Cream - Live Cream Volume 2
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CD Details
Artist: CreamEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Live, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 1998-04-07
Music Label: Polydor / Umgd
Soundtracks:
- Deserted Cities Of The Heart
- White Room
- Politician
- Tales Of Brave Ulysses
- Sunshine Of Your Love
- Steppin' Out
Music reviews of Live Cream Volume 2
Music Review: Where's the beef?
Rating: 3 Stars
Given that Cream did so much great work in their brief (less than three years) tenure, and given their reputation for being such a great live band, this CD has to be considered a bit of a disappointment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the quality of the recordings... everything is right there, and the track selection, on first glance, appears scrumptious. In fact, it's a bit hard to actually put your finger on what's missing here. But Cream put out a lot of live work (of the six albums they released between 1966 and 1972, two are entirely live, and two others are half live), and none of the live stuff is particularly stunning. Except for the fact that most of the numbers include some extended jams, there isn't much to recommend them over the studio versions.
'Goodbye Cream', released in 1969, put on vinyl all that was left of Cream's studio works, and the remaining grooves were filled in with some live tracks. After that, the hunt was on to chronicle the dead band's live persona. In 1970, 'Live Cream Vol. 1' was released, offering covers of tracks from their debut LP, 'Fresh Cream'. Two years later, this second live disc emerged, 'Live Cream Vol. 2' which draws two tracks each from the band's second and third studio releases ('Disraeli Gears' and 'Wheels of Fire'), a live version of 'Politician' (a studio track from 'Goodbye Cream'), and a nearly fourteen minute version of a James Bracken instrumental originally performed by Eric Clapton with the Bluesbreakers called 'Steppin' Out'.
'Live Cream Vol. 2' is derived from 3 separate concerts, two consecutive nights at the Winterland, San Francisco venue, and the October 4 show at the Oakland Coliseum, all in 1968. Of the more familiar tracks, I would say only 'Deserted Cities of the Heart' evokes the kind of emotional response elicited by the studio version. I believe 'White Room' and 'Tales of Brave Ulysses' benefitted too much from the confines and control of a recording studio for any three-piece band to have any chance of replicating them onstage. It's nice to hear an extended, alternate version of the rabidly overplayed 'Sunshine of Your Love', but you just question if this particular live version is representative of the sort of performance all the raving was about. It's good, but it's certainly not going to convince me to put away my copy of 'Disraeli Gears'.
So while there is no complaint about the recording quality, the track selection, or even the individual performances, the 'magic', for me, is missing. Clapton, as usual, performs at a dizzying pace, and while I don't frequently 'tune in' to the bass lines in a song, Jack Bruce rarely disappoints when I do. Ginger Baker, to me the one member of Cream with the most readily recognizable, 'signiture' sound, doesn't impress as one would expect... but I find no flaw in his performance either. The band is in their prime and I have every reason to believe these were insprired performances, but I don't feel the inspiration. As Steve Winwood would say, "Sometimes I feel so uninspired"... sure, maybe it's me. I wouldn't be surprised, nor field a strong argument, with anyone who absolutely loved this disc.
Experiencing Cream live, in their hayday, is something many of us never had the opportunity to do. If that is your situation, by all means give this disc a listen. I think it's even money, however, whether you'll be inclined to keep replaying these tracks over their studio counterparts. That's my review and I'm going to stick with it, even if you dis me.
Description of Live Cream Volume 2
This CD can be considered somewhat rare now.Classic Rock CDs
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