I started Cream in December 2020. My ranking of Cream's albums is probably Disraeli Gears, followed by Fresh Cream, then Goodbye, then Wheels of Fire. For the grade-grubbers out there, I looked at the track list of their greatest hits and that'd easily be an A-.
Fresh Cream (1966): B+
Disraeli Gears (1967): B+
Wheels of Fire (1968): B
Goodbye (1969): B [Originally: B+]
Fresh Cream (1966):
Bruce is a significantly better vocalist than Mayall and Clapton now sounds comfortable at the mike, contributing vocals on the excellent cover "Four Until Late." However, Bruce's vocal performances don't draw me in particularly and admittedly, for the reputation the band (and this album) has, they seldom blow me away--especially on side 1. Other than "Spoonful" and "I'm So Glad," they don't yet have the command of the three-piece band that the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Who do. That said, most of this strong, they bring the chaos "Rollin' and Tumblin'" deserves, and Baker's drum solo on "Toad" is actually quite listenable, even if it kills me that they wasted that perfectly good riff. B+
Disraeli Gears (1967):
It's not just that they've gotten heavy--besides Bruce's voice, the band has matured with a clearer direction, stronger production, and more memorable riffs. However, the album isn't without weaknesses. Although "Sunshine of Your Love" is their best song so far, I can't stand Baker's vocals on "Blue Condition," the chorus of "Take It Back," and the a cappella "Mother's Lament," the last of which the band probably drunkenly recorded and then chose the worst take they did. Even with these though, the album's a clear--if only moderate--improvement. B+
Wheels of Fire (1968):
On the studio half, the band branch out more than ever before. The cello-driven "As You Said," the psychedelic "White Room," and blues rockers "Those Were the Days" and "Deserted Cities of the Heart" are all among my favorite Cream songs. However, many of the other studio songs sound like precursors to progressive rock, a genre I don't care for these days, and the obtuse riff that drives "Politician" is a clear template for heavy metal, a genre I've always disliked. On the live half of the album, Clapton's reworking of the Robert Johnson classic "Crossroads" becomes a classic itself and the sixteen minute "Spoonful" has one of Bruce's best vocal performances and catches the band soaring pretty high instrumentally. Not only do those two speak volumes of the band's abilities, they make up the best side of any Cream album so far. The two songs of side four--"Traintime," which is fine but who cares, and "Toad," which is sixteen minutes of drumming aka nothing--make up the worst side of any Cream album. B
Goodbye (1969):
Eric Clapton once said that the last leg of Cream's live existence mostly consisted of the band showing off and, although the live performances are certainly good, the extended solos on "I'm So Glad" and "Sitting on Top of the World" are perfect examples of that. All the live songs have studio counterparts which are much better with the possible exception of "Politician." However, the three studio songs are all superb--Clapton's "Badge" makes me excited for his songwriting on his next few projects, Bruce's "Doing That Scrapyard Thing" is a fun and eccentric piece that highlights the band's mastery of the studio, and Baker's "What a Bringdown" is his best composition for the band--and show how far the band has come since their debut, which was half covers. B
