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Cream Reunion DVD

Revelation

Active Member
I know many of you are under 25 on these post, however many of us are still over 40 and grew up with Cream.

Well with great anticipation, I bought the DVD. Then I got out my video tape of the Farewell concert of 1969 and compared song for song. I wanted to share my observations. Of course the new concert you hear the drums much better and everything is clearer.

In both concerts they did not move around much, and really just played. The 2005 concern we see Jack sitting at times, however.
It was interesting to watch the crowds in both concerts. In the 60's, stoned people just moved to the music. In 2005, people didn't want to make any noise so they can could soak up everything. I had the feeling that wanted to be quiet so they would not miss anything that happened on stage. It was more like going to a jazz concert today.

1960's Cream

1. Thick guitar tone that was killer. Even when Eric did not play many notes, it just sounded so bloody good.
2. Drums were a little busier, with more energy.
3. There appears to be a little more excitment in the playing.
4. On White room, Eric used a wa wa pedal which took the sound to a new level.
5. Bass guitar had some distortion to it. This helped the music to sound fuller when Eric was doing a solo. Almost like playing Rh guitar with Eric' lead.
6. The music flowed more, though they may of lost their place here and there, they were always able to find their way back.
7. Jack screamed lyrics more often and with energy.
8. Video is poor with the panning in and out while they are playing

2005 Cream

1. Eric Clapton's guitar playing has more deversity with note selections and fills. He has better chops now compared to back then. However since he has more of a modern EC guitar sound, it lacks that magic of the old tone that everyone loved; \"the woman tone\". Back then his fills were more limited.
2. Ginger now plays matched grip. A lot of drummers have switched including one of my favorites, Dave Weckel.
3. No wa wa pedal on White room, which was disapointing. We can hear him on \"Just one Night album\" playing a wa pedal on different songs and it was cool, even with a Strat. Having no wa was little disapointing.
4. Ginger's chops are just as good, and more refined than back in the 60's. Love the double kick doing a pattern and his hands doing another.
5. You can tell they rehearsed a lot for the concert. They were more aware of what each other was doing and was careful to stay together. Not as free flowing as in the old days.
6. Jack sang instead of screaming the vocal parts.
7. Bass playing just as good if not better than the old days.

I would of loved to see Eric with a 335 or SG and the Marshal. But I think they all felt, they have to play who they are now, and not try to be the player they were back then. There is some logic to this however to of heard him playing at least one or two songs with the old tone would of been amazing. I still love the Blues Breakers tone he got as well.

Both have their pros and cons, with the old Cream edging out the new with more excitement in their playing and the tone of Eric's guitar. However Ginger's drums sound much better in 2005, and Eric has better leads in the new.
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T-Dogg

Active Member
A couple things surprise me about Eric Clapton...

During leads, he NEVER uses the pinky on his fretting hand... I've seen him about 4-5 times on semi-recent tours (including one of the three Cream shows), and every lead lick is performed san's pinky. I mean, every one! (They'll typically throw close-ups of his hands on the overhead monitors during the solos, and as a guitar player I can't help but checkin' these things out!) In a way it's kinda common among blues influenced players, and certainly lends to his style, but it still surprises me to see some of the stretches he'll go fo instead of... well, just using the pinky!

Word on the street is he uses 8-gauge strings!!! Wouldn't have expected that -- although he plays less percussively through higher gain staging than say SRV, so I guess he can get away with it and not sacrafice so much tone... And as far as tone goes -- his live sound is probably about the best I've heard (although Mark Knopfler is up there too in my book!) At the Cream show the amps looked to be newer tweed Fenders -- possibly Bassbreakers, more likely Bassman's or those custom shop reissue Twin thingys.

I don't really go to a sh'tload of shows, so who else has great arena live tone? Allman's maybe?
 
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