Album #117: Cream - Disraeli Gears

Cream

Disraeli Gears (1967)

Cream may very well be the most famous musical accident of all time. A band formed because of a combination of Ginger Baker's dissatisfaction with the Graham Bond Organisation, as well as admiration of Eric Clapton's guitar skills witnessed at a Bluesbreakers gig, it was only a lift home given to Clapton by Baker that resulted in the two hooking up musically to form a new band. At Clapton's insistence, Graham Bond bassist Jack Bruce was asked to join on bass and vocals (which prompted Baker to almost crash his car, apparently, such was the level of hatred he had for his former bandmate). 

However, the two managed to set their differences aside long enough for Cream to form and release several albums. Starting (unsurprisingly) as a blues band, with 1967's Disraeli Gears Cream joined many of their contemporaries in the psychedelic set, departing significantly from the blues sound. It ended up being considered the group's masterwork.

And can you believe, growing up in a Clapton-worshipping household, that I've never heard it. So I remedied that.

The Album

It's no surprise that Disraeli Gears sounds like three extraordinarily talented musicians at the height of their youthful powers. Almost every track cracks and sizzles with the whippy power of Baker's drumming, the groove-laden fluidity of Bruce's bass playing, and, of course, the effortless blues of Clapton's guitar. It's also a testament to the band's abilities that while the safe harbour of the blues tracks are outstanding, those psychedelia-meets-proto hard rock songs, where the group were stepping out of their comfort zone, are every bit their equal.

The first two songs are easily in Cream's top five tunes. Strange Brew is every inch a blues song, despite Clapton's faraway near-falsetto vocal; his bluesy riffs and licks fill every empty space in the music, and his solo calls to mind the work of many of the legendary blues guitarists of the 50s and early 60s. But it's the following tune, Sunshine Of Your Love, that has become both Cream signature and cover band staple because of its sheer majesty. That well-known riff (written by Jack Bruce on a double bass) is matched by Clapton's wailing guitar and a half-shuffle/half-African drumbeat from Baker. Its brilliance is all the more remarkable for its sheer simplicity; it's just guitar, drums and bass throughout, with only Clapton's wonderful solo being overdubbed (and thank goodness because it is a FUCKING BRILLIANT piece of blues guitar playing.)

From there the album turns down the psychedelic path, though mixed with the sort of early hard rock stylings that The Who and Jimi Hendrix would popularise. World Of Pain features a wah-heavy riff from Clapton and some aurally wobbly harmonies from Bruce and Clapton to give that psychedelic feel, while on Dance The Night Away, Clapton's guitar is inspired by the surf guitar sound while Baker turns into a lead drummer, carrying the song with his manic drumwork. Tales of Brave Ulysses features rather stream-of-consciousness lyrics written by the album's cover designer, Martin Sharp, based on Homer's Odyssey, and the riff is rather similar to the band's own track White Room. SWLABR is the finest 'psychedelic rock' tune here and a real hidden gem. Lyrically, it's rather clever, using metaphors to describe the flaws of a girl who is otherwise amazing, but musically the song kills; the rumbling groove of Bruce's bass matched perfectly by Baker's sharp drumming, while Clapton does his thing, riffing and soloing with melody and dexterity.

Towards the album's close, Cream return to the blues with one fantastic track (Clapton's arrangement of an old blues standard Outside Woman Blues) and one decent track (Take It Back). The former, sung by Clapton in proper American blues style, features a nifty, catchy little blues lick for a riff, but the real star is Bruce, producing a bassline that merely confirms his status amongst the bass greats. The latter, written by Bruce with regular collaborator Pete Brown, is a mild variation on the 12-bar structure with a pleasant harmonica solo from Bruce....but not much else, really.

Only three tracks here don't really justify their inclusion in my view - Blue Condition, penned by Baker, tends to confirm the uniquely 60s truism that drummers shouldn't write songs other than drum solos because they're awful (Baker's weak, bland lead vocal does nothing to help this); We're Going Wrong is pure psychedelia with a Middle Eastern feel (created by Clapton's riff), and given the power and energy of the other songs here it comes across as being rather quite listless; and Mother's Lament is tacked onto the end, the three band members mucking about with an old folk song to seemingly fill in time.

The Verdict

Disraeli Gears justifies the hype, for the most part. Cream are the most powerful of the great power trios, in my view, and this album manages to convey all the things that made Cream burn so brightly, albeit for a very short period of time (the band were only together for about three years).

Lovers of Clapton, or of guitar/bass players in general, would definitely enjoy this album if they haven't heard it already.

My rating: ****

Standout Tracks

SWLABR

Strange Brew

Sunshine Of Your Love