Cream

BFrank · February-1st-2005, 11:40 PM

Anyone going? Wishing they could go? Would give up their first-born to go?

GoodSpeak · February-1st-2005, 11:51 PM

BFrank,

I would give my eye teeth to be there!

Wow!

Is this really true?

My heart is breaking....

BFrank · February-2nd-2005, 12:20 AM

Oh, it's for real alright. Tickets on ebay are already going for £400 and up! WAY up!

That's English Pounds, BTW - $1.00 = .53 of these. Do the math - YEOWZA!

bluenoter · February-2nd-2005, 12:54 AM

I guess it won't help for me to recount that I saw Cream in their prime, up close in a small venue. Hey--being an old fart has some consolations.

BFrank · February-2nd-2005, 01:53 AM

You guys are killin' me!

OTOH, I can claim to have seen Jimi......twice.

(I ain't that young, my-own-self)

Squaredancecalling Steve · February-2nd-2005, 02:34 AM

David and I (who didn't know each other then) saw Cream's American debut, at the Fillmore in '67, with Gary Burton opening and Mike Bloomfield's Electric Flag up just before them. My friends in Headlights did the light show, and I watched them (with The Flag) from the projection booth, really a high wraparound balcony. Cream was dressed like men from outer space, and they were positively electrifying! The crowd was lit and primed to believe! Ginger Baker played a drum solo that lasted at least a week.

People forget two things about the Summer of Love: it was the wettest summer in San Francisco in something like 100 years, and there was a massive marijuana drought from late spring until well into the summer. The Cream's debut was not long after the killer weed reappeared in town, and the natives were in a festive mood.

AntManBee · February-2nd-2005, 06:24 AM

So, Clapton's broke?

A Cream reunion 2005 doesn't seem amazingly appealing to me.

HenryMc · February-2nd-2005, 06:59 AM

I guess the real question is whether they'll do "Pressed Rat and Warthog"?

AntManBee · February-2nd-2005, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HenryMc

I guess the real question is whether they'll do "Pressed Rat and Warthog"?

How about Anyone For Tennis?

HenryMc · February-2nd-2005, 07:18 AM

Another classic

HenryMc · February-2nd-2005, 07:44 AM

From DIG INternet radio

Cream Reunion Ticket: $2,434+ - 02/02/2005

Tickets to see the first British reunion shows by Cream, guitarist Eric Clapton's 1960s supergroup, in almost four decades were selling for more than 1,000 pounds sterling ($2,434) on Tuesday.

Tickets for the trio's four nights at the Royal Albert Hall in London during May sold out in less than two hours when they went on sale earlier this week, carrying a face value of no more than 125 pounds.

Now, some Internet sites are re-selling tickets for up to 1,300 pounds, Britain's Press Association newswire said. Others were being advertised on auction website eBay for up 650 pounds for a pair, it added

Talk about getting (C) reamed

Dr Dave · February-2nd-2005, 09:53 AM

No, thanks. When I was a young man, I thought Cream was the shit. Then I grew up, and lost interest in week-long drum solos.

In any event, as the ticket prices indicate, this is all about money. Maybe I'll rent the DVD when it comes out. Maybe not.

Nice poster, though.

PS: I take it Wednesday night they go to bed early.

Gary Sisco · February-2nd-2005, 10:04 AM

And to think, if it hadn't been for American guitarists, Clapton would never have been God.

They'd have to pay me the door to go. Cream represents in one short word all that I dislike about rock's alleged glory years.

Dr Dave · February-2nd-2005, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

And to think, if it hadn't been for American guitarists, Clapton would never have been God.

They'd have to pay me the door to go. Cream represents in one short word all that I dislike about rock's alleged glory years.

Hell, we can be more specific than that: If it hadn't been for B.B. King, Freddie King, and Albert King, there wouldn't be any Eric Clapton at all. To his credit, I believe he will be the first to admit that. On the other hand, taking licks from the Kings and playing them for 40 minutes at a stretch seems like abuse of priviledge.

Gentle Giant · February-2nd-2005, 10:09 AM

I think it's cool, but it's bound to be disappointing. Clapton can still solo effectively, but let's face it, without smack he's not going to have the fire he had in Cream. I think Bruce will hold up his end, and Baker may be more disciplined, but I'd almost rather have Steve Winwood on board and make it a Blind Faith reunion.

VIBEr · February-2nd-2005, 10:17 AM

I don't think it will be disappointing at all. We're talking about three musicians who still have their chops, combined with 35+ years of added experience and perspective they can bring to the shows. Now, they may choose to just take the money and run, but I would not assume that would be the case at all. They are certainly tremendously capable of really doing something noteworthy during these shows.

Chris D · February-2nd-2005, 10:30 AM

I believe Clapton was speeding during Cream. The smack came later.

I'd be interested if they made Clapton play a Gibson.

AntManBee · February-2nd-2005, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Sisco

Clapton would never have been God.

If Cream ever had a God in their lineup, Jack Bruce was the one.

BFrank · February-2nd-2005, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AntManBee

If Cream ever had a God in their lineup, Jack Bruce was the one.

Exactly. His creativity has endured a lot better than Clapton's, that's for sure.

Dr Dave · February-2nd-2005, 01:40 PM

GG: Heroin is an impediment to creativity. Ask any junkie.

HenryMc · February-2nd-2005, 03:19 PM

Dave

Man

What you saying? Heroin Bad?

Bird shot up H, ate 15 fried chickens, invented be bop, drank 10 gallons of whiskey, met mooche the moose, scored more, created more sublime alto solos, ripped off other musos axes, pawned them, studied stravinsky and milhaud, chased chicks, scored, played the second and third sets in a club (missed the first one scoring) , then went to yell outside of dizzy's house and that was only in one day and you saying H is bad!!!!!!

You tell that to every mofo sax player who followed Bird in the forties you dig!!

H bad my my my

Of course

He also nearly burned himself to death
was institutionalised
ruined his health and died at 35

so I guess there might be some downside.

jazzy mary · February-2nd-2005, 03:29 PM

Henry MC, you said it all!

Steve Reynolds · February-2nd-2005, 03:46 PM

some downside?

a little bit more to it than that

Heroin stifled Parker's creativity and killed him - just like the disease of addiction continues to kill and destroy lives

that Heroin or other drugs generate creativity is a figment of the addict's addled mind

What Parker could have done if he wasn't an addict or found a way to recover is only a dream - not a coincidence that his past 3 or 4 years didn't produce his greatest music

and it isn't the only drug that does it

groover · February-2nd-2005, 04:08 PM

Ironically, Ginger and Jack have both said that they actually considered Cream a jazz trio, though they didn't want to disillusion Eric, who thought it was an electric blues combo.

They also hated each other's guts, since they'd had a knockdown fistfight when they were both in the Graham Bond Organization. This does explain why they often seemed to be playing aggressively against each other on the live Cream albums. Hopefully they're past this now.

There was an interesting archival release in 2003 of a 1975 Jack Bruce Band show in Manchester, with Carla Bley on keyboards, featuring a ten-minute-plus cover of Tony Williams' composition "Spirit".

BFrank · February-2nd-2005, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groover

There was an interesting archival release in 2003 of a 1975 Jack Bruce Band show in Manchester, with Carla Bley on keyboards, featuring a ten-minute-plus cover of Tony Williams' composition "Spirit".

That's a MONSTER album. Any Jack Bruce fan should definitely pick it up.

Gary Sisco · February-2nd-2005, 04:46 PM

Gahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr Dave names names and nails it, of course. Not so much BB but certainly Freddie and Albert (from the latter he took a whole lot of vocal style as well).

Not that it matters much when "Toad" is an end result, of course ...

fwiw, I went to hear him once in Montreal during his "Lay Down Sally" period. It was a good concert and we had fun, but it was far from unusually good. He sounded alright, the hash was good, Chinatown fun, and then we drove home. That's about the whole of the review.

VIBEr · February-2nd-2005, 06:31 PM

Regarding "Toad" et al., I don't think we can fairly assume that what these guys did in their 20's (Clapton was only 24 when Cream broke up) is going to be what they're going to do in their 60's. Because they are possibly the only remaining supergroup where all of the members are still alive carries a lot of baggage and potential for ridicule, so I wouldn't be surprised if they actually take this thing seriously and bring something new and unexpected to the table.

BFrank · February-2nd-2005, 06:45 PM

Are there any public recordings/videos/etc of their R&R Hall of Fame appearance? That might give us a clue as to what to expect.

frankiepop · February-2nd-2005, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Reynolds

some downside?

a little bit more to it than that

Heroin stifled Parker's creativity and killed him - just like the disease of addiction continues to kill and destroy lives

that Heroin or other drugs generate creativity is a figment of the addict's addled mind

What Parker could have done if he wasn't an addict or found a way to recover is only a dream - not a coincidence that his past 3 or 4 years didn't produce his greatest music

and it isn't the only drug that does it

blah blahblah blah blah.... oh god...

....i think that you should be about the last one to preach...

.............are you experienced.........???

GoodSpeak · February-2nd-2005, 08:11 PM

The closest I ever got to seeing Cream was when Jack Bruce did a concert in 1972 with Leslie West and Corky Laing.

[heaviest of sighs]