Disraeli Gears--Cream Always Rises to the Top

Disraeli Gears marked the second album of one of the first three-man bands in rock music. Prior to the formation of Cream, groups had traditionally been composed of at least four members, because everyone thought that in addition to guitar, drums and bass, you had to have a rhythm guitar or keyboards to make the sound full and melodic.

The members of Cream were all remarkable musicians, and this is why I think that the three-man format worked for them. Despite their individual talents, these players had a knack for playing together and getting the most out of three instruments. All of them had strong blues influences, and they took the blues a step further into the realm of rock n' roll.

The sound of the band was aided by the fact that Felix Pappalardi, later of Mountain fame, was their producer. A friend of mine pointed out that his contributions probably entitled him to be the fourth member of Cream, and there's probably a lot of truth to that idea. However, the actual members of Cream, and their contributions, are as follows:

Eric Clapton, guitar
Jack Bruce, bass
Ginger Baker, drums

The tracks on the album, and my comments about each, are as follows:

1. Strange Brew--A bluesy tune with some excellent guitar work by Eric Clapton. Jack Bruce's bass sounds almost like a lead instrument, it's almost that melodic. Ginger Baker's drums hold the tune together in this display of individual instrumental virtuosity.

2. Sunshine Of Your Love--This is the song that Cream is most famous for--it even got AM air play in 1967. The tune has that unforgettable riff that's played by both Clapton and Bruce, and Clapton's lead guitar solo is unforgettable. Baker plays the entire tune using only cymbals and tom-toms, and Jack Bruce shows us why he is widely regarded as a great rock n' roll singer with a strong vocal performance.

3. World Of Pain--This is my least favorite song on the album. The players do their parts well enough, but the song just doesn't have that good blues-rock feel that is the trademark of this band. Ginger Baker does some superb drum fills, and Clapton plays a nice double-tracked guitar solo, but something is still missing from the Cream formula on this song.

4. Dance The Night Away--Clapton plays a cool twelve-string guitar part on this song, and Baker and Clapton actually do some good vocal harmonies in their duet, something that is not too common with this band. The feel of this song is really not representative of Cream's music, but the song works well as an exploration of a different style.

5. Blue Condition--This song is somewhat ponderous and weighted, but it features a pretty snazzy guitar intro by Clapton. I can't identify who the vocalist is, but he came from the Ringo Starr School of Singing, with a straightforward, unaffected delivery. Not a very remarkable tune, but an interesting insight into a different style.

6. Tales Of Brave Ulysses--A very lyrically intense song with plenty of cool imagery. The idea is from The Odyssey, by Homer, I think. Jack Bruce delivers an incredibly strong vocal part, and Eric Clapton shows us that he's the master of the wah-wah pedal. The players on this one really excel and way they blend their skills demonstrate why they were a great, if short-lived, band.

7. SWLABR--These letters stand for "She Walks Like A Bearded Rainbow"--I never knew this until a couple of years ago. Clapton's harmony guitar riff and his solo is really some of his best work on this or any other album. Bruce's vocals are soulful, and you can tell that all the members of this band played this tune with feeling.

8. We're Going Wrong--This is a pretty sad, depressing sounding song that I don't really much care for. The song never establishes much of a rhythm; repeated drum rolls sort of move the song along. It sounds pretty unstructured, although Jack Bruce's high end vocal job is special. Clapton throws in some tasty guitar licks which add to the mood of the song.

9. Outside Woman Blues--This is an old blues song about the "outside woman", which is old blues slang for the woman that every self-respecting bluesman kept "outside" his marriage. Cream gives it a realistic blues treatment, complete with a nifty harmony guitar hook line. Clapton's solo sounds like something B. B. King would play.

10. Take It Back--A somewhat light treatment of a bluesy song, complete with blues harmonica. Jack Bruce again dazzles with his vocals, and the other members shine, but yet work well together.

11. Mother's Lament--I've always wondered why Cream would choose to close their album with this number. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I don't think it's the right type of song to say to your audience "that's all, see you on the next album". The song itself is very humorous, and the players sound like they might have been intoxicated when they did it. It's got all of the characteristics of a one-take, no overdubs tune. Their thick English accents add to the effect.

Disraeli Gears is not a cerebral album; it is a player's album for the player--if you appreciate musical virtuosity, this is the album you need to listen to. It gives the listener a pretty good idea of what this band is all about, although a couple of the tracks are uncharacteristic of the group, considering their whole catalogue.