The Cavern
Rock & Words
GOODBYE (Cream, 1969)
Artist: Cream (B)
Recording Date: Oct ‘68
Release Date: February 5th, 1969. USA
Record Label: Polydor
Productor: Felix Pappalardi
Rating: 7.5
Era: Psychedelia(1966-1969)
Subgenre: Live Album
Best Song: Badge
Tracklist 1) I'm So Glad; 2) Politician; 3) Sitting On Top Of The World; 4) Badge; 5) Doing That Scrapyard Thing; 6) What A Bringdown; 7) Anyone For Tennis.
Goodbye Cream is one of those albums you're not sure if it's a studio album, a live album, or neither. When it was released, it included three live tracks, between five and nine minutes long: one from Fresh and two from Wheels of Fire . It also featured three previously unreleased songs, which seemed to mimic the format of the second disc of Pink Floyd's Ummagumma : each band member contributing one of their own songs. The interesting detail is that this album was recorded and released months before Ummagumma , haha.
In fact, the idea was that this fourth album would have an ambitious format similar to Wheels of Fire , a double album: one disc with live versions of their best songs, and another with unreleased tracks. They had everything planned except that Jack and Ginger would once again have a falling out and threaten each other with death, and the formidable trio would fall apart before they had enough material to complete the original idea. Indeed, Goodbye is far too short, even though " I'm So Glad" lasts over nine minutes. In total, it barely reaches half an hour.
That's perhaps why the general idea is that Cream has three albums, because it's really hard to take this one seriously as a formal fourth album with only three new songs, plus the bonus track released on the CD reissue. For me, it falls far short of the standard they set, but obviously the other three albums leave you searching for anything else from the trio, and this is the next logical step.
But Corvan, Cream live was an unbeatable machine!!! Yes, absolutely . Cream at their best was a band that knocked you off your feet, surpassed in power only by The Who and maybe The Experience, but the night of October 19 , 1968, at The Forum in LA, wasn't one of their inspired nights. Hearing Cream live was like hearing the solos of three virtuosos at the same time AND IN PERFECT SYMBOLIZATION, catapulting the songs to orgasmic levels beyond this universe, and the proof is "Crossroads," one of the best live covers in history. Unfortunately, there isn't an official live concert that captured them at their peak; you have to look for old videos or bootlegs . On this album, things were so tense that the three of them arrived at the concerts in separate limousines, and in a childish rivalry, Baker and Bruce tried to hire longer and more luxurious limousines each time. So, here in the three live tracks, we hear three impressive solos simultaneously… but heaven knows which song each of them was playing. At times, the jams are truly chaotic, only coming together to return to the song itself. Goodbye Cream is one of the worst albums to showcase the true potential of the legendary trio, and Live Cream is even worse. I insist, not because they were bad live, but because the tension they felt during the recordings is evident in the performance. So much so, that the magic only returns at the 2005 Royal Albert Hall concert, almost 40 years after their breakup, where they sound more subdued, with a bit of restraint due to experience, but once again sounding like a synchronized trio enjoying what they do. Despite the passage of time, Baker's arthritis, Bruce's recent liver cancer surgery, and Clapton's rejection of psychedelic influences and his virtually non-add of wah-wah pedal, at that 2005 concert they sounded like a tight band once again, demonstrating why they were among the most powerful and influential in history despite their very short lifespan. Ah! And I almost forgot about the BBC!!! But what I meant was that at the time there wasn't a single live broadcast that did them justice.
But going back to late '68, Cream was already just going through the motions to fulfill their tour contracts, which ended up being a farewell tour. Ginger and Jack hated each other to the point of sabotaging each other's instruments, and there's a rumor that Baker threatened Bruce with a knife, although apparently it was in the band they were in before Cream formed. Anyway, that background helps us understand why Cream only lasted two and a half years. Eric, for his part, was fed up with babysitting and mediating between his bandmates. For Wheels of Fire , he'd received a scathing review from Rolling Stone, which called him a " master of the blues cliché." Also, around that time, he was impressed with The Band's first album, Music from Big Pink, which leaned more towards roots rock, a far cry from the psychedelia of Eric's style at the time. Rumor has it that he was so fascinated that one day he took a flight to New York to try to join The Band, but they turned him down (and in contrast, Eric would reject invitations from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to join their bands in less than a year! ). Eric also wanted a change of style, and although he could try it with the supergroup , the attitude of his bandmates was an extremely difficult obstacle.
The album is very uneven. It's hardly their best live performance. Bruce had acquired three powerful Marshall amplifiers by then and sometimes used all three to overpower Baker's sound. This is also why Eric and Bruce sound like they're shouting the songs, because the bass is excessive and crushing, even though it's already been edited here. Baker seems to be playing at his own pace because I'm not sure he could hear himself at all, despite the force he put into his drumming. Of the new tracks, Clapton's "Badge" (and L'Angelo) Misteriosso (who you probably already know is Misteriosso) is undoubtedly the best. Jack contributed with “Doing That” "Scrapyard Thing" is a very strange track and deviates from the trio's usual style. The same could be said of Ginger's " What a Bringdown ," although in his case it was possibly the best thing he wrote with the band.
The album opens with the live version of “I'm So Glad”. This is the longest song on the LP, clocking in at over nine minutes—practically longer than all the new tracks combined! It's a high-energy version, with Jack and Eric duetting on the catchy chorus. This highlights Clapton's evolution as a vocalist, from his initial terror at even approaching the microphone to the ease he gained as a backing vocalist in Cream, eventually taking the lead on several tracks or adding his vocals live to songs that originally didn't feature him, as in this case. In short, the riff, the chorus, and the rapid arpeggios are identical to the Fresh version. What changes is the bass effect. It sounds like Bruce cranked up the overdrive on all three amplifiers, resulting in a crunchy, heavily distorted bass. It not only overpowers the drums but at times even crushes the guitar, which now has a very clean effect, although the original version doesn't use a wah pedal either . From 1:25 onwards, the solos begin. And I emphasize "solos" in the plural because it's not just a guitar solo, but also bass and drum solos. What they do is brutal; Cream's live performance must have been tremendous. But here it's a battle of egos. They're not building a song; they're each fighting to outshine the others. They're not listening to each other (and I think Jack Bruce is to blame for this), and the jam , while impressive in its technical display, doesn't shine simply because it lacks direction and cohesion. These are perhaps Clapton's best moments on the album, with truly lightning-fast solos. Jack delivers a brutal blues scale solo, demonstrating what can be done with four strings. Ginger seems to be dissolving just to be heard—rolls, fills —suddenly attacking the cymbals, trying with all his might, but he's drowned out by the volume of his bandmates. And at times, they're boring. While they're impressive individually, trying to listen to them as a group gives me a headache. And it's sad, but it reminds me of the later stages of my two bands. And no, I'm not comparing them to Cream's virtuosity or style, not at all, but both Moby Dick and Plastic... Soldiers agreed that towards the end, when it was more chaos than anything else, some people weren't comfortable and didn't care or weren't taking it seriously. They turned their instruments way up, drowning out others, and the songs became pointless jams . I'm not into jams at all , but listen carefully to the third album by All. Harrison's Things Must Pass (which actually features Clapton) and the improvisations here will make a difference. I know from experience when in a jam session people are playing for the band and the song, and when they're just playing for themselves without caring about anyone else, and that's why I can say that here everyone is doing whatever the hell they want.
Next up is “Politician”, which I'm not sure if they changed the key or tuned the instruments differently. Live, it sounds a bit faster, and Ginger loses some of the jazzy elegance of the studio version, sounding almost apocalyptic. Bruce, for his part, screams much more; I don't know if it's again due to the volume, but at times he sounds very strained, barely reaching the notes, and this affects the song overall, although instrumentally it's the best of the three live tracks. They don't go on as long as the previous song, stretching it to just over six minutes, and while in “Glad” Clapton shines for the speed of his solos, here he shines for his great use of the tremolo bar. Also, at least in the lead guitar part, Bruce seems to lower the volume, so it sounds a bit more balanced. It's not a powerhouse, nor do I think it accurately portrays Cream on stage, but I believe it's the best live track on the album, so I'm highlighting this excellent neo-blues in red .
On the vinyl, “Sitting On Top Of The World” opens side B, somewhat balancing the length of each side. The riffs are very different. Here it sounds rawer, more rudimentary. Clapton leans more towards roots blues, moving away from the more psychedelic and elaborate riff of Wheels of Fire . It lasts a relatively reasonable 5 minutes, but suffers from much the same issues as the previous songs. At least Eric has another great moment with the solo, and at times, they seem to regain their group dynamic and blend well in the last half minute of the guitar solo. And then there's the grand finale, where Eric shines with a bluesy barrage .
"Goodbye" has a hidden gem that's worth the whole album. It's "Badge", the first of the original studio tracks. This was co-written with George Harrison, who also plays rhythm guitar on it. When the idea for the album first arose, the intention was for each member to contribute their own song. Has anyone noticed that, despite the countless times Eric Clapton was co-credited up to this point, he hadn't written anything entirely on his own? His first song written entirely by himself wouldn't appear until 1969 on Blindfaith , with " Presence of the Lord." Since he was terrified and blocked, he asked Harrison to repay him for the favor of writing "While My Guitar." And melodically, it has all the Beatles' magic , right? The title came about because it didn't have a name when George and Eric were putting it together. Harrison had simply written the word "Bridge" to signal the change, but Eric misread it and thought it said "Badge," so he sang it that way, and it stuck. The song is perfect, with its bittersweet pianos, the 100% Harrison-esque arpeggios in the bridges just before the chorus, the brilliant and powerful bass line, Ginger's impressive fills and drum rolls, string arrangements… and great rhythm guitar and backing vocals, haha. Eric's solo is masterful, pure and explosive blues, and this time with a great balance in the production. I love the ending, which is left hanging. George appears in the credits as ' L'Angelo Misterioso' due to potential legal issues between the different record labels. Interestingly, although it was one of Clapton's solo anthems, Cream wouldn't perform it live… until 36 years after its release!
Continue “Doing That Scrapyard Thing", which is Jack Bruce's contribution. Curiously, the dominant instrument isn't the bass, but the piano. It's a strange, extravagant, somewhat bizarre and circus-like song. But I like it. I still don't know why —whether it's because of the melody and Jack's odd vocal and accent placements, or the piano/organ, or Clapton's great guitar work. It's Cream's last psychedelic-tinged song, and it has a festive and carefree feel that puts a smile on my face every time I hear it, even though many consider it a weak point not only on the album, but in the trio's entire discography.
And the original album closes with “What a Bringdown”, a blistering Ginger Baker track. While not a Cream classic, I think it's far superior to “ Pressed Rat and Warthog .” The bass sounds apocalyptic, Jack sings with a rare sense of urgency, and Clapton delivers a blistering performance, reminding us that he was once the god of the wah -wah pedal, which is why it's the effect's only appearance on this record. I love the solo, with Ginger's cymbal crashes, the wah-wah going full blast, and a bell ringing out now and then. Overall, the band creates a tight, vibrant, and dramatic atmosphere. On a good day, I'd definitely mark it as a must-listen.
The CD reissue includes “Anyone for Tennis”, which was originally released as a single and later included on The Savage Seven soundtrack. It doesn't add much, though. It's a quiet, pastoral track, dominated by flutes and ending with a brief violin arrangement. Eric plays acoustic guitar, while Ginger is content with congas and percussion. It's a more intimate song, as if the band were jamming in someone's living room in a semi-acoustic setting .
By the time the album was released, Cream had already broken up. Perhaps that's why the plan to complete two albums couldn't be realized. In fact, it's questionable whether this can even be considered a single album, given its mere 30-minute runtime. The sound engineers for the concert should be burned at the stake. And then beheaded. Although, it's not really the engineers' fault that the trio played so badly during their final tour.
The album was ultimately Polydor 's last-ditch effort to squeeze the last drops of juice out of a fractured band that had already given its all. This contrasts sharply with the super- cool cover , where they look more friendly than ever in those white tailcoats. I think that's why it's somewhat disappointing, because you'd expect to hear Cream as a juggernaut live, and you have enormous expectations for the studio material, but ultimately neither lives up to them. Except for "Badge", of course, but after all, you can find it on any compilation album. If you're not a die-hard fan of the band and some of their greatest hits were enough for you , there's no reason to start here; this would be more of a last resort. But if you are a fan, no matter what I say, I know that eventually, after listening to the three previous gems, you'll seek out and listen to Goodbye , and you'll be left with that same bittersweet feeling upon hearing the twilight of one of the greatest and most ephemeral rock bands in history. There's nothing more to say: Goodbye Cream! Thank you so much in such a short time!!!
By Corvan
Jun/6/2013
