1968 RARE 1 x LP ● CREAM ="LIVE" ● WHEELS OF FIRE Hard Psych CLAPTON BRUCE BAKER

$

50

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• • CLEAN 1968 ORIG = GOLD JAPAN
  •  SCARCE FIRST PRESS
  ..|/\|...............................................|/\|..
• =
• C R E A M
  
• WHEELS OF FIRE
• =
• FILLMORE AUDITORIUM 
• ..|/\|...............................................|/\|..
• JAPAN - POLYDOR - SMP - 1417

1. "WHEELS OF FIRE" the double (2 Lp's set) was issued separately in Japan (ala England.)  What we have here is LIVE AT THE FILLMORE in attractive GATEFOLD metallic GOLD cover art, same front & back artwork (as the known silver foil style) but with a (Japan only) terrific group photo inner as photo display
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3. "LIVE AT THE FILLMORE" contains TWO lengthy tracks on each side: an absolute Clapton tour de force,  incredible group extended improvisations, a Jack Bruce show piece and Ginger’s piece de resistance master percussion works on display. This is one of the great and defining Live albums in Rock Music.
   [VINYL SIDE A]
   
   Crossroads
   
   Eric – lead guitar, lead vocals; Jack – bass; Ginger – drums.
   
   [Recording: 10th March 1968 (1st show), Winterland, San Francisco, Bill Halverson eng; Adrian Barber, remix]
   
   Crossroads was a song that Eric had been playing with the Bluesbreakers. By this stage it had undergone major reformation from an electrified delta blues to a power rock blues. It is a stunning virtuoso guitar performance: even the best of guitarists would have been pleased with a well rehearsed, planned performance coming off half as well as this but Eric just pours it out LIVE and stunning. Its tight, powerful, structured and improvised.
   
   Eric plays with passion, power and finesse plus strong vocals. Jack and Ginger were never a backing rhythm section but on this Eric just roars and almost turns them into just that. Never the less, Jack and Ginger are equally inspired. The compressed energy, power and brilliance of this performance has not ebbed after 58 years: a masterpiece.
   
   Spoonful
   
   Eric – lead guitar; Jack – bass, lead vocals; Ginger – drums.
   
   [Recording: 10th March 1968 (1st show), Winterland, San Francisco, Bill Halverson eng; Adrian Barber, remix]
   
   Right from the start Spoonful was a key part of their repertoire. By this stage they could do anything with it and on this occasion they did it for over 16 minutes. Such extended group improvisations were standard for Jazz but rare in Rock. Being performed by a trio was even more stunning.
   
   With hindsight, Rock critics (and Eric himself) have rejected the performance as excessive and indulgent, especially in contrast to Crossroads. That is a pop song view of Cream but, when listening with a Jazz sensibility, it remains an exciting and always rewarding experience. It is a true group performance of which you can listen to in totality or concentrate on a particular instrument. When you listen to each individual instrument you realise that you are hearing three highly skilled/creative soloists interacting at a complex sub-conscious level.
   
   [VINYL SIDE 2 ]
   
   
   Traintime (Jack Bruce)
   
   Jack - harmonica, lead vocals; Ginger – drums.
   
   [Recording: 8th March 1968 (1st show), Winterland, San Francisco, Bill Halverson eng; Adrian Barber, remix]
   
   Jack’s harmonica extravaganza also goes back to the early (Graham Bond) days but now with reduced lyrics. Jack is not a great harmonica player and borrows heavily from Sonny Terry but his enormous musical talent allows him to create a very effective performance. The unflagging energy hides his technical limitations on the instrument and makes it sound quite spectacular. Ginger’s unflagging train rhythms, on brushes, combine to propel it along.
   
   Toad (Ginger Baker)
   
   Ginger – drums; Eric – lead guitar; Jack – bass.
   
   [Recording: 7th March 1968, Fillmore West (2nd show), San Francisco, Bill Halverson eng; Adrian Barber, remix]
   
   Yes, it’s a drum solo and yes, its long – Listen to this cats' playing!!!
   
   Drum solos are hard to appreciate on recordings, even by the very best Jazz drummers. Drum solos are a very visual enjoyment live and that is lost when only listening to the recording. In a technical Jazz view it is not a great drum solo, but technique is not what Ginger is about as he is closer to the African drumming sensibility. Patterns are built and varied then dropped and a new pattern is built, varied, dropped. His energy is just unbelievable.
   
   Unfortunately Baker's soloing was used as an excuse in real excess by far too many much inferior drummers. Ginger remains one of the world finest ever drummers and Toad is the evidence.
   
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6. CONDITION:
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8. The cover: rated: near M- GOLD-foil gatefold cover remains far better than most survivors, free from wear and scratches to the ultra-fragile gold foil... The insides of the gatefold are M- clean. Altogether, highly collectible in regard and...all seams are solid, no split seams, no writing, no faded colors ...bottom right corner has a tiny bump, other corers all fine and presentable
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9.  collection keeper 
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1. The vinyl: rated: sharp/clean M- both sides are glossy clean, hard to find this weighty pressing SO sharp. Most original copies are well played-out as being a big 'party' record back in the sixties