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Wednesday 1 April 2020

"Classic Album Collection" by CREAM – Including The Albums "Fresh Cream" (1966), "Disraeli Gears" (1967), "Wheels Of Fire" (1968 2LP Set Half Studio Half Live) and "Goodbye" (1969) – All Featuring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker with Guests Felix Papalardi and Pete Brown (April 2016 UK Universal/Polydor 4-Album/5-Disc Mini Box Set) - A Review by Mark Barry...



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"...Strange Brew..."

Issued 2016 as a celebration of their 50th Anniversary - I’m loving the oversized gatefold card sleeves for each release (like repro LPs) when only the double "Wheels Of Fire" and the final studio album "Goodbye" had them on the original vinyl issues.  Universal/Polydor has put new photos and track lists on the inner gatefolds now given to "Fresh Cream" and "Disraeli Gears" that look very tasty indeed - but although the outer hard-card slipcase is handy and the whole package looks the part ("Wheels" is separated onto two discs) - there’s no booklet and there’s no mastering credits either.

The audio varies from really good to really great – but if I'm honest the Remasters on "Gold" done by Suha Gur shine better (see separate review). Paschal Byrne’s remasters on the Jack Bruce double are fabulous too. Still – it feels nice to have their whole official output all in one place and looking good into the mini box set bargain. There’s a lot to get through - so once more unto the Strange Brews and the geared-up Politicians standing at the Crossroads...

UK released 29 April 2016 (6 May 2016 in the USA) - "Classic Album Collection" by CREAM on Universal/Polydor 473 456-1 (0602547345615) is a 4-Album/5-Disc Mini Box Set and plays out as follows:

Disc 1 "Fresh Cream" (41:10 minutes):
1. I Feel Free
2. N.S.U.
3. Sleepy Time Time
4. Sweet Wine
5. Spoonful
6. Cat's Squirrel [Side 2]
7. Four Until Late
8. Rollin' And Tumblin'
9. I'm So Glad
10. Toad
Tracks 1 to 10 are their debut album "Fresh Cream" - released December 1966 in the UK on Reaction 593 001 (Mono) and Reaction 594 001 (Stereo) and in the USA on Atco 33-206 (Mono) and Atco SD 33-206 (Stereo)  - the Stereo mix is used. Recorded at Rayrik and Ryemuse Studios in London and Produced by Robert Stigwood.

Disc 2 "Disraeli Gears" (33:38 minutes):
1. Strange Brew
2. Sunshine Of Your Love
3. World Of Pain
4. Dance The Night Away
5. Blue Condition
6. Tales Of Brave Ulysses
7. Swalbr
8. We're Going Wrong
9. Outside Woman Blues
10. Take It Back
11. Mother's Lament
Tracks 1 to 11 are their 2nd studio album "Disraeli Gears" - released November 1967 in the UK on Reaction 593 003 (Mono) and Reaction 594 003 (Stereo) and in the USA on Atco 33-232 (Mono) and Atco SD 33-232 (Stereo) - the Stereo Mix is used on this CD. Produced by Felix Pappalardi.

Disc 3 "Wheels Of Fire" - (CD1 - In The Studio - 36:33 minutes):
1. White Room
2. Sitting On Top Of The World
3. Passing The Time
4. As You Said
5. Pressed Rat And Warthog [Side 2]
6. Politician
7. Those Were The Days
8. Born Under A Bad Sign
9. Deserted Cities Of The Heart

Disc 3 "Wheels Of Fire" (CD2 - Live At The Fillmore - 44:32 minutes):
1. Crossroads
2. Spoonful
3. Traintime [Side 2]
4. Toad
Both CDs of Disc 3 is the double-album "Wheels Of Fire" - released August 1968 in the UK on Polydor 582 031/2 (Mono) and Polydor 583 031/2 (Stereo) and in the USA on Atco 2-700 (Mono) and Atco SD 2-700 (Stereo) – the Stereo Mix is used for both discs. Produced by Felix Pappalardi. On CD2 Tracks 1, 2 and 3 recorded live at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco 10 March 1968 and Track 4 recorded 7 March 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco 8 March 1968.

Disc 4 "Goodbye" (30:46 minutes):
1. I'm So Glad
2. Politician
3. Sitting on Top Of The World
4. Badge [Side 2]
5. Doing That Scrapyard Thing
6. What A Bringdown
Tracks 1 to 6 are their 4th and final album "Goodbye" - released February 1969 in the UK on Polydor 583 053 (Stereo) and in the USA on Atco SD 7001 (Stereo). Side 1 recorded live - Side 2 studio recordings - Produced by Felix Pappalardi.

Fresh from John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Yardbirds – Clapton had already amassed a rep as the primo UK Bluesman whilst both Bruce and Baker had cut their teeth with the legendary Graham Bond Organization  - a band that lived for American Rhythm 'n' Blues.  So their December 1966 "Fresh Cream" debut is not surprisingly heavy with re-worked covers of their R&B and Blues heroes - Robert Johnson's "Four Until Late", Muddy Water'' "Rollin' & Tumblin'", Howlin' Wolf's "Spoonful" penned by the Chess Records genius Willie Dixon, "I'm So Glad" by Skip James and Dr. Isaiah Ross (miscredited as S. Splurge) on the Side 2 opener "Cat's Squirrel".  It's odd in 2016 to think that Clapton as principal axeman of this most guitar-driven of bands hasn't a credit anywhere - "N.S.U." and "Dreaming" being by Bassist Jack Bruce - whilst he and his wife of the time Janet Godfrey are credited to "Sleepy Time Time". The superb and poppy "I Feel Free" is a co-write between Jack Bruce and lyricist Pete Brown of Battered Ornaments and Piblokto! fame (later on Harvest Records) who would also contribute cracking material to "Disraeli Gears"and "Wheels Of Fire". The final two selections are "Toad" by Drummer Ginger Baker and co-credit on "Sweet Wine" to Ginger Baker and Janet Godfrey. And both Producer Felix Pappalardi with Songwriter Pete Brown would feature as equal partners throughout Cream's tenure as the New Wave of British Heavy Rock and Psychedelia.

Few songs demonstrate the progress of a band from entertaining purveyors of cool covers to their own distinguishable sound than the brilliant "Disraeli Gears" opener "Strange Brew" - where suddenly - Cream the Band seemed fully formed. Pete Brown helped out once again with that other great riffage winner "Sunshine Of Your Love" - a song that still seems fresh. "...Outside my window is a tree..." Eric sings on the excellent "World Of Pain" wishing he was somewhere else - but even that's trumped by one of the album's undoubted masterpieces - "Dance The Night Away" where fame is already knocking too hard on their collective doors "...gonna build myself a castle high up in the clouds...loose these streets and crowds...". Baker complains too of 'no relaxation' in his drowsy "Blue Condition” while The Rotary Connection would take the Rock chug of "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" and give it some Soul over on Cadet Records (Cream were covered a lot). She Walks Like A Bearded Rainbow becomes SWALBR with the best ever lyrics in the world - where rainbows have beards and paintings have moustaches (yeah baby). "We're Gone Wrong" sounds like experimental Fleetwood Mac circa "Albatross" and "Outside Woman Blues" finally sees EC stump up another self-penned song of worth (more girly misery). Harmonicas pump up "Take It Back" as the LP ends on the genuinely perverse sea-shanty "Mother's Lament" - where the band does an Acapella telling us with glee that someone's skinny child has gone down the plughole from lack of Rusks.  In truth - you forget how good "Disraeli Gears" was – the whole album a genuine Sixties classic (check out the Abbey Road Half Speed Mastered Vinyl LP reissue from April 2016 – best I’ve ever heard this notoriously crude recording sound).

Double-albums have always retained a cool for me that brings me back to them like a forlorn moth to a musical flame - and the adventurous "Wheels Of Fire" was one of my first burns. A kicking remaster of "White Room" gives those up-front drums and guitars huge presence and power. Unfortunately the audio wonderland quickly evaporates as there's loads of hiss on their cover of Howlin' Wolf's Chess Classic "Sittin' On Top Of The World" - a faithful version of a great Blues song but one that never really ignites for me. Far better is Jazz Pianist Mike Taylor's involvement in the Small Faces-sounding "Passing The Time" - a great trippy tune Steve Marriott would have donned a Mod cap at.  Playing all the Acoustic Guitars and Cello on "As You Said" (no EC involvement) - Jack Bruce had clearly been absorbing huge dollops of "Magical Mystery Tour" when he produced one of the "Wheels" best songs - adventurous and melodic and so brilliantly 60ts. As Ginger Baker recites the ever-so-slightly loon-lyrics of "Pressed Rat And Warthog" (I want to visit their shop in London) - Felix Pappalardi gives us all those hectic trumpet bursts in the background. 
 
The terribly well-dressed and right honourable "Politician" for Sleaze-Upon-Sea wants a young lady to 'get into my black car' to 'show you what my politics are' - a great tune they'd return to 'live' for the "Goodbye" album. And the 'Studio' LP ends on a trio of winners - their cover of Albert King's Stax gem "Born Under A Bad Sign" (a song Cream almost made their own) and two wicked originals - "Those Were The Days" and the brilliant "Deserted Cities Of The Heart". And I can't imagine the number of young bucks who must have stood in front of a mirror with a tennis racket and pretended they were EC as he lays into the stunning live cut of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads".

I can remember to this day the 'sting' of "Goodbye" - a pig's ear of an LP clearly made up of scraps. The three live tracks on Side 1 were good but never much more - "Badge" a rare and utterly sublime moment and the final two living up their name 'bringdown' and the 'RIP' on the tombstone on the inner gatefold. Listening to the lot in one splurge and you're reminded of the ups and downs - the really great stuff like "Disraeli Gears" and "Wheels Of Fire" and that innovative beginning "Fresh Cream". But it's dampened for me by that final clunker and those seeking audiophile sound would probably want to take their spondulicks elsewhere.

Still - any band that can pull off singing "...but the rainbow has a beard..." gets my vote. 'Those Were The Days' indeed...

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