Customer Reviews

Disraeli Gears

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I can't believe this. just recieved Disraeli Gears remasters. This CD was never remastered, I played it along with the orignal CD, AND THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE. Moral of this story, Don't waste your money on cream remasters. Also, no additional text, and no bonus tracks. I also bought Fresh Cream remasters, can't wait till it comes in the mail, so I can throw it in the trash along with Disraeli Gears!

Forged from technical expertise and personal animosity---remember Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce did not like each other back then---Cream came screaming across the music scene of the late '60s as a powerhouse that demanded to be heard. Though he did not write much of the material and what he did write tended to be eccentric, Ginger Baker clearly powered this trio with his amazing time signatures and ability to match Bruce or Clapton's inventiveness. Jack Bruce seemed to be in his element here: solid, clean bass lines and gutty vocals. Clapton was on a mission back then, and he is inspired throughout this recording.

"Tales Of Brave Ulysses" and "We're Going Wrong" are stands out on a stellar album. If you only buy one Cream CD (excluding the artifical anthologies and best of's), I think this is the one to have.

After their blues based debut album "Fresh Cream," these three brittish virtuosos came to America to record something a little different. Recorded in three days, these three musicains cranked out some of the era's hardest blues and rock. The album kicks off with "Strange Brew" which is a TOTAL ripoff on Albert King's style (one picture from these sessions actually shows Clapton with an Albert King album in his hand!). The song itself is a sharp and catchy opener with some entertaining pschedelic lyrics. Next comes a rock monster-"Sunshine of Your Love." Starting out with a damn catchy hook, and basing itself around driving guitar and drum underpinning this track really emphasizes what Cream was all about (note Clapton's "Blue Moon" quote going into the middle solo). After the ferosity of "Sunshine" they take it down a notch with "World of Pain." Even though it has rather elementary lyrics, Baker's drumming makes this song. Notice his wonderfully off-beat mid tempo drums during the choruses and his blitzkreig bass drums at the fade out. Keeping in the same toned down vein, "Dance the Night Away" follows with a gorgeous ringing twelve string intro by Clapton. This is a very unique Cream song, it almost sounds like The Byrds and contains some excellent eastern guitar by Clapton. This is certainly an underrated track in Cream's recording career, and one which fits the psychedelic era like a glove. Sadly this song is followed by Ginger's slow and sloppy "Blue Condition." This is definitely filler, as Ginger recites (yes recites, not sings) lyrics which aren't entertaining to a melody that can't even save it. "Tales of Brave Ulysses" makes up for "Blue Condition." Starting out with a group one chord intro, Bruce does a slow decending bass line over mythological/psychedelic lyrics. Then Clapton joins in with his sharp piercing wah-wah splashes (the first ever recording of a wah-wah pedal). As the song continues on, Bruce's soaring vocals get louder, and Clapton's guitar becomes harder edged. This is truly a masterwork of Cream and the psychedelic era. "S.W.L.A.B.R." picks up the tempo with some great instrumentalism but odd lyrics ("but the picture has a mustache" WHAT?!?!?). After the furious "S.W.L.A.B.R." the tempo is again slowed down for "We're Going Wrong," which starts out with a very high vocal line by Bruce and wonderful drumming by Baker. Clapton quietly strums in the back until the volume increases and he rips some great solo lines. If Bruce's vocals were perhaps lower (like on the demo version on the Those Were the Days box set) I would love this song, but regardles, it's still a keeper. Now reverting back to the blues, "Outside Woman Blues" follows. Clapton owns this song, as he takes on the singing duties and showcases some great rythem and lead playing. Next it's Bruces turn at the blues with "Take It Back." This song has a great swing element, and Clapton's beefy backing guitar keeps it going. Also, the audience in the back is a great touch! Unfortunatley the album ends on a bum note. "Mother's Lament" is a singalong song with no guitar and just a piano in the back. One thing I would like to see is "The Clearout" from the Lost Sessions (March 1967) added on as a last track. This is a great piece of music with Clapton's power chord lead and Bruce's rampaging bass. It has the Disraeli Gears feel, but I doubt that track will be added anyway. If you own the box set, play "The Clearout" after "Take It Back," the feel is great. However by and large, "Disraeli Gears" is a great album which showcases Eric, Jack and Ginger's talent along with the aims of the psychedlic blues rock movement.

If you like really good music you will like this.

Cream have been called rock pioneers, but I find this title to be a joke. This trio was a dime store white blues band. There are a few catchy popish songs such as Sunshine of Your Love and Strange Brew, but tracks like Blue Condition, Dance the Night Away, Outside Woman Blues and Take It Back this album copies the blues mold more than they did forge the rock mold. Some fine instrumentalists, but this band lacks creativity, originality and flavor.

Cream, why do think they called themselves Cream? Because they were the "cream of the crop" musically speaking. What else can be said of Clapton, one of the top 3 guitar players of all-time, but throw in the best drummer ever without a doubt, Ginger Baker and great bass guitar player and very good singer, Jack Bruce and you truely have perfection.

I had "Sunshine of your Love" played as the first song at my wedding in 1986. If any of the non-talented musicians of the 1990's could even come close to Disraeli Gears they would be bigger than Elvis! I have listened to this album for 28 years and it still gives me goosebumps!!!!

The music here is 5 stars - the best album by a great band. Too many great songs to mention, most of which are well-described in other reviews. I'll mention only "Dance the Night Away" because it's my favorite Cream song and it simply doesn't get the attention it deserves. It's grand, powerful and haunting, with one of the best guitar-bass riffs ever, and gorgeous harmonic singing by Eric and Jack. But the real purpose of this review is to caution would-be buyers about the poor quality of the remastering. It is mushy, tinny and clangy, with very poor sonic definition, and that's why I've "docked" it one star. I find myself going back to my old scratchy vinyl copy to really crank this up and appreciate the music, and there's just no excuse for that. I can't recommend that you NOT buy this because it may be the best alternative available to you, but it is not a worthy production. We (and Cream) would be better served by a new and better remastering.

I still can't believe that a band that was together for such a short period of time made such awesome music. Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, and Jack Bruce wrote some of the best music of the psychedellic era. I think that Disraeli Gears showcases exactly what they were trying to do. Lots of heavy wah pedals and trippy solos make this album best to listen to while stoned (*I'm kidding, of course...*)
Great album!

Didn't mean to order this particular version of the album. I wanted plain black vinyl with a case but it was too late to cancel by the time I noticed what I'd done.

Tried it out anyway and it has a weird "windy" sound to it like no other record I own. Not very impressed. I wouldn't recommend buying this format.

Yes there are other albums and singles that may strike your fancy. But this one is the first to come to mind when mentioning Cream. It is too bad that the samples stop before "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" as each track is unique. Therefore you have to listen to them all to get a more complete picture of this group.

Warning this album is addictive I find my self singing, "Sunshine of Your Love" a little too loud at work and then I hear others completing the words from other cubes.