Cream-Pioneers of Rock Musicianship

Previous to Cream and Hendrix there were no guitar gods. Sure, an argument could be made for Duane Eddy, Chuck Barry and a few others, but their followers did not display the uncanny skills of the modern guitar players who aped the charts laid down by Cream and Hendrix. Cream's bluesy rock approach was revolutionary and sometimes unmatched even today. While Clapton was with them, his influence was unmatched even by Hendrix. The Beatles may have made you want to go out and buy a guitar, but Cream made you want to learn to play it. I believe that the influence of this great band on rock and prog is only behind the Beatles. Some of the stuff sounds dated for sure, but they gave birth to the 20 minute song which was unheard of back then. Thanks to the 20 minute songs like Spoonful and Sweet Wine Clapton displayed to the public every riff he knew and passed them to every guitar player in every neighborhood on earth. Once the local guitar player understood Clapton's charts this spawned some real masters. Cream changed everything and the rock musician was never the same since. Recommended listening: Wheels of Fire, Live Cream volume 1 and Disraeli Gears.

  Along time ago I read a story in a magazine that when Jimi got to London Eric went into hiding !!

Absolutely love Disraeli Gears!!!!!!!!!

Love Cream,and when people talk about great drummers I rarely see the incredible Ginger Baker mentioned.I can remember back in the 70's one of my older cousins who was a guitarist had "Clapton is God" spray painted on one whole wall of his room.My thoughts exactly.

The best thing about Cream was not Clapton (he was a guitar god already with J Mayall & T B B) but Jack Bruce who with Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane) and John Entwistle (Who?)  re-wrote how to play bass for everybody.

But also Ginger Baker and his wonderful style of drumming somehow jazzy but so rock. In some of those tunes , he does not even touch the snare drum. He went very far in his search of drumming and percussions in the 70's , recording with some then-obscure African artists.

grandoleopry wrote: [QUOTE=Sean Trane] The best thing about Cream was not Clapton (he was a guitar god already with J Mayall & T B B) but Jack Bruce who with Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane) and John Entwistle (Who?)  re-wrote how to play bass for everybody. Sean, Who's T B B? I know Clapton from the Yardbirds, to Mayall then Cream. Can't seem to remember anyone called TBB...

Ooooops!!!!!

John Mayall and The BluesBreakers!

Sorry!!!

milla wrote: grandoleopry wrote: [QUOTE=Sean Trane] The best thing about Cream was not Clapton (he was a guitar god already with J Mayall & T B B) but Jack Bruce who with Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane) and John Entwistle (Who?)  re-wrote how to play bass for everybody. Sean, Who's T B B? I know Clapton from the Yardbirds, to Mayall then Cream. Can't seem to remember anyone called TBB... John Mayall & The Blues Breakers

Yeah, it occured to me later.Thanks guys...

Hi Progtog,
The opening act at the Los Angeles Forum was Free with Paul Rogers. I think it was about 1970 late 1970. Great show, cheap too, think I paid seven or eight bucks for Blind Faith and Free. Today, you couldn't see Eric Clapton alone for eighty bucks (and bring your binoculars).