Last night I watched the DVD of the Cream reunion concert which was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London over 4 evenings in May this year.
As a long time Cream fan I had anticipated the reunion with some trepidation, fearful that it would be a sad get-together of elderly men unsuccessfully trying to recapture their lost youth. Fortunately I approached the DVD safe in the knowledge that the concerts had been a huge success. I knew this because I had downloaded a bootleg copy of the May 5 concert months ago, and whilst the sound quality of that recording was awful, it was obvious that the playing was quite the reverse.
The DVD proved this beyond doubt. Wow! There’s nowhere to hide with just 3 of you on stage. If you can’t cut the mustard it’s very obvious to everyone. Lesser bands would have padded out the sound with extra musicians. Not Cream, because it wasn’t necessary. Those guys have still got the goods. From the opening number “I’m So Glad” to the closing number “Sunshine of Your Love”, the whole concert was a tour de force of masterful musicianship.
Clapton gets a lot of good press these days, and he deserves it. He plays frequently and he organises other musicians to play. He receives star treatment. Most people would therefore expect Clapton to be the star of this show too, but he wasn’t. Jack Bruce was the star. If you ever want to see and hear the bass guitar played to perfection then this is the DVD you should watch. For much of the concert Jack plays a long-necked fretless bass (does anyone reading this know the make?) and makes it sing. His vocals were top notch too. Remember, this guy is in his sixties and had a liver transplant a year or so ago. Ginger Baker wasn’t far behind with the quality of his playing, and he suffers from arthritis! The two of them make up the best rhythm section alive today, and amazingly they appear to be getting on well together after years of mutual dislike.
And what of Clapton? Would it be churlish to say that he didn’t play as well as I expected? Yes, probably. I just think that he was outshone by the other two, and in a couple of songs his lead breaks just didn’t dominate. “Toad” was an example of this. However, in other songs the lead was powerful – for example, “Outside Woman Blues”.
And my favourite song from the concert? That’s a tough question when they are all so good. Well perhaps “Spoonful” by a short nose.
If you’re into quality music and you’re thinking of buying yourself an early Christmas present, think no further.
As a long time Cream fan I had anticipated the reunion with some trepidation, fearful that it would be a sad get-together of elderly men unsuccessfully trying to recapture their lost youth. Fortunately I approached the DVD safe in the knowledge that the concerts had been a huge success. I knew this because I had downloaded a bootleg copy of the May 5 concert months ago, and whilst the sound quality of that recording was awful, it was obvious that the playing was quite the reverse.
The DVD proved this beyond doubt. Wow! There’s nowhere to hide with just 3 of you on stage. If you can’t cut the mustard it’s very obvious to everyone. Lesser bands would have padded out the sound with extra musicians. Not Cream, because it wasn’t necessary. Those guys have still got the goods. From the opening number “I’m So Glad” to the closing number “Sunshine of Your Love”, the whole concert was a tour de force of masterful musicianship.
Clapton gets a lot of good press these days, and he deserves it. He plays frequently and he organises other musicians to play. He receives star treatment. Most people would therefore expect Clapton to be the star of this show too, but he wasn’t. Jack Bruce was the star. If you ever want to see and hear the bass guitar played to perfection then this is the DVD you should watch. For much of the concert Jack plays a long-necked fretless bass (does anyone reading this know the make?) and makes it sing. His vocals were top notch too. Remember, this guy is in his sixties and had a liver transplant a year or so ago. Ginger Baker wasn’t far behind with the quality of his playing, and he suffers from arthritis! The two of them make up the best rhythm section alive today, and amazingly they appear to be getting on well together after years of mutual dislike.
And what of Clapton? Would it be churlish to say that he didn’t play as well as I expected? Yes, probably. I just think that he was outshone by the other two, and in a couple of songs his lead breaks just didn’t dominate. “Toad” was an example of this. However, in other songs the lead was powerful – for example, “Outside Woman Blues”.
And my favourite song from the concert? That’s a tough question when they are all so good. Well perhaps “Spoonful” by a short nose.
If you’re into quality music and you’re thinking of buying yourself an early Christmas present, think no further.
Comment