Cream
Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005 (Rhino)
Eric Clapton shed tears during his 1993 reunion with estranged Cream bandmates Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce at the pioneering Brit blues-rock trio’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Shame it took another 12 years for the mates to bury their late-Sixties burnout this spring in London. Forget ol’ Slowhand’s pop pap: the maturity and interplay on 2005 Cream’s funky, top-down “Crossroads” lopes like Village Vanguard jazz rather than Cotton Bowl rock. It’s the 2-CD sound of three wise(r) men reimagining and reclaiming a legacy. The melodic confession of “Badge” wears a new dramatic pause before its soaring six-string bridge, and “Sunshine of Your Love” still evokes potent FM flashbacks. E.C. rolls out an emotional, roiling lead on opener “I’m So Glad”; drummer Baker brings the tribal thunder on “White Room” and “N.S.U.”; and bassist Bruce is a revelation throughout, matching Clapton’s dirge on moaner “Outside Woman Blues,” while going Geezer Butler-primordial on “Politician” and slinging low on “Sweet Wine.” Sweeten with a “Spoonful” of locomotive blues “Rollin’ and Tumblin'” and a knowing reading of “Stormy Monday,” and you’ve got a rich, warm helping of fresh Cream.
This article appears in November 18 • 2005.