1968-April-5

Cream			Back Bay Theatre Remastered

Back Bay Theatre	Boston, Massachusetts 


Disc 1  -  68.31
1	Sunshine Of Your Love		17.12
2	Spoonful			17.32
3	Sleepy Time Time		 8.47
4	Stepping Out			13.25
5	Traintime			 6.53
6	Sunshine Of Your Love		 4.40	68-May-19 *


*  68-May-19:  Glen Campbell Show, CBS Studios - LA, CA
   The Glen Campbell show is also known as 
   'The Summer Brothers Summer Comedy Show'


I dropped Toad (17.32) to fit this on a single disc.  As
Blue Mountain wrote about Toad from this show:
"If you don’t like drum solos, don’t bother"


Notes about this show (from Blue Mountain):

By this stage of the US tour, Baker and Clapton had had enough except 
that Ginger loved the ever-increasing performance fees. A week later 
they would return to England for an enforced break. During this period 
Robert Stigwood convinced Eric to keep on going.

Despite the circumstances, they were still professional musicians of 
the highest order. Improvisation involves a high risk factor - at its 
best it is an incredible experience for the creators and listeners. 
When below best it can just be interesting. When it isn’t happening, 
well, it’s a disaster for all concerned. That’s why pop/rock performances 
these days are well rehearsed and scripted (overwhelmingly!) - its safe 
guaranteeing an homogenised concert experience. 

This night Cream exploded and Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton 
really turned it on. 

This is one of their great performances starting with a 16 minute warm-up 
on "Sunshine of Your Love". Clapton’s solo is good, very good but gives 
no indication of the jam. The ending jam starts in a familiar way, moves 
along, one expects an end soon but things change gear - the notes start 
pouring out of Eric. Its just one of those frenetic group improvisations 
where they feed each other at an incredible tempo and, really I have to 
repeat my self, a rare occurrence even in Jazz. 


"Spoonful" - Ginger is incredible playing between two soloing guitarists. 
Clapton is noticeably louder than on Sunshine.

"Sleepy Time Time" - another great, slightly up tempo, rendition with Jack 
in top vocal form even after all the hard touring - a great voice 
(overloading the mike)! Clapton really turns it up on the lead break and 
does some interesting variations. 

"Stepping Out" - this sounds like it really could have stretched out to one 
of the legendary 20 min+ performances - except for a broken string. Clapton 
is at maximum volume and throws the full bag at ’em and it really is a 
duet - magnificent.

"Traintime" - well I gotta say it, this is warn out and not growing.

"Toad" - If you don’t like drum solos, don’t bother. If you do then this is 
"Toad" in transition - the Ginger man is building something and that will 
eventually be the "Do What You Like" solo. It is an evolutionary work - a long 
one and a great one.


Notes and comments on the Remastered series:
http://twtd.bluemountains.net.au/cream/rem/theremasters.htm