorite drummer also.

[Grant]

Cream were a great band, especially live. I was watching the reunion DVD just lastnight and man oh man do they still have it.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Hey you guys want me to upload a live version of "I'm so glad?"

[rockinbass17]

I remember once I counted how many times they said the word "glad" in I'm So Glad. Can't remember exactaly, but it came out to over 100.

But yeah, Bruce has a wonderful voice. It's his singing that makes a hell lot of Cream songs. Also a great pioneer on the bass.

[Seafroggys]

he used to be my favorite bass player, before I started listening to the Who.

[Mr. Black]

I have Disraeli Gears.

Sunshine of Your Love ftw.

[Bron-Yr-Aur]

World of Pain. No, Badge. Or Tales of Brave Uylsses. I'm not quite sure why, but Passing the Time scares the **** outta me.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

How about this thread titles new name? Pretty awesome.

[Seafroggys]

White Room, Swalbr, Politican, and Tales of Brave Ulysses are my favorite Cream songs, just for the record.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Their live versions of "Spoonful" and "I'm Glad" are my favorites. I might upload one.

[Mr. Black]

World of Pain. No, Badge. Or Tales of Brave Uylsses. I'm not quite sure why, but Passing the Time scares the **** outta me.
Badge isn't on DG.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

I've always thought of Cream as being oddly overhyped. Individually they're all great, obviously, but I far prefer a lot of Clapton's solo career and I never really sit through an entire album by them anymore. :-/ I see them as being one of those bands where some people see how influential they were and then assume that because of that they were better than they actually were. Still wouldn't have minded seeing their reunion though. :(

That's a first.

[JonG]

Haha.

my favorite blues voice ever :thumb:.
Eww, you're serious?

:mad:

[Ghostfire3]

Cream were good. Eric Clapton + Jack Bruce + Ginger Baker = a cool band

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Eww, you're serious?

:mad:
Okay okay, white blues singer. Howlin Wolf and others far surpass.

[JonG]

That's better.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Bump.

[RNR]

Their live versions of "Spoonful" and "I'm Glad" are my favorites. I might upload one.

I have a recent live version of Spoonful. Really good. Jack Bruce still sings pretty well.

[Satan Claus]

I mentioned them in my thread about the Yardbirds. Yes they blew me away when I first heard them on the car radio. It was "Sunshine" and I loved the massive bassy and mid-rangey sound. It was the first time I heard rock'n'roll that didn't sound tinny. Love those Marshall stacks, so thick and so WARM. Clapton doesn't sound like that anymore and I suppose that's because he has been there and done it already and see's it as a bit of a cliche.

I still listen to them for inspiration. Too bad there isn't a tribute band out there that has it all down. I would love to see that.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

I have a recent live version of Spoonful. Really good. Jack Bruce still sings pretty well.
Their reunion? I have that on dvd.
I mentioned them in my thread about the Yardbirds. Yes they blew me away when I first heard them on the car radio. It was "Sunshine" and I loved the massive bassy and mid-rangey sound. It was the first time I heard rock'n'roll that didn't sound tinny. Love those Marshall stacks, so thick and so WARM. Clapton doesn't sound like that anymore and I suppose that's because he has been there and done it already and see's it as a bit of a cliche.

I still listen to them for inspiration. Too bad there isn't a tribute band out there that has it all down. I would love to see that.
Yah, where's your Yardbirds thread?

[Satan Claus]

I believe I called the thread "The Yardbirds and Me A Sort of Tribute". It was done last year I think. It was posted in the Rock and Metal area.

I'm trying to find it too! Must be the herbs. LOL.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

I believe I called the thread "The Yardbirds and Me A Sort of Tribute". It was done last year I think. It was posted in the Rock and Metal area.

I'm trying to find it too! Must be the herbs. LOL.

I just found your thread by looking through the threads you've made. So you were actually there when Cream came and went, wow. Tell us more man.

[Satan Claus]

I never had the money to buy their records when I was a kid. I didn't even know who Eric Clapton was. I loved their drummer and wanted to be a drummer because of him until I realized I could never afford a drum set. I saw them play "Sunshine of your Love" on a TV show in the summer of '68. The lighting made it impossible to see their faces; just a mass of long hair which added to the mystery. You could tell it was live because they sang the song a little differently than the record. They seemed to be the quintessential psychedelic hippies. Little did I know that they were actually musicians from Great Britain who were blues (Clapton), and jazz (Baker and Bruce) freaks.

I only got into them after they broke up. I went and got all their albums one by one and started to listen. It wasn't always easy. The longer stuff tended to bore me until I realized that this was a band that reveled in sound and noise and energy. They really seemed to go for broke in their jams and as a listener I had to understand that and surrender myself to the sound and meet them half-way.

I've met people who actually saw them and talk about how loud they were and how massive the sound was and how Clapton and Bruce would walk off the stage when the drum solo began and how they would smoke a joint while Baker would go nuts. I suppose that could be true. Who knows I wasn't there.

I do know that I had friends who could afford the records and they just loved those guys. Why not? It was a new sound and only Jimi Hendrix sounded anything like that. Anyone else who did was merely jumping on the bandwagon that these two groups created. When you are the 3rd or 4th group to copy somebody it sometimes looks like you came up with the stuff on your own. The Yardbirds may have pointed the way to truly thick psychedelic, acid-rock, heavy-metal sound but they never really took it to the logical conclusion like Hendrix or Cream did.

I do know that Eric Clapton became my favorite guitarist because of Cream. It has nothing to do with how fast you play or anything else. This is something that I get into arguments with all the time. It really has nothing to do with anything. It's like asking why you like chocolate, or why you like blondes. You just do. I can't really explain it. I suppose I could if I thought about it but why bother? I am not here to change anyone's mind I'd much rather listen to the music and enjoy what I enjoy.

For all you Cream fans I can only say,"Yes, they were mothers, weren't they?"

[Seafroggys]

just downloaded the studio version of Politician. I've only heard the one off of the Reunion DVD (which I loved!) and this one is kick *** too! I love Jack's voice!

[Mr. Black]

Man, They've written some awesome songs, all within 3 albums too. Quite a Musical Feat.

[Jude]

Cream in the studio is amazing. Cream live is not so hot, mainly because they wank like crazy and drag songs on much longer than they should be...I have Live Cream vol. 2 on vinyl but I can only really enjoy the first side because the second side is just masturbatory versions of Spoonful and Steppin' Out that go on forEVER.....kind of ruins it.

[PinkFreud]

Best vocal vibrato I have ever heard
Uh, wow.

I used to love Cream. They're a great band for people just getting into classic rock.

To whoever mentioned Clapton's tone changing, it has more to do with him starting to use Fender Strats during Derek and the Dominos and continuing on with them until today.

Trav, you are so wrong. Duane's not even impressive on the D&tD album.

[Satan Claus]

Uh, wow.

I used to love Cream. They're a great band for people just getting into classic rock.

To whoever mentioned Clapton's tone changing, it has more to do with him starting to use Fender Strats during Derek and the Dominos and continuing on with them until today.

Trav, you are so wrong. Duane's not even impressive on the D&tD album.


Well yeah, I know he changed to Fenders, no kidding. But what I meant is the fact that he never returned to the sound of Cream as a CONSCIOUS effort on his part. He once said that he didn't want to go back to playing humbucking Gibsons and Marshalls because it was too close to the sound of Cream. It wasn't just because he liked the way Fenders felt on his hands it was also the SOUND. He also said that with a Fender he could approach the sound of a Gibson if he wanted to but could also back off from it as well. I think even almost 40 years after the fact he still wants to distance himself from the actual sound of Cream. In the reunion DVD you will notice he didn't play a Gibson through a Marshall even though he could have. The songs seemed more important rather than replicating the actual sound of 1968.

I have seen photos of him playing Les Pauls, 335's, and other Gibsons in concert but have noticed that he only does so on a few songs and always returns to his Strats. He seems to like Fender Twins and/or Marshall combos for amps. He likes the Fenders for their sound it seems and he once said that he likes the Marshall combos for their road-worthy toughness. But I doubt very much you will ever hear him go back to the heavy-metal sound that he sort of pioneered with Cream and that has more to do with choice rather than any equipment after all he would have done it with Strats if he wanted to; he would have just played louder (and maybe with a distortion pedal), and that is one thing he has not done in a long time.

[PinkFreud]

I know all of that. Sorry to make you waste your time though.

Your last sentence is a bit of a jumble, however. Care to clear it up?

[Satan Claus]

Your right it is a jumble. It tends to run on and on. But it is more or less a summing up of all the previous sentences.

I did try to say that he doesn't play as loud as he used to as a matter of choice. And if he wanted to replicate the sound of Cream as it was in '68 and still use a Strat he would probably have to play louder (like Hendrix) and maybe use a distortion or fuzz pedal. But all of that is probably never going to happen because he really doesn't want to sound like that anymore.

In the end it's the change in tone begins in your mind. You decide to change your tone and THEN you change your playing techniques and/or equipment. Therefore, your decision to change your tone is more important than equipment.

That's all I meant.

[Seafroggys]

Cream in the studio is amazing. Cream live is not so hot, mainly because they wank like crazy and drag songs on much longer than they should be...I have Live Cream vol. 2 on vinyl but I can only really enjoy the first side because the second side is just masturbatory versions of Spoonful and Steppin' Out that go on forEVER.....kind of ruins it.

i haven't heard a lot of the older stuff, but I think their jams on the reunion DVD are just the right length.

You should listen to some jazz. They go on and on with their solos, and it makes Cream seem like pop-punk soloing!

[PinkFreud]

That's all I meant.
Ok, I was just throwing the equipment change out for people who might be curious. Honestly, I've never seen your posting and had no way to gauge how much or how little you knew. It can be hard for people without a general knowledge of guitars to tell the difference between single-coils and humbuckers. Cheers.

Ps. You should post in the Classic Rock thread.

Seafroggy's, the jams on the reunion dvd are a fair amount shorter than how they used to do it.

[Seafroggys]

well I'm a fan of instrumental virtuosity, and i don't have ADD like most of our society, so I think I'll enjoy it anyways.

[Jude]

i haven't heard a lot of the older stuff, but I think their jams on the reunion DVD are just the right length.

You should listen to some jazz. They go on and on with their solos, and it makes Cream seem like pop-punk soloing!
I've never really gotten into jazz, but the jazz I've heard generally has TASTEFUL drawn out sections and it flows. Cream live is just like verse-chorus-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-wank for 20 minutes-chorus

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Uh, wow.

I take it you disagree that Jack Bruce has a great vocal vibrato? Oh well, I dig his wailing voice.
Cream in the studio is amazing. Cream live is not so hot, mainly because they wank like crazy and drag songs on much longer than they should be...I have Live Cream vol. 2 on vinyl but I can only really enjoy the first side because the second side is just masturbatory versions of Spoonful and Steppin' Out that go on forEVER.....kind of ruins it.
I actually prefer Cream live :(

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=EF30B87C7814A821

[Hep Kat]

I like me some Cream.


/goes to listen to them

[here comes the bird flu]

I actually prefer Cream live :(

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=EF30B87C7814A821
123, back in the 60's, that is.

It was always faster, more improvisation, and A LOT louder.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Yeah, they were known for their live shows, recordings were just for burbs.

[here comes the bird flu]

Yep. I do like their recordings though.

[Jude]

Cream live is awesome when they just play the song, without adding a 20 minute solo into it. It's just that those are very tiresome.

[here comes the bird flu]

Correct. When I saw them at Madison Square Garden [bragging to come], they kind of started to do that a little bit. Leave the 20 minute drum solos to John Bonham.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Correct. When I saw them at Madison Square Garden [bragging to come], they kind of started to do that a little bit. Leave the 20 minute drum solos to John Bonham.

Seriously... you were at their Madison Square Garden show? I hate you and life is truly not fair :angry: .

[Lunch]

I love Cream live, including their "20 minute solos".

[magicbus]

Cream's not my favorite band for long solos. Sometimes it does get a little tiresome. I do like them live though. The versions of White Room and Politician from the farewell concert are awesome. They have killer solos and intros, respectively.

[here comes the bird flu]

Seriously... you were at their Madison Square Garden show? I hate you and life is truly not fair :angry: .
You are correct. I even found a free $40 t-shirt in the middle of the street [Cream, obviously]. If it makes you happy I stepped in a puddle on the way back from the concert and it was raining the rest of the trip there.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Man what the heck? How much were those tickets?

I vow to see at least Clapton before he dies.

[here comes the bird flu]

$150, around there.

I've seen Clapton a couple times. Went to the Crossroads Guitar Festival, and I met him..:eek:

[A Spoonful Supreme]

You shouldn't have typed that darnit, jelousy man... how old are you anyway?

[here comes the bird flu]

Fifteen

[Mr. Black]

$150, around there.

I've seen Clapton a couple times. Went to the Crossroads Guitar Festival, and I met him..:eek:
That when he had the cool looking guitar?

[here comes the bird flu]

That when he had the cool looking guitar?
Yesiree. I have a model of that thing in my room. Very interesting.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Fifteen
Wow you're one lucky dude, I'm 18.

[here comes the bird flu]

:cool:

[Hedgedive]

Yo Tomlinson

[here comes the bird flu]

Yo Tomlinson
Hey hedge. What up?

[Hedgedive]

Hey hedge. What up?

I woke up, and looked for GD for like 10 minutes... and then it dawned on me. :(

Now I'm trying to find a new home.

I better not get "IM n00b"d for this.

[Seafroggys]

Correct. When I saw them at Madison Square Garden [bragging to come], they kind of started to do that a little bit. Leave the 20 minute drum solos to John Bonham.

Ginger Baker owns Bonham.

[here comes the bird flu]

I woke up, and looked for GD for like 10 minutes... and then it dawned on me. :(

Now I'm trying to find a new home.

I better not get "IM n00b"d for this.
Same here. I feel empty.

R&M is cool.

[Hedgedive]

Same here. I feel empty.

R&M is cool.

I didn't really agree with Jeremy's reasoning. By "asshole users"... he pretty much meant Chad and Toast, right?

I mean, there plenty of music-related threads, that just encompassed more than one genre (my last thread, for instance), and L&R was cool, etc.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

I didn't really agree with Jeremy's reasoning. By "asshole users"... he pretty much meant Chad and Toast, right?

I mean, there plenty of music-related threads, that just encompassed more than one genre (my last thread, for instance), and L&R was cool, etc.
There were way too many fools in the pit, it bred animosity and absurdity. Just be glad you got hours of your life back.

[here comes the bird flu]

I didn't really agree with Jeremy's reasoning. By "asshole users"... he pretty much meant Chad and Toast, right?

I mean, there plenty of music-related threads, that just encompassed more than one genre (my last thread, for instance), and L&R was cool, etc.
But there are a lot of spammers. Noonward, for example.
Ginger Baker owns Bonham.
I'm gonna have to say Bonham is better, but I like Ginger's style alot more.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

I like Ginger, just so smooth and finesse.

[Satan Claus]

Ok, I was just throwing the equipment change out for people who might be curious. Honestly, I've never seen your posting and had no way to gauge how much or how little you knew. It can be hard for people without a general knowledge of guitars to tell the difference between single-coils and humbuckers. Cheers.

Ps. You should post in the Classic Rock thread.

Seafroggy's, the jams on the reunion dvd are a fair amount shorter than how they used to do it.


OK. Now I understand your point. Peace and goodwill.

As for posting in the Classic Rock Thread, well maybe I will one day when the spirit moves me.

I listen to different things, mainly blues but everything else is just stuff that I happen to like, mainly old or ancient music but there isn't really a pattern to my tastes, I don't think.

Hearing Cream at a young age and at a time when everything was so new and you had nothing to compare it to, did a real number on my soul. I still think about their music to this day. Before Cream it was like living on oatmeal and then suddenly discovering there were such things as cherry sundaes, eclairs, chocolate cake, etc. Very tasty, very delicious. I don't know maybe that isn't the best way to put it but it's hard to explain music. It's just sounds and beats and it affects people differently. I'll just settle for listening to it and leave the words to the critics.

I'll also settle for practicing my guitar more because I really love music like I suppose everyone else here does.

[here comes the bird flu]

I like Ginger, just so smooth and finesse.
Same here, that's what I like about him.

[A Spoonful Supreme]

Hey everyone I have a joke:

What do coffee and Eric Clapton have in common?


Answer:

Without cream they both suck

Note: I don't agree but it is a good joke :)

[here comes the bird flu]

Hey everyone I have a joke:

What do coffee and Eric Clapton have in common?


Answer:

Without cream they both suck

Note: I don't agree but it is a good joke :)
Clever, I don't agree with it.

[Seafroggys]

Hey everyone I have a joke:

What do coffee and Eric Clapton have in common?


Answer:

Without cream they both suck

Note: I don't agree but it is a good joke :)

actually that's not the joke I heard. I heard it with Ginger Baker instead, which, imo, makes for a MUCH better joke.

[here comes the bird flu]

actually that's not the joke I heard. I heard it with Ginger Baker instead, which, imo, makes for a MUCH better joke.
:eek:
I always thought EC was the middle man between Jack and Ginger.

[Strange Brew]

EC was the middle man... Baker and Bruce disliked each other to my knowledge.

[here comes the bird flu]

EC was the middle man... Baker and Bruce disliked each other to my knowledge.
my point exactly, I knew I was right.