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Cream - Royal Albert Hall: London 2-3-5-6 2005 [LIVE] 2DVD

Review by Bret Adams
The biggest rock & roll story of 2005 was the unexpected Cream reunion. Vocalist/guitaristEric Clapton, vocalist/bass guitarist Jack Bruce, and drummer/vocalist Ginger Baker hadn't performed together since a brief set at their 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Fan demand far exceeded the seven sold-out shows Cream played. The first four were held May 2, 3, 5, and 6 at London's Royal Albert Hall, which is fitting since that's where the groundbreaking trio played its final show 37 years before in 1968 after issuing four main albums -- Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels of Fire and Goodbye -- in two years of activity. The last three 2005 concerts were held October 24, 25, and 26 at New York's Madison Square Garden. Highlights of the London shows are collected on the brilliant two-DVD set Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005. Fourteen of the 22 tracks were taken from the May 6 show. (An abbreviated double CD was released as well.) It's amazing to realize what a trailblazing band Cream was in 1966. Four decades later, Clapton, Bruce, and Baker are revered elder statesmen, just like the blues and jazz musicians they idolized and drew inspiration from when they joined forces. Although there's bound to be a financial windfall for the three men even after such a short reunion, the personal and musical benefits cannot be ignored. Baker has always looked frail, but Bruce had a liver transplant in 2003, so there was an underlying "it's-now-or-never" urgency; he is often shown sitting on the edge of a tall chair for support. In the bonus interviews, Bruce said the reunion gave him a chance to become friends with Baker again. Clapton has been a dapper superstar treading water in a going-through-the-motions, adult contemporary haze for so many years, this Cream reunion will hopefully put the fire back in his belly permanently. If the stinging performances captured on the DVD are any indication, it's a distinct possibility. The big hits such as "Sunshine of Your Love," "White Room." and "Crossroads" are all here, and although the performances of these classic rock radio cornerstones are fine, there's just a tiny bit of steam missing from Clapton and Bruce, probably because these songs always remained in-demand requests throughout their respective solo careers. Cream really unleashes its power on the album cuts and its first-ever live renditions of the psychedelic "Pressed Rat and Warthog" from Wheels of Fire and the pop-flavored "Badge" from Goodbye. The trio's worship of blues and jazz radiates through every note of the standards "Spoonful" (with unbelievable guitar/bass interplay between Clapton and Bruce), "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (with a go-for-broke harmonica intro from Bruce and greasy slide guitar from Clapton), and "Stormy Monday." Other highlights include "Sleepy Time Time," "Politician," "Sweet Wine," and Baker's drum solo showcase "Toad." This DVD features alternate takes of "Sleepy Time Time," "We're Going Wrong," and "Sunshine of Your Love," as well as candid interviews with Clapton, Bruce, and Baker discussing the reunion, rehearsals, set lists and more. The historic nature of these shows was reinforced by the presence of well-heeled A-listers shown in the audience including Queen guitarist Brian May, director Tim Burton and his wife actress Helena Bonham Carter, actor Sean Penn, and actor Jude Law, among others. The Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005 DVD is a genuine treasure.



* Number of discs: 2
* Studio: Warner Strat. Mkt.
* DVD Release Date: October 4, 2005
* Run Time: 150 minutes
* DVD Features:
o Available Audio Tracks: English (DTS 5.1)
o Filmed in Hi Def. NTSC
o Two-DVD set
o Bonus features include alternate performances
o In-depth interviews with Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
They step onto the stage of London's Royal Albert Hall: Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, and Eric Clapton. The capacity crowd, which includes Sean Penn and Jude Law, stands to greet them. Thirty-seven years after their farewell concert, the famously fiery Cream did the unthinkable--they reunited. This double-disc collection (and accompanying CD set) captures highlights from the historic four-day engagement, beginning with a buoyant "I'm So Glad" and ending with a triumphant "Sunshine of Your Love." It would be churlish to suggest that Cream appears exactly as they did in the 1960s (Bruce looks a little frail), but the legendary power trio still has the goods. Bruce is still the essence of soul (a particularly rich vocal on "Politician"), while Baker is as irrepressible as ever (a rare vocal on "Pressed Rat and Warthog," percussive tour-de-force "Toad"). Then there's Clapton, who remains as much a master of the guitar as of understatement. "Thanks for waiting all these years," he quips after a slow-burning "Outside Woman Blues," then adds, "We're going to do every song we know." The track listing is, indeed, generous, despite the absence of such Cream classics as "I Feel Free," "Strange Brew," and "Tales of Brave Ulysses." All told, there are 22 songs plus three alternate takes--and not a bad one in the bunch. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description:
In May of 2005 Cream returned to London's Royal Albert Hall-to the same stage where they had completed what was thought to be their final performance in 1968. It was one of the most eagerly anticipated, hard-to-get tickets in rock history. With the exception of a brief reunion set at their 1993 induction into the Rock and roll Hall of Fame, Cream had not played together in nearly four decades. This DVD documents Cream's momentous London shows. Performances from each of the four nights are featured and much more. Also included are alternate performances and interviews with Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton. Cream formed in 1966 and disbanded in 1968. The band were a prolific and thrilling live act and toured incessantly in their short but remarkable history.Track Listings: I'm So Glad, Spoonful, Outside Woman Blues, Pressed Rat & Warthog, Sleepy Time Time, N.S.U., Badge, Politician, Sweet Wine, Rollin' & Tumblin', Stormy Monday, Deserted Cities of the Heart, Born Under a Bad Sign, We're Going Wrong, Crossroads, Sitting on Top of the World, White Room, Toad, Sunshine of Your Love, Spoonful (Alternate Takes), Sleepy Time Time (Alternate Takes), Badge (Alternate Takes), Sweet Wine (Alternate Takes), Rollin' & Tumblin', We're Going Wrong, White Room, Sunshine of Your Love

Ginger Baker
Jack Bruce
Eric Clapton



This post has been edited by OlCh on 05-03-2008, 22:59

забыл сказат Спасибо

Спасибо

а удивительный концерт - 35 лет прошло и вновь CREAM как CREAM

и еще 2 года прошло... и никак не насмотришься, не наслушаешься!
на трекер пошли полные оба ДВД, завтра начнём и в осло-сети их раздавать

полные 2ДВД - в ослосети

QUOTE (OlCh @ 06-03-2008, 16:37)

полные 2ДВД - в ослосети

Ну вот и дождались!