Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astral Jam Session, September 23, 2000
Cream's studio albums are classic, but the reason that these guys came together on Earth was to play live.Taped at such San Francisco area venues as Winterland, and the Oakland Coloseum in 1968, Jack, Ginger, and Clapton stretch out full force on strong live versions of "White Room," "Politician," "Sunshine Of Your Love," and a hypnotic version of "Tales Of Brave Ulysses." Bruce's "Deserted Cities Of The Heart" is sung with intensity, and the final cut "Steppin' Out" is a high powered 13 minute blues jam, showcasing each member of The Cream. THe way these guys jam on their extended live cuts is full of jazz-like fluidity, bluesy rhythm, and the intensity of hard rock. And it all comes together on this disk. Clapton's solos are extraterrestrial, and Bruce's voice is in good form. Definately some of the coolest hard rock from the sixties.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful and Inspiring!, October 8, 2004
This was one of the reasons I started playing guitar!
Released a few years after the band broke up, it never failed to show why Cream had the stellar reputation it did. Without studio sweetening, these tracks stand up beautifully in a live environment.
The combination of Ginger Baker's liberally jazz-inflected drumming, Jack Bruce's roaring, snarling yet melodic bass and Clapton's soulful blues phrasing cranked up to 11 was enough to get my attention at a young age and stuck with me ever since. Combined with memorable riffs and melodies, colorful chord progressions ("Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "Deserted Cities of The Heart" as great examples)and Jack Bruce's soaring voice, this was indeed a fearsome threesome that messed me up for life in a good way. The band's ability to combine the cry of the blues, colorful psychedelia and the loose "go for it" attitude of jazz improvisation was a miracle to behold.
"Steppin Out" takes a fun blues instrumental and shoots it to the moon with Clapton and Baker kicking out the jams and taking no prisoners.
Despite the nasty internal tensions that blew the band apart after their brief existence, they managed to put out an impressive catalog of music that would inspire for years to come. Can't recommend it enough.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not on the level of Live Cream but still pretty good, October 17, 2006
Released in 1972, Live Cream Volume 2 was the second posthumous live album released after the supergroup announced their breakup in 1968. Apparently, the band was still missed as like their first live album, Live Cream, it would reach the Top 40 in the U.S. However, the difference between them is evident almost from the get go. While Live Cream showed the band at their magical jamming best, Volume 2 reins in the excitement as the live tracks stay close to the originals. That's not to say that it isn't a strong album as the excellent interplay between Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, and Eric Clapton is still intact and the performances are still very strong. The opening track, "Deserted Cities of the Heart", is by far the most energetic song here as the band's performance sounds like a train that threatens to run off the tracks. Even though it clocks in at less than 5 minutes, the performance makes you look forward to the passion and experimentation that made the live disc of Wheels of Fire, Live Cream, and even the live songs on Goodbye so special. However, the band plays it straight for the next four tracks, particularly on "White Room" and "Politician." The album does redeem itself a little with Clapton's wah-wah solo on "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and the long closing jam on "Sunshine of Your Love." The closer "Steppin' Out" is not only Clapton's showcase but also the main reason to pick up the album. Easily one of their best live tracks, Clapton lets out a long bluesy solo for the first 4 minutes as Baker and Bruce change things up throughout. However, the best is yet to come. While Bruce takes a seat, Clapton lets out an a capella solo for around a minute before Baker slowly works his way in. As the track continues, Clapton's playing changes moods throughout while Baker's drumming provides the perfect accompaniment before reaching its dynamic end at the 13:38 mark. All told, while this is a fine live release, it's not quite on the level of their other live releases. However, if you can't enough of Cream, this won't disappoint you.
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