It's been in the stereo lately. It had been a lot of years.
Really in my opinion one of the truly great records to come out of the 60's. The classical influence is obvious. But then, I've thought for years that Cream's music was classical music.
God, this record still just blows my mind. Favorite tune? Almost too many to pick, but if I had to pick one it would be Jack Bruce and Pete Brown's "As You Said". But there are so many great songs here............I love Ginger Baker's spoken word on "Pressed Rat and Warthog" by Baker and Mike Taylor. Drug lyrics most assuredly...........you can trip on this song without being high.
I've read that the record company absolutely hated this. It was SO out there and different, they likely just could not comprehend it. And side two is impossibly long and all done live. The entire record is a huge heavy dose of Cream, but that's a damn GOOD thing.
Has there ever been a greater band.............really now? In my HUMBLE opinion, Cream was the greatest rock band ever. And why would I put them above early ABB? Because they came before ABB. I don't see how Cream's improvisational breakthrough could not have been an influence on ABB. Does taking an old blues standard, then rearranging and improvising on it live, ring a bell? That was a big part of ABB's forte, but Cream was doing exactly that before ABB. Note tunes here by Chester Burnett, Booker T. Jones, Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon.
WHEELS OF FIRE
Disc One
1. White Room (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)
2. Sitting On Top Of The World (Chester Burnett)
3. Passing The Time (Ginger Baker/Mike Taylor)
4. As You Said (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)
5. Pressed Rat and Warthog (Ginger Baker/Mike Taylor)
6. Politician (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)
7. Those Were The Days (Ginger Baker/Mike Taylor)
8. Born Under A Bad Sign (Booker T. Jones/William Bell)
9. Deserted Cities Of The Heart (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)
Disc Two (LIVE AT THE FILLMORE)
1. Crossroads (Robert Johnson)
2. Spoonful (Willie Dixon)
3. Traintime (Jack Bruce)
4. Toad (Ginger Baker)
Produced by Felix Pappalardi
[Edited on 1/19/2015 by robslob]
Excellent album!! Politician kicks ass!!
My favorite Cream release. Just listened to it yesterday while hitting the treadmill.
No group can ever duplicate what Cream did and in such little time. Clapton's soloing throughout is magnificient and his live solo in Crossroads is a masterpiece.
[Edited on 1/18/2015 by musicmann]
One of the all time very best albums ever..... so far ahead of it's time to many folks just did not get it but man they were the real deal a true super group I have always been a fan.... and i was lucky I got to see them live at their peek!
Wheels of Fire is on my vinyl acquisition list, have the others, but it is a glaring hole without it. I must say to pick one Cream if I could only have one, Disraeli Gears is a Home Run all the way through. And tight studio makes up for no live. And the coolest Cream cover art!
Wheels of Fire is on my vinyl acquisition list, have the others, but it is a glaring hole without it. I must say to pick one Cream if I could only have one, Disraeli Gears is a Home Run all the way through. And tight studio makes up for no live. And the coolest Cream cover art!
I'm with Tony. But love all the albums. I learned/stole so many guitars parts from Eric, how could I not?
Sometimes three people just click and were meant to play together. Got a similar feeling the first time I ever saw Govt Mule. Those old shows in small places where they were playing at earth shaking volume. Magic.
One of the all time very best albums ever..... so far ahead of it's time to many folks just did not get it but man they were the real deal a true super group I have always been a fan.... and i was lucky I got to see them live at their peek!
This post by Rydethwind pretty much sums up my opinion of this record. "Many folks just did not get it". YES. And yeah, you're lucky to have seen them back in the day.............certainly not many around who can say that. I've been playing the 2005 DVD lately. They were still very, very much on top of their game at that point. How wonderful that they did that, along with modern sound/recording techniques, while all three were with us.
[Edited on 1/19/2015 by robslob]
For the most ferocious live Cream around: N.S.U. from Live Cream. Must be loud and really loud.
That song on vinyl turned out to be my "bench test" song for system woes I just cured. Wood floors and turntables do not get along. Everything was OK on lower volume and medium or less bass. What happens is physics lesson at higher volumes and bass. Essentially you set up a never ending bass feedback loop that is just a huge rumble. So by accident I discovered N.S.U. was a great song to induce this. Jack Bruce's manic playing on that song, and at not ultra low notes but like he played, a lead bass kind of thing, it was the perfect speed and harmonics to send the 12 speakers into heart attack feedback mode. So through moving stereo to adjacent room and various dampener techniques I fixed it. Tested just now with N.S.U. very loud. What a song on that Live album......
For the most ferocious live Cream around: N.S.U. from Live Cream. Must be loud and really loud.
That song on vinyl turned out to be my "bench test" song for system woes I just cured. Wood floors and turntables do not get along. Everything was OK on lower volume and medium or less bass. What happens is physics lesson at higher volumes and bass. Essentially you set up a never ending bass feedback loop that is just a huge rumble. So by accident I discovered N.S.U. was a great song to induce this. Jack Bruce's manic playing on that song, and at not ultra low notes but like he played, a lead bass kind of thing, it was the perfect speed and harmonics to send the 12 speakers into heart attack feedback mode. So through moving stereo to adjacent room and various dampener techniques I fixed it. Tested just now with N.S.U. very loud. What a song on that Live album......
Okay Tony (anybody),
What inspired Jack Bruce to call the song N.S.U. ?
Mitch
It's been in the stereo lately. It had been a lot of years.
Really in my opinion one of the truly great records to come out of the 60's. The classical influence is obvious. But then, I've thought for years that Cream's music was classical music.
God, this record still just blows my mind. Favorite tune? Almost too many to pick, but if I had to pick one it would be Jack Bruce and Pete Brown's "As You Said". But there are so many great songs here............I love Ginger Baker's spoken word on "Pressed Rat and Warthog" by Baker and Mike Taylor. Drug lyrics most assuredly...........you can trip on this song without being high.
I've read that the record company absolutely hated this. It was SO out there and different, they likely just could not comprehend it. And side two is impossibly long and all done live. The entire record is a huge heavy dose of Cream, but that's a damn GOOD thing.
Has there ever been a greater band.............really now? In my HUMBLE opinion, Cream was the greatest rock band ever. And why would I put them above early ABB? Because they came before ABB. I don't see how Cream's improvisational breakthrough could not have been an influence on ABB. Does taking an old blues standard, then rearranging and improvising on it live, ring a bell? That was a big part of ABB's forte, but Cream was doing exactly that before ABB. Note tunes here by Chester Burnett, Booker T. Jones, Robert Johnson and Willie Dixon.
WHEELS OF FIRE
Disc One
1. White Room (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)
2. Sitting On Top Of The World (Chester Burnett)
3. Passing The Time (Ginger Baker/Mike Taylor)
4. As You Said (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)
5. Pressed Rat and Warthog (Ginger Baker/Mike Taylor)
6. Politician (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)
7. Those Were The Days (Ginger Baker/Mike Taylor)
8. Born Under A Bad Sign (Booker T. Jones/William Bell)
9. Deserted Cities Of The Heart (Jack Bruce/Pete Brown)Disc Two (LIVE AT THE FILLMORE)
1. Crossroads (Robert Johnson)
2. Spoonful (Willie Dixon)
3. Traintime (Jack Bruce)
4. Toad (Ginger Baker)Produced by Felix Pappalardi
[Edited on 1/19/2015 by robslob]
fabulous album by Cream... 
Best Cream album ever, both discs
Mitch,
I read at the time of release a quote from Jack Bruce that he named the song "N.S.U. " after a brand of motor scooter sold at the time. It does have that feeling of freedom and speed and wind in your face.
Return to a great thread.....
N.S.U. what a drivin train a runaway locomotive, that was Cream Live, in 2005 they played well but the locomotive was still at the station in comparison to them live in 66_68 they played really really loud and Ginger and Jack drove that train like men possessed I was lucky and saw them in L.A. and the coliseum on their farewell tour. that night Deep Purple played their first American Concert they were awesome and that one night will always be the highlight of all my concerts ever..... second place is ABB 1969 Va. beach Va.
What inspired Jack Bruce to call the song N.S.U. ?
While it is a Bruce tune Ginger Baker claimed that it is the abbreviation for non-specific urethritis, related to chlamydia, or as Baker phrased it, "A disease you get from f**king." As tends to be his want it just might have been Ginger popping off but he did say it.
