Published on Nov 2, 1998
Way back in March, I dared to utter pure sacrilege in these
pages. Yup – I dared to say that a Cream album was not worth
listening to – specifically, their debut effort
Fresh Cream. Much to my surprise, the hate mail was not
overwhelming.
The trio of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker has always
been called a band of three virtuosos slugging it out for the
spotlight. On their first album, it just seemed like very few of
the pieces were in place, and the end result was a musical
free-for-all.
Fortunately, their follow-up album
Disraeli Gears is a major step in the right direction,
though it’s still not perfect. But it does lead the group into the
realm of superstardom, particularly with the song “Sunshine Of Your
Love”. Incredibly overplayed over the years, when taken in the
context of this album, the song does gain a new set of legs. (In
fact, this is something I’ve noticed about many songs that classic
rock stations have bludgeoned to death.)
Even from the opening track “Strange Brew,”
Disraeli Gears will have you scratching your head and
wondering, “Is this the same band that did ‘I Feel Free’?” The
answer is “yes,” only they’re now that much better, having learned
each other’s ideosyncracies – part of the learning process of all
bands. Now that Bruce’s bass and vocals know how to merge with
Clapton’s guitar and vocals, and how Baker’s drum work fits into
the whole process, Cream comes into their own on
Disraeli Gears.
Of the three well-known tracks from this album, “Swlabr” is the
hidden gem. (Does anyone have a clue what in the hell that title is
supposed to mean? E.C., you reading? You wanna explain it to me?)
More intricate rhythms and interplay between the instruments, as
well as a solid vocal delivery from Bruce (which is sometimes as
nonsensical as the title) make this one a real charmer. I don’t
want to knock “Strange Brew,” however; again, in the environment of
this album, the song comes into its own.
However, the heart of
Disraeli Gears isn’t in the songs we all know, it’s in the
songs that never made it to radio. Tracks like “Dance The Night
Away,” “Blue Condition” and “Outside Woman Blues” show how much
this band has grown and improved since their first album, and it is
truly more fun to listen to and experience. (I would challenge
program directors from classic rock stations to take one or two of
these tracks and throw them on for your listeners; they are strong
enough to possibly rekindle an interest in Cream.)
Still, there are some stumbling points on
Disraeli Gears, though they’re nowhere near as major as the
ones on
Fresh Cream. “Tales Of Brave Ulysses” has never been a
favorite of mine, and is the one song whose inclusion on the
greatest-hits disc
Strange Brew: The Very Best Of Cream I question. And while I
recognize that “Mother’s Lament” is meant to be a throw-away track
cut for fun, it could have easily been left off this disc. Still,
points like these are minor.
Disraeli Gears is the type of album that quickly restored my
faith in Cream’s supergroup status. But the band had merely dipped
their toes in the pool of fame; the big hits like “Badge” and
“White Room” still were ahead of them. But for now,
Disraeli Gears is the best place for you to start your
education on Cream. Who knows, even the “old-timers” might just
learn something from this one.