The Very Best of Cream - Cream (CD 1995)

Wow! I can't believe nobody's reviewed this album yet! Maybe because most of us already know how good it is? Hmm...well, for those that don't, it is! Eric Clapton (guitar), Jack Bruce (bass), and Ginger Baker (drums), were only together for about 2 1/2 years ('66-'68), but they made some truly timeless classic songs. I've met lots of people who really loved "White Room," "Sunshine of Your Love," and "Strange Brew," but didn't know who performed them! Well, folks, they're all done by Cream. Good blues based rock'n'roll, lots of Clapton guitar solos...tasty! There are 10 songs on this album--they're all good, but the three already mentioned, plus "Crossroads" and "Born Under A Bad Sign" would easily be worth the price of the album by themselves. There appear to be at least two versions of "The Very Best of Cream" though--I had a copy on vinyl and it had "Toad" (where Ginger Baker really shines, similar to "Moby Dick" by Zeppelin), "Tales of Brave Ulysses," and "I'm So Glad" while this copy (on cassette) has "Politician," "Anyone For Tennis," and "Spoonful" instead. Since I don't have the vinyl copy anymore (I hate thieves!) I can't give any more details about the differences, but it's something to watch out for. I'd recommend the version with "Toad," especially for fans of percussion.
As far as musicianship, this album is a study in excellence. Clapton cannot be overrated as a guitarist, he's one of the very, very best. The only problem with that is that it leaves Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker too-often under-appreciated. I'm not a drummer, but I know enough about drums to understand that Baker was truly exceptional. I do play bass, so I can definitely say that Jack Bruce did some outstanding playing on this album! His playing went beyond simple single-note back-ups or even standard walking-bass blues lines, he combined these with unique, melodic playing. The overall effect acts to maintain a solid background for Clapton's guitar while sounding like either Bruce or Baker could explode into solos of their own at any time. I'd compare Cream favorably to Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and early Black Sabbath, especially for the bass and drum work. Each of these bands is best known for their guitar/vocal combinations (Clapton, Hendrix, Page/Plant, Tony Iommi/Ozzy Osbourne), but they all had great drummers and bass players as well. Check 'em out!