Customer Reviews

Cream - Farewell Concert

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Cream was a great band. Their importance and influence in the rock world (and jazz and blues, too) can't be over-stated. I love these guys. Having said that, I must warn anybody who isn't aware of this movie - that it is one of the most horrible botch jobs in the history of rock documentaries. I think everybody from the director to the camera to the sound must have been awfully stoned. If you want to see a movie featuing Jack Bruce's acne scars with psych-ay-dell-ik sperm overlays crowding the frame, and almost unlistenable muddled sound in the background, then this film is for you. Or perhaps you'd like to see the camera zoom in and out on Clapton's nose to the movment of his wah-wah pedal.

I read in an interview that Clapton was so incensed when he saw this botch of a movie that he actually went looking for tony palmer. I can only hope he found him and soundly kicked his ass.

The only plus are the interviews with Clapton and Baker. Baker comes across as incredibly stupid (which he most certainly isn't), but it's funnier than hell. And his drumming speaks for itself.

I bought this along with the 2005 reunion concert DVD in order to flesh out my order for that free shipping thing. And even though I already own the ORIGINAL version of the 1968 Farewell Concert DVD, and am very happy that I bought this one. The interviews are greatly enhanced, as is the play set. Also, it's a great companion to the 2005 reunion DVD.

Honestly, the filming quality DOES leave much to be desired, but is not atypical for those times. This vintage Cream footage from "the day" is well worth having and should not be judged on the same basis that we might judge a modern day music video. It should be appreciated for what it is -- a historical document. In the less than 3 years that Cream was together, the group left a legacy that influcences music to this day, and the group still has millions of devoted fans. What else compares with the improvisational jazz/blues/rock style that was so uniquely Cream?

The real value of this video became clear to me the day I played it for three teenagers who all play music. They all knew who Eric Clapton is, but were shocked to see footage of him in his mid-20's. It was as if they believed he'd been born a middle-aged guitarist. I laughed until I cried.

I originally saw this film as a child on TV and then later on as a PBS special. I finally was able to find a copy of the VHS tape and then eventually I also bought the DVD. Yes I am a long time hard core Cream fan but spending more money on yet another version of this dated account of a truly incredible band gave me some pause. Let me just say it was money well spent. The original concert DVD was only 48 minutes long while this restored version is now 80 minutes in length. It also includes the original theatrical release as well. The sound quality is vastly superior and is now in both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround. The songs that were shown only as clips in the old version have now been restored to their full length and several new songs have been added. In particular, the song "Crossroads" which is a Cream staple has now been included in its entirety. Previously, this song was only availably in black and white on another Clapton compilation which had marginal sound quality. The sound on this version is much cleaner and now Clapton's solos can really be heard and appreciated.

This DVD should not be compared to a video of today in that it was filmed almost 40 years ago when filming styles and standards were different. It will not stand up to the quality of the 2005 Cream reunion DVD which is arguably the finest concert recording I have heard to date. It is a good companion to that concert in that you can see how Jack, Ginger, and Eric looked when the band was in their "prime" (see Jack and Eric's between song banter in the 2005 reunion DVD for an inside joke). Just as "How the West was Won" gives a good account of what Led Zeppelin was like in their prime, this DVD gives you the closest account of what a Cream concert would have been like. It is unfortunately the only account of a Cream concert that is currently available and unfortunately the only way to see why this trio of blues and jazzmen who were only together for three short years are still talked about and admired 40 years later. It also explains why "Ticket brokers" were getting over $4k per ticket for seats up close to the stage at MSG.

Let us just hope that some more archival footage of Cream can be discovered and restored just as Jimmy Page did for Led Zeppelin. And while we are at it, lets keep our fingers crossed that Jack, Ginger and Eric will stay together for a while and give us more of what we have been waiting almost 40 years to see and hear.

The video documenting Cream's Farewell Concert is an extreme disappointment. First of all it is only 50 minutes. For a band that is known to play twenty and sometimes thirty minute songs, this doesn't leave much time for the music. There is not one complete song on the whole video. If they show a full song it has some bad narration over the beginning. Not to mention the many songs that were played that night that must have been forgotten(Sitting on top of the World & Crossroads). If your looking for a good Cream documentary on video, I suggest Cream's Strange Brew. It has all the good stuff form the Farewell Concert and a lot more. There is also The Fresh Live Cream on DVD that just came out. It sounds really good too.

I'm not going to rehash some of the valid comments about the filmaking, but I will also say that it does reflect the time period it was created in. I saw this back in the early 70's in a theater and enjoyed immensely. After seeing it again now, I must say I enjoyed it even more. I love the parts where they talked to each musician about their influences and their styles. One of the things that made Cream so great was that it seemed like they were all playing a different songs, but doing it together. To hear them describe how they create some of the sounds, and then play an example amazes me.
As for the comments in some of the other reviews saying this is not as good as the reunion concert, I really think they miss the point! In terms of production quality there is a huge difference, but that's not what important. This documents Cream while they WERE a band in the musical climate of the time. The reunion concert documents them today's musical climate. There are distinctive differences. Their playing in the 1968 performance is much more intense and driven. The extended jam on "Spoonful" is mind boggling. "Crossroads" is much more driven in this performance. The 2005 show while being awesome(and a must purchase),is much more laid back. It's not until they start playing the blues numbers like "Stormy Monday", "Sleepy Time Time" and "Born Under A Bad Sign", that Clapton starts really feeling the groove. You can see his passion and intensity level go up. Check out the differences between the "Sleepy Time" takes and I'll bet you'll notice a difference.
I believe both DVD's are necessary in the true fans collection. At least a must watch!

Relive 26 November 1968 over again as you watch Cream take a final bow.....until 2 May 2005! This extended version includes the original 48 minute broadcast from the BBC program Omnibus on 5 January 1969, in addition to the version shown in theaters in the early 1970's. This version includes complete numbers of every song except Steppin' Out and Toad. Spoonful has a voiceover right before the jam begins. Plus you get interviews from March 1968 of EC, Jack, and Ginger explaining and demonstrating their music and techniques. Yes, the footage and "effects" leave something to be desired, but overall it is an enjoyable watch. Want to know why Tony Palmer and crew shot the gigs like they did? Get the Cream Classic Artist Series 2-disc set to find out. The sound is not really all that bad, a little on the rough side, but hey, its nearly 40 year old art. I strongly suggest any Cream fan pick this up. It might not be Cream at their best, but it is far from their worst.
Track order: Sunshine of Your Love, White Room, Politician, Crossroads, Steppin' Out(incomplete), Sitting On Top of The World, Spoonful(w/ voiceover but complete), Toad(incomplete), I'm So Glad, Interviews scattered throughout the film.

Dont buy this video if you hope to see a great performence by the best band in the world, Cream. The editing of this video is terrible, and so is the camera work, they switch the angle every second, you cant even see what they are playing because the cameras are focused on their faces. Also they start showing the performences in the middle of each of the songs. Do not buy this video.

It really seem strange how some cream "fans" really put down this...may I say footage of one of the best bands of all time. Compare to the new concert I would rather prefer this one, so would any "true cream fan" I guess people were expecting some light show with perfect camera work, of course back then it really was about just jamming out till you passed out.Cream is all about playing some genuine blues songs with a mend of rock, not about good camera work. If you heard white room or spoonful and got hooked on...this is a great performance where it's all about the music. Clapton's massive blues solo's, bruce's howling vocals, and let's not forget the amazing hardcore drumming from baker. If you just want to see a true rock band jamming out in their early years this is the legendary concert...just look at the audience and see for yourself why cream is one of the greatest of all time.

No way to sugarcoat it: the director ruined this film, completely bungling his job. He must have thought he was part of the band, or that Cream needed his help to rock the audience. All kinds of cheesy '60s camera effects are deployed--rapid zooming in and out, rapid focus shifts from foreground to background, editing that looks like it was done by a food processor--showing a total lack of repect for the musicians. Buy it, if you must; but you can enjoy it just as much by playing it through the stereo with the picture turned off.

The performances by Cream are nothing short of brilliant, the setting is legendary, the irony of a farewell performance by a band that had only scratched the surface of their potential was heartbreaking, and yet Cream, Farewell Concert is as good an audio performance as we are likely to get of them on film. Although their live albums Vol. 1 and 2 probably contained some of their finest performances as a live touring act, the fire and brilliance of the collective talent of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce is only showcased adequately here from an audio recording standpoint.

Visually, it is one of the most trite, hackneyed, and worthlessly amateur recordings ever done on film. The shots are unmotivated, the directing non-existent, and the overall visual approach to shooting the music is as poor as any amateur filmmaker could get. The filmmaker in charge of this production should be shot, because at no time in this poorly conceived and executed visual production do we get a long enough glimpse of the phenomenal musicianship of this group,

Instead we get a mish-mosh of stupid close-ups, worthless camera moves that attempt to be clever, and no visual continuity that fits with the music. It is visual license being taken by a filmmaker who has no clue about how to showcase the power of Cream's music and the incredible talent and virtuosity of the individual players.

The infuriating lack of professional competence by the person's shooting this film do a total dishonor to the event and the members of Cream. One can only hope this horrible film crew was never hired again to document a live concert music event.