Post by jptheprofessor on Oct 27, 2005 19:36:21 GMT -5
CREAM – ROYAL ALBERT HALL LONDON MAY 2-3-5-6 2005 (Reprise) After many years apart, Cream reunited this year, first to perform several shows at Royal Albert Hall in London, and then to continue the reunion tour this fall at New York’s Madison Square Garden. From the London shows comes a double-CD live set, Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005, compiling highlights from the group’s four-night stand there. For three sixty-something-year-old musicians who haven’t gigged together in 36 years (save for a reunion performance during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993), Cream gelled onstage remarkably well, showing few obvious signs of age, wear or tear. By the time they hit their second song, “Spoonful” on Disc One, the three musicians are clearly working up a sweat, with Jack Bruce displaying snarl in his voice, and Eric Clapton soloing with a fire we haven’t heard from him in years. That excitement continues on “Outside Woman Blues,” before we hear a rare Ginger Baker vocal appearance on the psychedelic gem “Pressed Rat & Warthog.” The set continues with a mixture of Cream’s best-known classics, such as “Badge,” “Politician,” “White Room” and “Sunshine Of Your Love;” and lesser-known songs like “Sweet Wine,” “Deserted Cities of the Heart” and “We’re Going Wrong.” The group also delves into some blues numbers, such as Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ and Tumblin,’” T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday,” Booker T. Jones’ “Born Under a Bad Sign” and Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads.” Disc Two also features “Toad,” showcasing Ginger Baker’s drumming skills on a lengthy solo. Since it has been 36 years since this trio has performed together, these performances don’t have the sense of urgency or spontaneity of Cream’s live recordings from their late 60’s heyday. And in those 36 years, all three musicians have matured into smoother and less hungry players, so these reunion performances never sound quite as volatile or agitated. Still, it is refreshing to hear this group back together, having fun, and stepping back outside the comfort zone of their careers since Cream’s 1968 breakup. Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005 won’t displace the earlier Cream live recordings or reinvent Cream; but based on the sound of these performances, this reunion was more than just a ticket gate payday and a trip down Memory Lane. It’s good to hear Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker sounding excited to be sharing the same stage again, and breaking a serious sweat.