Cream BBC Sessions CD

Additional Tracks

Cream: Eric Clapton (vocals, guitar); Jack Bruce (vocals, harmonica, piano, bass); Ginger Baker (vocals, drums).
Additional personnel: Brian Matthew (spoken vocals).
Producers: Jeff Griffin, Bill Bebb, Bernie Andrews, Bev Phillips.
Compilation producer: Bill Levenson.
Recorded at Maida Vale 4, BBC Playhouse Theatre and Aeolian 2 Studios, London, England between November 1966 & January 1968. Includes liner notes by John McDermott.
This is part of Polydor Records "BBC Sessions" series.
Personnel: Eric Clapton (vocals, guitar); Jack Bruce (vocals, harmonica, piano); Ginger Baker (vocals, drums).
Liner Note Author: John McDermott, Jr.
Recording information: Aeolian 2, London, England (10/21/1966-01/14/1968); BBC Playhouse Theatre, London, England (10/21/1966-01/14/1968); Maida Vale 4, London, England (10/21/1966-01/14/1968).
Photographers: David Redfern; Barry Wentzell.
Arranger: Eric Clapton.
This compilation of 22 Cream BBC tracks from 1966-1968 marked a major addition to the group's discography, particularly as they released relatively little product during their actual lifetime. All of but two of these cuts ("Lawdy Mama" and the 1968 version of "Steppin' Out," which had appeared on Eric Clapton's Crossroads box) were previously unreleased, and although many of these had made the round on bootlegs, the sound and presentation here is unsurprisingly preferable. As for actual surprises, there aren't many. It's a good cross section of songs from their studio records, though a couple, "Steppin' Out" and "Traintime," only appeared on live releases, and some of these BBC takes actually predate the release and recording of the album versions, which makes them of historical interest for intense Cream fans. (There are also four brief interviews with Eric Clapton from the original broadcasts.) There's a mild surprise in the absence of a version of "White Room," but otherwise many of the group's better compositions and covers are here, including "I Feel Free," "N.S.U.," "Strange Brew," "Tales of Brave Ulysses," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Born Under a Bad Sign," "Outside Woman Blues," "Crossroads," "We're Going Wrong," "I'm So Glad," "SWLABR," and "Politician." Cream took better advantage of the live-in-the-studio BBC format than some groups of similar stature. There's a lean urgency to most of the performances that, while not necessarily superior to the more fully realized and polished studio renditions, do vary notably in ambience from the more familiar versions. The sound quality is good but not perfect, and variable; sometimes it's excellent, yet at other times there seem to be imperfections in the tapes sourced, with "Sunshine of Your Love" suffering from a (not grievously) hollow, muffled quality. If there's any other slight criticism of this set, it's that a handful of BBC tracks don't appear, including some that don't make it onto this CD in any version, like "Sleepy Time Time," "Toad," and "Sitting on Top of the World." Given Cream's tendency to over-improvise on the band's live concert recordings, however, the concise nature of these BBC tracks (none of which exceed five minutes) makes them preferable listening in some respects. ~ Richie Unterberger
Recorded for the BBC between 1966 and 1968, the 22 songs on this set find Cream at their most concise. Only two songs break the four-minute mark, which is striking for a trio that blazed a trail as an improvisational live act with all three members soloing furiously and at great length. Recorded live specifically for radio broadcast, these tracks capture Cream's furious and sometimes raw interplay. The earliest sessions predate the release of their debut, FRESH CREAM, by a few months. While blues tunes--both covers and originals--make up a significant portion of their offerings, it's some of their stabs at their own brand of pop that are the most riveting. Progressive rock in the literal sense, "N.S.U.," "Wrapping Paper," the moodyUncut (6/03, p.115) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Complete with evocative contemporary radio intros, their own compositions such as 'Strange Brew' and 'Tales of Brave Ulysses' stand the test of time....An essential companion to 1997's box set, THOSE WERE THE DAYS..."