Universal Music 20th Century Masters (series)

The Best of Cream

Product Description:

Cream: Jack Bruce (vocals, acoustic guitar, cello, harmonica, piano, organ, bass); Eric Clapton (vocals, guitar); Ginger Baker (vocals, drums, percussion).

Additional personnel: George Harrison (guitar); Felix Pappalardi (viola, piano, organ, mellotron, bass).

Includes liner notes by John McDermott.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

This is part of MCA's 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection series.

This is a well-chosen anthology, although with only 11 tracks it can't begin to do justice to a band who, although not wildly prolific, had many songs at least as good as those featured here. In that regard, the still available 20-track THE VERY BEST OF CREAM might be a better value.

The stereo mixes of the FRESH CREAM cuts also leave something to be desired, with Eric Clapton's rhythm guitar and Ginger Baker's drums all but obscured in the aural soundscape. However, the other songs included here adequately cover pretty much all of this seminal power trio's stylistic bases, from the traditional blues of "Spoonful," through its mutant psychedelic blues offspring "Crossroads" and "Strange Brew," to the concise, Beatles-inspired pop of "White Room" and "Badge," the latter of course notable for its guest appearance by co-writer George Harrison.