OT: Cream 2005: the DVD ROCKS!!!!!

[Grinder-Tank]

If there are any Clapton or Cream fans here, or those who like bandsin the style, the new DVD is great. Eric plays the best licks of his life and the band is just so good.

[tcsparky]

First concert I ever saw was Cream at Cobo Hall in Detroit, 1969. I remember bitchin' to my friend about the cost of he tickets, something $6 or $7. Wow, it was amazing! They had some PA problems that weren't resolved until the last half. But it didn't matter. They did true improvisation not just endless repetition by a rhythm section and the guitar soloing on. I had two friends with guitars who talked me into buying a Bass guitar about a year before I saw the show. After the show, I picked that bass up discovered the simple riff to Spoonful. Then I learned Sunshine of your Love. I played, un-plugged in all that night in my room. Thanks to Cream my mind opened up to jazz and world music. I still play bass in a band even though i'm 53 years old. Jack Bruce and Cream changed my life! I did hear some of the new CD. Badge just sent shivers down me. Eric last chord at the end of verses is ...... I don't know, stunning! As a side note: Ginger did some very cool jazz recording a few years back that are worth getting.

[Indyfan31]

I just watched a couple of songs from the KCET Cream show, I Tivo'd the whole thing. A couple of comments:
1a. Damn those guys are old.
1b. Damn those guys can PLAY.

2. Did Baker come off as a little "reserved" compared to the old days, or did he find a way to play the same music without as much histrionics?

3. Bruce is a freakin' ANIMAL on bass.

4. Baker and Bruce bring out something in Clapton that no other musicans ever have, I haven't seen that kind of aggression in his leads in a couple of decades. I do wish he'd lose the Strat and get a guitar that fits the British blues better.

5. For the guitar players out there, was that a Leslie on stage? If it was, what the heck was it there for?

It's late now, tomorrow I'll watch the whole thing, but the two songs I heard were absolutely fantastic.

[Sea Fury]

The famous live take of "Crossroads" from back in the day was played with a Gibson 335. He was a big Gibson guy back then with Les Pauls and 335s, didn't start in with the Strats until after Cream. The first solo on that tune was pretty straight, but man, I love that second one where he just jumps in and rips your head off.

[Plectraholica]

Last Wednesday, I watched a PBS viewing at the RAH, unreal. Those 3 guys make up a lot of room with their 3 piece sound.

[racer x-f1]

I was knocked out by the DVD!! They have never sounded better. I tried to get tickets for the NY shows, but they sold out before I got through. I believe PBS is going to broadcast the NY shows in the very near future.

[Langhorne]

Yeah, that DVD is great.


Seeing them live at MSG . . . . . . . .Unbelieveable!!!!!!!!!

[Grinder-Tank]

Well, it's about time you guys chimed. And, the Leslie speaker is used on the Song "Badge". It produces that phase shifter sound for the second have of the song.

[Verbal Kint]

I just watched a couple of songs from the KCET Cream show, I Tivo'd the whole thing. A couple of comments:
1a. Damn those guys are old.
1b. Damn those guys can PLAY.

2. Did Baker come off as a little "reserved" compared to the old days, or did he find a way to play the same music without as much histrionics?

3. Bruce is a freakin' ANIMAL on bass.

4. Baker and Bruce bring out something in Clapton that no other musicans ever have, I haven't seen that kind of aggression in his leads in a couple of decades. I do wish he'd lose the Strat and get a guitar that fits the British blues better.

5. For the guitar players out there, was that a Leslie on stage? If it was, what the heck was it there for?

It's late now, tomorrow I'll watch the whole thing, but the two songs I heard were absolutely fantastic.

Pretty much sums up my view. Stumbled across it on PBS last night. WOW!
Always thought that they were a pretty good studio band but their live stuff was something totally different from anything else at the time. I literally wore out my 8-track of Live Cream Vol. 1 when I was a kid.
I have seen Clapton live a few times, but he seemed to have a spark that I have never seen. Don't know if I've ever seen a live performance by "legends" where the band was enjoying playing so much. Those 3 old guys were young again and absolutely at the top of their game. Really envy those of you that have seen the live. I just got a turntable for the first time in 20 years and I will be dusting off some of the old vinyl.
The DVD will definitely be on my Christmas list.

[Indyfan31]

Thanks for the info Sea Fury and Tank. I thought the old leads sounded a little "meatier", the Gibsons explain that.
Interesting idea on the Leslie, I wonder if he's always done it that way. I don't know for sure, but I would assume there's a pedal out there that does the same thing .... but that would be like replacing a real B3 with Roland, and that just not right.

[nitrofan]

channel surfing last week I saw Clapton and thought hmmm.... PBS must be raising $ wonder who's playing with him....they camera shot then changed and I went WTF!!!! I had no idea this had even happened... how awesome!

I loved it. gotta buy it.

I sat in on drums for SOYL at my own wedding back in 82. yah with the wedding band. they were playing the usual crapola, I told em I wanted to sit in for a song, and started listing coool stuff we could play - kept going down the list until i said SOYL and they said they knew it. I was in heaven. it wasn't bad. they were pretty good. I think the drummer was ok, but he'd been drinking

[jdessar]

Ginger Baker and Mitch Mitchell were two of the biggest influences on me when I was starting out.

Yeah...I'm old.

[indysteve]

4. Baker and Bruce bring out something in Clapton that no other musicans ever have, I haven't seen that kind of aggression in his leads in a couple of decades. I do wish he'd lose the Strat and get a guitar that fits the British blues better.

In the interviews on the DVD, Jack said they initially tried using their old equipment (Marshall stacks, Gibson guitars, etc.) when they started rehearsals for the Royal Albert Hall shows, but they didn't like it. They decided they had to play the songs as the musicians they are now, rather than as they were 37 years ago. I did read some reviews of the October shows at Madison Square Garden which suggested the performances there had a little harder edge to them than the RAH shows in May did.

Also read that they performed "Tales of Brave Ulysses" at MSG, which they didn't do at RAH -- in fact, according to Clapton's comment at the first MSG show, it had never been performed live before. There were some that were performed live for the first time at RAH as well ("Outside Woman Blues" and "Pressed Rat and Warthog" for sure, probably some others I'm not remembering right now).

[tcsparky]

Does anyone know if a DVD of MSG is going to be released?

[tcsparky]

The famous live take of "Crossroads" from back in the day was played with a Gibson 335. He was a big Gibson guy back then with Les Pauls and 335s, didn't start in with the Strats until after Cream. The first solo on that tune was pretty straight, but man, I love that second one where he just jumps in and rips your head off.

Eric also played a Firebird for a while and of course, that painted SG.