Published on Aug 20, 2002
To many people today, Cream is simply the group who performed
“White Room,” “Sunshine Of Your Love” and “Badge” – or it is seen
as another vehicle that Eric Clapton was part of on his way to
superstardom. (Never mind the fact that he had already hit that
peak in some people’s minds.)
Yet Cream was more than just that. They were purveyors of the
British blues scene, that which some saw abandoned by the Rolling
Stones and the Yardbirds. Indeed, Clapton and bassist/vocalist Jack
Bruce were former members of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, arguably
the most well-established of the acts in that genre.
Yet Cream’s work – at least that part which doesn’t get
significant airplay – has not aged as well as one would hope. While
Live Cream, released two years after the group split up, has
its charms about it, one could hardly argue that it is a must-own
album for anyone but diehard blues or Clapton fans.
Four of the album’s five tracks are live versions of songs you
can find on
Fresh Cream, their debut effort. And, in all fairness, the
live version of “N.S.U.” is a rollicking good one, showing the
talents of Clapton, Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker without it
feeling like anyone is trying to hog the spotlight. Musically,
Cream proves they are a tight, cohesive unit throughout the course
of this album.
What is lacking, though, is a sense of real emotion, both on the
players and what is supposed to be elicited from the listener.
Tracks like “Sleepy Time Time” and “Sweet Wine,” while not bad
efforts, just don’t sound like the three musicians truly had their
hearts in their performances. The end result to the listener is
pure melancholy – that is, you appreciate the song, but you’re
indifferent to it either way. Somehow, I don’t think that was the
intention of Cream.
The only “new” track, “Lawdy Mama,” sounds like a re-hash of
“Strange Brew” in the arrangement, and for some reason, I get the
impression that this was a studio track left over from one of their
sessions, since I don’t hear the audience anywhere. Not that I’m
complaining about that, just curious. But if the group was indeed
looking to place a forgotten nugget on
Live Cream to satisfy their fans, I wonder if there hadn’t
been a better track to offer. I mean, the box set hadn’t been
invented yet, so it wasn’t a marketing move…
Despite the flaws,
Live Cream is curiously appealing, if only for the
occasional listen. It’s the kind of album you would want to put on
to clear out the mental pipes and re-discover some of Clapton’s
roots. (I do admit, though, I prefer his version of “Rollin’ And
Tumblin'” off
Unplugged than this one, which is closer to the original.)
Essential? No. Worth a listen? Yes.