Cream Reunion DVD

Joe S · 10-15-2005, 12:51 PM

Hard to believe nobody's mentioned it yet-

Got it a few days ago, haven't watched the whole thing yet, but it's great. Fantastic that these guys got back together after 37 years. Their performance has evolved, not so much the fierce competition apparent on the live albums. Clapton plays like we haven't heard for a long time, although he plays his black Stratocaster (Blackie) instead of a Gibson from the old days.

The DVD (actually two) set has great picture and a DTS soundtrack is selectable.

Dan DRC · 10-19-2005, 09:23 AM

I picked this up the other day. This is a great DVD, sound and picture. I thought the performance was excellent. Just the trio with no backup people. They can still rock the house. Other bands ought to take a long look at that performance to see how its done, puts some other younger and older bands to shame.

Joe S · 10-19-2005, 06:00 PM

I think a lot of people don't know who Cream was. They only hear their singles played on the radio and never listened to their live albums.

I recommended this to a few guys at work. One of them ordered it and was very enthusiastic after watching it.

Jan H · 10-19-2005, 06:54 PM

This is the most underrated music story of the year, and the DVD is incredible, though I miss the guitar overdub on several songs like 'White Room.' One of the most important bands in rock history reunites after 37 years and barely even a ripple of attention. Pathetic. Clapton plays with a passion he hasn't displayed in, oh, decades, and Bruce and Baker perform like they haven't skipped a beat. This is the best rock dvd of the year so far. Unmissable.

Kevin C Brown · 10-19-2005, 07:53 PM

I have this but haven't had a chance to watch it yet. But ... my wife knows who Eric Clapton is. She's more into his "easy listening" stuff. But, she's also heard stuff like White Room, Badge, Sunshine of your Love, and Crossroads on the classic rock stations I listen to. I was surprised to find out that she wants to watch this with me! But you're right: she didn't really ever know he was in a "band" before his solo stuff.

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10-20-2005, 09:24 AM

Bought it and like it. Top shelf audio and video, decent editing (none of that stupid MTV quick cut bull shit), decent song selections.

Jack's vocals are incredible. From what I have read, the man has gone through hell and back. To still be able to sound like he does is un-freakin-believable.

Criticisms? Just a few.

Where the f*ck is Tales of Brave Ulysses???? I burned a few Cream comps in my day, and White Room and Ulysses always go back to back (they are the same song, right?

)

Why isn't Eric using the Wah pedal on White Room? This is a song that has been burned in to my memory for over 35 years. It MUST be played with a Wah to sound right.

And while I am slagging Eric, here is the biggest bitch I have. Classic Cream is played with a humbucking equipped guitar (SG, Firebird, etc.) through a couple of Marshall Stacks cranked to 11. A Strat through a couple Fender combos just does not cut it. There is an underlying "twang" that permeates every single song, that just does not sound "right". Even when he turns on the fuzz, its still sounds like what it is. There is no balls whatsoever to his tone. Its still Eric, and it would song like Eric if he were playing through a pawn shop special, but I had high hopes thats for these shows, he would park the Strat, but it appears not.

Enough bitching...but one more comment. There are a couple camera angles that show Ginger's left foot on the high-hat pedal. LMFAO, but his pant leg is hiked up, and all you see is bear leg, black socks and dress shoes! Holy "Old Geezer in the Park", Batman!!!!!

Brian

Joe S · 10-20-2005, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Classic Cream is played with a humbucking equipped guitar (SG, Firebird, etc.) through a couple of Marshall Stacks cranked to 11. A Strat through a couple Fender combos just does not cut it.

Yeah, I miss the raunchy sound of that Gibson SG, too. I know he doesn't own it anymore (the one with the crazy paint job), but it would have been cool if he used a similar one.

Dan DRC · 10-20-2005, 12:17 PM

There was a comment on the DVD by Jack Bruce that they had set up the classic Marshall stacks and vintage instruments, but it just did not sound good to them now.

10-20-2005, 01:43 PM

Quote:

There was a comment on the DVD by Jack Bruce that they had set up the classic Marshall stacks and vintage instruments, but it just did not sound good to them now.

Damn! Time to watch the interviews. Man, if there were tapes of those sessions, I would be all over 'em.

One thing about Jack's tone is that his bass was pretty overdriven back in he day. Not a lot of bottom, and really snarly. IMHO, that was a big part of Cream's sound. His current rig seems a lot cleaner, much more distinct in tone.

But I pine for the Gibson/Marshall sound that Eric has left behind.....

Brian

Kevin C Brown · 10-22-2005, 03:10 AM

I'll put this here in that I reckon the sound quality of the CD and DVD are similar. I'm listening to the CD now, and I agree with a lot of the above comments about the sound quality.

The recording is a good one. Very clean. But I found that it lacks "bite". All three: the guitar, bass, and drums sound ... laid back, subdued, "sleepy"

if you will. Just doesn't seem to be a lot of top end on the recording. The snare could sound a little brighter or more "acoustic", Jack's bass could definitely use a little more distortion and be a little bit more forward, and Clapton's guitar could be more ... powerful. Brian, I definitely can hear what you say about the Gibson SG/Marshall combo vs Fender/Fender.

The playing is fine. Just that the recording seems to lack energy, pizazz, something, I don't know... Some no name guy produced it. Don't know if that had anything to do with it or not.