The Very Best of Cream

Amazon.com
The groundbreaking work of this British psychedelic-blues supergroup deserves more thorough study, but this 20-song compilation provides a useful overview for newcomers. Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker--virtuosos all--expanded the parameters of rock by incorporating a jazz sensibility into their distorted blues jams. This compilation mixes their odd original hits with a number of souped-up blues covers. The live version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" remains one of the greatest blues workouts a rock band has ever produced. Since Cream released only four albums, this set includesv most of the highlights, and it illustrates how Cream cast the seeds of heavy metal. -- Marc Greilsamer

The Very Best of Cream,Cream,Polydor / Pgd,Album Rock,Blues-Rock,Britain,British Blues,British Psychedelia,England,Hard Rock,Pop,Psychedelic,Rock,Rock/Pop

---

The Very Best of Cream

Average customer rating: Where would we be without bands like Cream? The greatest trio of all time Remastering? 5 for the music, 4 for the tracks picked The Very Best of Cream

The Very Best of Cream Cream Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix The Best Of The Doors The Who: The Ultimate Collection Blind Faith The Very Best of Deep Purple ASIN: B000002GFC Release Date: 1995-05-09

Tracks:

1. Wrapping Paper
2. I Feel Free
3. N.S.U.
4. Sweet Wine
5. I'm So Glad
6. Spoonful
7. Strange Brew
8. Sunshine Of Your Love
9. Tales Of Brave Ulysees
10. Swlabr
11. We're Going Wrong
12. White Room
13. Sitting On Top Of The World
14. Politician
15. Those Were The Days
16. Born Under A Bad Sign
17. Deserted Cities Of The Heart
18. Crossroads
19. Anyone For Tennis
20. Badge

Amazon.com

The groundbreaking work of this British psychedelic-blues supergroup deserves more thorough study, but this 20-song compilation provides a useful overview for newcomers. Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker--virtuosos all--expanded the parameters of rock by incorporating a jazz sensibility into their distorted blues jams. This compilation mixes their odd original hits with a number of souped-up blues covers. The live version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" remains one of the greatest blues workouts a rock band has ever produced. Since Cream released only four albums, this set includesv most of the highlights, and it illustrates how Cream cast the seeds of heavy metal. -- Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Where would we be without bands like Cream?.......2007-04-27

It's rather amusing to think that Cream formed over 40 years ago. They were so revolutionary, just about everything they did left a huge influence on rock bands to come. Ginger Baker is an insane drummer, and was one of, if not the very first, to use a double bass drum the way he did. Jack Bruce invented and perfected that fade-in bass technique and Eric Clapton...well, when you hear the man rip it out on this album, you know these guys were something special.
Cream was one of the first power trios around. Right after them emerged bands like Blue Cheer, Rush and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, but seriously, how many guys were playing like the boys of Cream were in '66? Now, honestly speaking, I was fairly skeptical when purchasing this, at first at least, due to the fact that I saw Clapton listed as the second greatest rock guitarist of all time. Anybody who ranks high on a list has got to be there for a reason, and he proved it to me. I literally started laughing when I heard the blazing solos on songs like "Sweet Wine" and "NSU". The last time I heard a guy that great was somebody like Eddie Van Halen or the legendary Jimi Hendrix, (I got into Hendrix before I became a guitarist, and VH just as I started.)
Clapton, Bruce and Baker form a magnificent band and the songwriting is just as strong as the musicianship. From the epic lyrics in "Tales of Brace Ulysses" to the timeless riff on "Sunshine Of Your Love", these guys could do it all. They went from psychedelic rock, blues rock, proto-metal, jazz fusion, jam rock, and a fusion of all of those elements to make a signature sound that made them the prototypical blues-rock trio that they were.

Pros:
- You get 20, great songs on this album.
- I've seen it on sale for as low as ten bucks.
- The liner notes are great, and you gotta love the psychedelic colors in the inner and outer covers!

Cons:
- Not too many negativities here, except for the recording technique that was used on the tracks from their debut, "Fresh Cream". All of the instruments are to the right and the vocals are to the left, for the most part. I would've thought that the record company would've fixed that! Oh well, it's just for a few tracks that the production is messed up.

Overall:
If you're just getting into Cream, this will make for a great album. Don't have any doubts when buying this, because you get plenty of songs at a great price. It's too bad these guys only lasted for a short time, but they really made magic in the period that they did. Cheers, and peace!

The greatest trio of all time.......2007-03-14

I have to admit, if I never heard another Credence, Motown or Doors song, I wouldn't feel like I was missing out. To be frank, many of the sounds of my boomer youth have been so overplayed on classic rock stations or used in angst-ridden movies that I find myself unable to listen to them any more. However, Cream is not one of those bands, and listening to this disc reminded me how very rich and muscular the best of that period's music could be, before it evolved into art rock like Yes, and that ilk. With the exception of Clapton's work with Derek and the Dominos, and I don't think any of these guys ever played as well as they did here, and I can't say enough about how good these songs are, even the goofy ones. Buy this, even if you're way too young to remember the band when it existed!

Remastering?.......2007-03-01

I used to think the term "remastering" was a come on dreamed up by Jimmy Page to sell old Led Zeppelin albums. I was wrong. Whoever is in charge of re-releasing the Cream catalogue should be ashamed of themselves. One of the greatest - I will dare say it - perhaps the greatest rock combo ever - has been ill served by the keepers of the catalogue. I had a cassette version of Cream's greatest hits that put the sound quality of this CD to shame. ERIC, JACK, GINGER - intervene and make sure your recordings sound crisp for posterity. You desreve better than what the corporate masters have dished out. Anyone with discriminating ears will immediately recognize that the sound quality is a triumph of profit over Cream's artistic genius. Shameful. Again (The BBC recordings are horrendous).

5 for the music, 4 for the tracks picked.......2007-02-06

The Very Best of (1995) A Cream compilation album.

Because they are my favorite band, it's hard for me to ever really be satisfied with a greatest hits album. However, I can't complain too much, because none of the songs on here are bad. In fact, they didn't really leave anything out chart-position wise, but there are some gems that would have been nice to see on here. However, people who are just casual listeners will most likely be satisfied with the selection. My only suggestion, though, would be to check out the "Gold" album. The track selection is slightly better and includes live material, though it is more expensive and is a two-disc collection.

From "Fresh Cream": Wrapping Paper, I Feel Free, NSU, Sweet Wine, I'm So Glad, Spoonful. The track selection from this album are spotless. I've no complaints about this, and I'm glad to see that they included "Wrapping Paper", one of the more overlooked Cream songs, which is not on the CD version of "Fresh Cream".

From "Disraeli Gears": Strange Brew, Sunshine of Your Love, Tales of Brave Ulysses, SWLABR, We're Going Wrong. All good, though I would have substituted "World of Pain" for "We're Going Wrong".

From "Wheels of Fire": White Room, Sitting on Top of the World, Politician, Born Under a Bad Sign, Deserted Cities of the Heart, Crossroads. This one is really subjective; all the tracks from this album are excellent, so it's more of choosing which ones you wouldn't mind being left off. Personally, I would have switched "Deserted Cities" for "As You Said".

From "Goodbye": Badge. This was a popular song, though I don't care for it. The final album wasn't very good, so if they had to pick something, it would have to be this one. "Anyone For Tennis" was released purely as a single and belongs to no album.

Overall, the track selections may leave something to be desired. If you're a tried and true Cream fan, just buy the albums, there's only four of them, and only the first three are the ones you want.

The Very Best of Cream.......2007-01-09

I got this CD as a Christmas gift for a friend, and she absolutely loved
it. I was impressed with the timely manner in which it arrived. I would
use this vendor again.

Average customer rating: More Like Half And Half Great Band Decent, but now obselete SKIMMING THE CREAM Awesome collection of Cream

Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream Cream Manufacturer: Umvd Import ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Moody Blues Greatest Hits The Doors - Greatest Hits [Elektra] Skeletons from the Closet: The Best of the Grateful Dead Journeyman Gold ASIN: B000001F3L Release Date: 2003-12-30

Tracks:

1. Badge
2. Sunshine Of Your Love
3. Crossroads
4. White Room
5. Born Under A Bad Sign
6. Swlabr
7. Strange Brew
8. Anyone For Tennis? (The Savage Seven Theme)
9. I Feel Free
10. Politician
11. Tales Of Brave Ulysees
12. Spoonful

Customer Reviews:

More Like Half And Half.......2007-05-27

If, in 1968, you'd predicted which rock stars of the day would survive, much less age well, Eric Clapton would most likely have been at the bottom of your list, had he made the list at all. That was the year I saw Cream perform, and while the show was spellbinding, the cast of characters was cadaverous. To be fair, at the time it was considered chic for rock stars to look like they were homeless, hadn't bathed in months, and subsisted on a steady diet of Mountain Dew and candy bars. Even by these low standards, Cream presented on-stage mayhem that only seemed possible through a barely managed tripartite psychosis and amphetamines.

A lot of rockers have "gone to France" since then, or worse, become grotesque caricatures of themselves. Some left the business altogether - Arthur Brown was last seen painting houses on Cape Cod. But the ironically nicknamed "Slowhand" is alive and well, having evolved as a player while still staying true to his blues roots. An amazing achievement. He even looks healthy. I saw him a year ago on a double bill with Robert Cray, (who simply burned the house down), and he still had the bite I noticed first on Stepping Out, which appears on the John Mayall album that introduced Eric Clapton. He also had most of the legendary speed.

What this longevity has meant is that there's always another crop of sprouts introduced to EC. The enterprising ones, who've heard that he lays claim to the title of "best rock guitarist ever," may follow the string to see where it leads, and it leads of course, to Cream, the first "super" group. Cream's tenure was brief, but its impact was immense. (Led Zeppelin, for example, got their entire act from Cream. Clapton was almost tapped to replace John Lennon in the Beatles.) Ginger Baker, drums, was the senior member who actually organized the group. Jack Bruce, a musical vunderkind, was the genius behind the group's success, as well as being its voice.

For listeners interested in skimming the surface, this CD is a great place to start. Crossroads, Strange Brew, and Born Under A Bad Sign are mandatory listening. (Sunshine Of Your Love - a tired hit - is obligatory.) There's another Best Of CD available, and while it has more tracks, the selection is not that much better. Any of the 4 original Cream CDs are worth owning, (Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels Of Fire, Goodbye). The listener new to this material will also want to check out Blind Faith. But of all the choices, I would recommend avoiding the Best Of route and going straight to Goodbye. Half live and half studio, Goodbye is Cream at their absolute best, the live tracks in particular are incendiary.

Great Band.......2007-04-22

This band had a unique sound.I originaly got into this band because Kiss always mentioned this band as one of their favorite bands.As i am a huge Kiss fan,i am curious at time to listen to their musical origins.
I knew Sunshine of your love and White Room.But the rest were not known at all to me.So i decided to get a copy of their best.
Man i was not disappointed.Got right into it and couldnt stop playing it.Some songs seem to be addictive,probably recorded them on tapes made out of hippy weed.
This collection is a must for fans of Clapton, Bruce, and Baker and the great rock of the late 60s. .Great stuff this,and i reccommend this band.

Decent, but now obselete.......2006-02-26

The one-disc, twenty-track Best of Cream has officially rendered all other Cream collections obselete. And this is no exception. Though this is a good bunch of tracks, the one-disc collection is so much better. This reminds me of a Jimi Hendrix compilation entitled Smash Hits: probably worked in its day, but is now just about useless. Nice cover photo, though.

SKIMMING THE CREAM.......2005-12-20

STRANGE BREW-THE VERY BEST OF CREAM: Like Eric Clapton's previous group the Yardbirds, power trio Cream introduced millions of rock fans to the blues, in this instance via the most contorted, "jam packed" interpretations of Robert Johnson and Albert King ever channeled through a psychedelic wah-wah pedal. The band boasted Jack Bruce's triple threat bass/harp/vocal prowess, Ginger Baker's jazz-tinged skin stroking, and Clapton's "Guitar God" pyrotechnics, and Cream's originals (WHITE ROOM, SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE, BADGE, etc.) were on a par with their mentors' compositions. Not surprisingly, it was far too much talent to contain under one roof and they imploded after two short years. What's left behind is this stunning (albeit crimanlly brief) account of a band that actually lived up to all that "supergroup" hype (and how often does THAT happen?) RATING: FIVE SPOONFULS

Awesome collection of Cream.......2005-08-29

This is the best of the best by Cream. There are no bad songs on this album. It starts with "Badge", written by Eric Clapton and Beatle George Harrison, which is a very good song. Next is the classic song "Sunshine of Your Love", the song that got me hooked on Cream, an excellent song and you should be ashamed of yourself if you don't like it. Next comes "Crossroads", one of my personal favorites, is the classic Robert Johnson blues song, with Eric Clapton on lead vocals. Next is "White Room", which is a very good song and the other song that got me hooked on Cream. "Born Under a Bad Sign" comes next. It is a great bluesy song about bad luck. Next comes "SWLABR", which is a good rock 'n' roll song. Next is "Strange Brew" which is also a good song. Next is "Anyone for Tennis?" which is a nice song on the slower side. "I Feel Free" is a really good song and another one of my personal favorites. "Politician" is another bluesy song about being a Political person. Then we have "Tales of Brave Ulysees", which is a great rocking song. Lastly is the bluesy "Spoonful" which is the longest song on the CD running at 6:29.

Overall this is a great album and i reccomend to anyone who likes Cream. For beginners, start with this, the newer "Very Best of Cream", or "Disraeli Gears"

Average customer rating:

The Very Best of Cream Cream ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000F4LGDQ Release Date: 2006-05-30

Tracks:

1. Wrapping Paper
2. I Feel Free
3. N.S.U.
4. Sweet Wine
5. I'm So Glad
6. Spoonful
7. Strange Brew
8. Sunshine of Your Love
9. Tales of Brave Ulysses
10. Swlabr
11. We're Going Wrong
12. White Room
13. Sitting on Top of the World
14. Politician
15. Those Were the Days
16. Born Under a Bad Sign
17. Deserted Cities of the Heart
18. Crossroads
19. Anyone for Tennis
20. Badge

Average customer rating:

Guitar Rock (1990 Time-Life Music 2 CD Set) Lynyrd Skynyrd , Rod Stewart with The Faces , Eric Clapton , Bachman-Turner Overdrive , The Allman Brothers Band , Stephen Stills , Brownsville Station , Grand Funk Railroad , The Jimi Hendrix Experience , and Rick Derringer Manufacturer: Time Life Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000S2Y40W

Product Description

Very rare first "Guitar Rock" release from Time-Life Music in 1990 titled "Guitar Rock". 2 CD set with 38 songs. Track list: CD ONE: Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix Experience/Feel Like Makin' Love - Bad Company/Bang a Gong (Get It On) - T.Rex/You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman-Turner Overdrive/All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople/You Really Got Me - Kinks/The Bitch Is Back - Elton John/China Grove - Doobie Brothers/We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad/I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton/Hot Blooded - Foreigner/Rock & Roll, Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer/Maggie May - Rod Stewart/Mississippi Queen - Mountain/Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd/I Fought The Law - Bobby Fuller Four/Ramblin' Man - Allman Brothers Band/Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton/Layla - Derek & Dominoes CD TWO: I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock & Roll Band) - Moody Blues/(I Know) I'm Losing You - Rod Stewart & Faces/Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple/After Midnight - Eric Clapton/Radar Love - Golden Earring/Smokin' in the Boys' Room - Brownsville Station/I'm Eighteen - Alice Cooper/She Came In Through the Bathroom Window - Joe Cocker/Love The One You're With - Stephen Stills/Whipping Post - Allman Brothers Band/American Woman - Guess Who/Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream/On the Road Again - Canned Heat/All Right Now - Free/Heart Full Of Soul - Yardbirds/Takin' Care of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive/Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh/Funk No. 49 - James Gang/Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Average customer rating: Not worth buying CD!!!

At His Very Best Andre Kostelanetz Manufacturer: Cream Records France ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000050HQJ Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

1. With a Song in My Heart
2. Why Do I Love You?/ You Are Love/ Ol' Man River
3. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes/Yesterdays
4. Song of India
5. Blues in the Night
6. Poinciana
7. Vienna Life
8. When You're Away/Kiss Me Again/A Kiss in the Dark
9. Habanera
10. Night and Day
11. Tiger Rag
12. Estrellita
13. Gypsy Love Song/Czardas/My Dream Girl
14. Indian Summer
15. Perfect Day
16. Stardust
17. Jarabe Tapatio/Cielitio Lindo/La Golondrina
18. Mood Indigo
19. Manhattan Serenade
20. Dancing in the Dark

Customer Reviews:

Not worth buying CD!!!.......2001-11-07

I have only two comments regarding this CD, firstly, recording is in monoaural,secondly very poor quality recording.If you're desperate to own this one,I advise you buy some other Kostelanetz CD album not this one,DEFINITELY NOT THIS ONE.

Average customer rating:

Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream Cream Manufacturer: Tinted ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B00004SF7Q Release Date: 2000-02-28

Tracks:

1. Badge
2. Sunshine of Your Love
3. Crossroads
4. White Room
5. Born Under a Bad Sign
6. Swlabr
7. Strange Brew
8. Anyone for Tennis
9. I Feel Free
10. Politician
11. Tales of Brave Ulysses
12. Spoonful

Album Details

Third in a Series Aimed at Bringing You the Best of Today's Garage Music. This One was Mixed by DJ Declan and DJ Hayden Keys and features the Bonafide Hits 'believe' (Ministers De La Funk Ft. Jocelyn Brown), 'in and Out of My Life' (Atfc Presents Onephatdiva), Eclipse's 'make Me Love You', Paul Johnson's 'get Get Down', 'i Want Your Love' by Roger Sanchez Presents Twilight and Twelve More Guaranteed to Get You Two-stepping!

Average customer rating:

The Very Best of Spike Jones Spike Jones Manufacturer: Cream Records France ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Novelty Music | Comedic Music | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedic Music | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000IXKW Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

1. I Dream of Brownie With the Light Blue Jeans
2. Chloe
3. Hawaiian War Chant
4. Cocktails for Two
5. You Always Hurt the One You Love
6. Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy
7. Little Bo Peep Has Lost Her Jeep
8. Man on the Flying Trapeze
9. Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma
10. Old McDonald Had a Farm
11. Our Hour (The Puppy Love Song)
12. Serenade to a Jerk
13. William Tell Overture
14. Hotcha Cornia (Black Eyes)
15. Blue Danube
16. Popcorn Sack
17. Holiday for Strings
18. That Old Black Magic
19. Clink, Clink, Another Drink
20. Liebestraum
21. Behind Those Swinging Doors
22. Covered Wagon Rolled Right Along
23. Red Wing
24. I Wanna Go Back to West Virginia

Rap Music:

1. The Very Best of Jackson Browne [Original recording remastered]
2. The Very Best Of Supertramp [Original recording remastered]
3. Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets
4. Under the Table and Dreaming
5. Unwritten [Content/Copy-Protected CD] [Enhanced]
6. We Are Not Alone [Enhanced] [Explicit Lyrics]
7. Wingspan (Hits & History) [Original recording remastered]
8. You Stand Watching
9. A Decade of Hits 1969-1979
10. A Different Kind of Pain [Enhanced]

Rap Music

rap music

Recommended Music:

Musical Chairs

Vaclav Talich - Philharmonie Tcheque (Czech Philharmonic) Dvorak: Symphonies No. 6, 7, and 8; Danses Slaves / Smetana: Ma Vlast / Josef Suk: Serenade for Strings (recorded 1929-1938) [Boxed Set]

Unforgettable Favourites [Import]

Music: Sefika Kutluer: Fantasies

The Lucky One

Sincerely V.2: Mariya Takeuchi Song Book [Import]

Trust

The Best of George Gershwin

Top Ten Country

Tentacion

Tonight's Music [Import]

Very Best of [Import]

Trance Needs Progressive [Import]

Delivered for Glory -- Reclaiming the Blues

Pat Metheny Group