Disraeli Gears

Fresh Cream, the album that introduced this seminal super-blues trio to America, was perhaps a bit too blues-based to do the advance hype ("Clapton is God!") justice. Two of its three best-known tracks, after all, were blues covers. It was Disraeli Gears that turned Cream into a "supergroup." Here they pursue the psychedelic ideals of the era with total abandon (the LP cover art still stands as one of the 1960s' most striking designs), merging these ideals with their take on the blues and adorning the amalgamation with some superb pop craftsmanship. Of the eleven originals here, four--"Tales of Brave Ulysses," "SWLABR," "Strange Brew," and "Sunshine of Your Love"--earned major airplay. This, their excess-free greatest moment, does the Cream legend proud. --Bill Holdship

Customer Review: Disraali Gears

Cream-Disraeli Gears ***1/2



How is it that Creams worst record contains their best songs? It must be how it is concidered such a classic despite the fact that it is ages worse than any other release from the legendary band. The sound of heroin runs deep in the veins of Disreali Gears which explains why the gears are hardly turning here.



The acidic Psychedelic blues of the album and the band was never stronger than in the albums opening track 'Strange Brew.' The iconic track must refer to the use in which the group was bound, though very subtly. 'Sunshine Of Your Love' is the sort of groove bands are formed upon. Too bad they would never top it. 'Tales Of Brave Ulysses' and 'Swlabr' are the sort of powerful guitar rants that made Eric Clapton the guitar god he once was.



Here and there the rest of the album satisfies but mostly fails because of the boring pace at which it proceeds. Most of the rest feels dull and uninspired by anything other then the drugs that destroyed the greatest power trio in history.



Disraeli Gears is far from a classic album. To base the claim on the few classic songs is ignorant. Cream created and released better albums, every other one they released was better in fact. Don't base your purchases on that alone, at least give credit to the musicianship of the criminally underrated Ginger Baker.

Customer Review: the essential Cream album

this is an essential British blues-rock album, with a great meshing of talents. Jack Bruce had better power in his voice than Clapton, so Bruce was the principal singer. Clapton did his guitar-God thing, with the usual choices of unusual (but beautiful) chords. Ginger Baker bangs the hell outa them drums, and voila!



Beautiful music...
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