Fresh Cream

 When Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker formed the power trio Cream in 1966, they really were “the cream” of the British music scene at the time. During the so-called R & B boom, a band appeared made up of what were probably the best R & B/blues guitarist, bassist and drummer of their generation. While Clapton had already made a name for himself with the Yardbirds and, above all, later with blues giant John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker had been swimming in more jazzy waters with the Graham Bond Organisation. And it was exactly this combination of different musical influences, spiced up with long, exploratory improvisations, that earned Cream their “supergroup” reputation.

Few albums mark such a revolution in musical development as the debut from the trio Cream! Fresh Cream presents itself as a unique mix of psychedelic pop and incredible blues rock improvisations. The album kicks off with the lively I Feel Free, which Jack Bruce totally dominates with his fantastic bass playing and just-the-right-amount-of-wailing vocals. The song is also an important milestone for the band, since it’s the first major collaboration between Bruce and the poet and lyricist Pete Brown. The pair would go on to be behind plenty more gems in their repertoire. While N.S.U., an interesting enough 60s pop creation, is more in Jack and Ginger’s territory, Sleepin’ Time is the first “spotlight” moment for Eric Clapton. Eric makes it clear right away just how strong his influence was in this early phase of the band. It shows in all that blues, which probably wasn’t all that familiar to Jack and Ginger at first. Which doesn’t mean, not for a second, that the two lag behind their “teacher” in any way. Dreaming, another poppish number from Jack’s pen, is fun but totally dispensable, but then Sweet Wine really starts to shake the place. This is the first time the guys radiate that power and energy that would later bring them worldwide fame, and it leaves the listener wondering how good the whole thing must sound on stage. And of course they don’t let up. Spoonful puts Clapton back in all his glory. This cover of Dixon’s classic is a nice showcase of Eric’s blues mastery. It’s his “scorching” approach that makes this blues come alive. Simplicity and humor adorn the next cover, the otherwise traditional Cat’s Squirrel, at the end of which Clapton once again really lets loose. Just as entertaining is Clapton’s “take” on Johnson’s Four Until Late, where Eric steps up for the first time as a vocalist, a rather shy one at the start. Covers of old blues chestnuts of all kinds keep coming here, and I’m So Glad is no exception. The old Skip James tune gives the trio another great chance to show what they can do, so the song quickly became part of their core repertoire. Rollin’ and Tumblin’ is another tribute, this time to another blues legend, Muddy Waters. It’s a phenomenal cover where Bruce swaps his bass for a harmonica, while comrade Baker keeps reminding us he’s there with his tireless “grinding”. His clear, expressive drumming style shines in the solo spot of his own composition Toad, which closes out the album.
Fresh Cream is a great document of the start of a new era, one ruled by the blues in its British interpretation. Bands like Fleetwood Mac and Ten Years After really just carried on later where Cream left off. And they went out in style. With a cherry on top of the cream.