Best Song on Cream’s ‘Disraeli Gears’? Poll

i like most of Clapton's output (i actually have most of his stuff), i could just never connect to the albums by cream. I always felt clapton was a little uncomfortable in the band and (for me) there were too few songs, some great playing but ....

 

Cream is mostly Jack Bruce. He was amazing.

 

Sunshine Of Your Love
…with Strange Brew not far behind

 

It's a monumental task to find an early pressing that hasn't been trashed. I recently picked up the 2015 Polydor vinyl (stereo) at Barnes And Noble recently for around $20. It's playable, but I've heard better.

 

I think these ‘lighter’ tunes went a long way to color the band’s personality as a bit more fun and arty... it makes the warhorses and jams even more heavy. I love it all.

 

I voted for SWLABR. I think Pete Brown is an exceptional talent and he paired really well with Jack Bruce, especially within the context of Cream.

 

always loved his jam with Zappa on apostrophe

 

I went with “Strange Brew”, this is tough though, because there’s so many good deep cuts on this (“Outside Woman Blues”, “Dance..”, “SWLABR”, “Ulysses”) that it’s really hard to pick outside of the obvious stuff.

Brilliant record except for the last cut.

 

check out the early alternate take of "tales of brave Ulysses". clapton is playing outside his typical blues patterns on the fills during the verses. it can be found on youtube.. "the gears sessions" i think its called..

 

I voted for "We're Going Wrong," because I think it has Jack's best lyrical writing he's ever done. I don't think he ever got as personal again, and I mean Cream is the group that focused more on the music than the lyrics, hence the whole saying in the Farewell Concert movie. I'm basing my vote also off of Cream's live work, because any Cream-head will tell you that they were a live act. They're almost like the Dead, in that their live performances are hailed. I've heard several people say from their 2005 Reunion shows that the tune that brought down the house was "We're Going Wrong." The tune is also a highlight in my favorite show by them at the Winterland Ballroom, 03/10/68, which is the show that has the famous "Crossroads" and "Spoonful," which appear on the live portion of Wheels of Fire, and then "Tales of Brave Ulysses" on Live Cream Vol. 2. It's too bad that they never officially released a live version of "We're Going Wrong," like I could've seen it fitting perfectly on Goodbye.

Here's a bootleg version of the tune from 03/10/68:


After that, I'd say "Tales of Brave Ulysses" comes in second. I've actually come to love that tune better than "White Room," and I listened to "White Room" literally thousands of times. I guess I just got tired of it, but I do like live versions of "Ulysses" more. And in third is obviously "Sunshine." Great version on Live Cream Vol. 2. Side B to that record is essential for any Clapton fan. There's a killer bootleg version of "Sunshine" from the Back Bay Theater from April, '68. It might be my favorite version of the tune.

"Sunshine of Your Love" Live at Back Bay Theater:
Cream - Sunshine of Your Love Live - Back Bay Theatre

Also, did anyone see that on the soundtrack for the recently released Clapton documentary, Life in 12 Bars, that they released a live version of "Spoonful" from their show at the L.A. Forum, during their Farewell Tour. I believe some tracks from this show were actually used on Goodbye ("I'm So Glad") and Live Cream Vol. 2. It's a great jam on "Spoonful." Does anyone know if this version from Life in 12 Bars is cleaner than the bootleg versions on YouTube? It's too bad they didn't release new version of "White Room" and "Crossroads" for the documentary. I would've loved to get new live versions of those tunes.

"Spoonful" Live at L.A. Forum, '68 from Life in 12 Bar documentary:
Spoonful (Live At The LA Forum)

 

the boot of the '68 L.A. forum show sounds better than the official releases from it on "goodbye"

i'd be interested to hear how "spoonful" from "12 bars" compares

 

SWLABR, for me.

 

I wouldn't have noticed it immediately but Disraeli Gears really does have a number of Cream's very best songs. I'd say only "Blue Condition" and "Mother's Lament" are anything less than stellar. The first four songs on Side One are all equally brilliant and some of the best tracks of the psychedelic era. Then on Side Two, we're right back on the top shelf with "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "SWLABR." Outstanding, marvelous stuff.

Pick one? I'll pick "Dance The Night Away" today - the best song Pink Floyd never recorded.

 

I agree

 

I agree We're Going Wrong got a huge reception at MSG. I still don't get it. Tales of Brave Ulysses was the one where I had to pinch myself, though.

 

One of my very favorite albums all time. So much so that despite having a limited appreciation of English whimsy, I don't hold Mother's Lament against it. It's silly to complain about such efforts, my being perhaps inured to that sort of thing by those early Beach Boys albums that closed with some comical studio conversation pieces. Blue Condition I actually like although concededly it's not one of the best songs on the album. Take It Back used to be my least favorite, but it's a really good song that somehow has aged well and I like more now than in the day.

But I can't really pick a best song from the rest. They're all great. World of Pain, Dance the Night Away, Tales of Brave Ulysses and We're Going Wrong are all top shelf psychedelia that sound as great today as ever. Strange Brew, Sunshine, SWLABR and Outside Woman are all blues based tunes with a heavy acid rock overlay. Sunshine is iconic, and probably deserves to win any poll on these songs. But I will not vote for it.

This is an album I never tire of.

 

Sunshine is my favorite but there are other great songs: Ulysses, World of Pain.

In general I think this is miles above Fresh Cream.

Mother's Lament obviously isn't the best song on the album but I don't see why people hate it. Heaven forbid the album should out on a light note.

 

Sunshine of your love and the b side single swarlb

 

I picked "We're Going Wrong" only because you'll never hear it on the radio.

 

I started out with the Polydor Cream compilation on CD, which of course contained all their hits.

It wasn't until I picked up Disraeli and Wheels Of Fire on LP that I really began to appreciate their deeper cuts and the stuff you'd never hear on the radio as much.

"We're Going Wrong", "World Of Pain" & "Dance The Night Away" are definitely three of those moments on Disraeli (and also feature some of JB's finest vocals IMO). "Those Were The Days" & "Deserted Cities Of The Heart" are two on Wheels Of Fire.

Both records are really marvelous and are must-haves for me.

 

Sunshine - great Pete Brown lyrics, blues-derived riff and one of the finest in the history of riffage, excellent JB/EC collaboration on music and vocals and the Blue Moon solo. Brilliant!

A nod to Ulysses one of EC’s few tunes with lyrics by Martin Sharp who also contributed an iconic album cover.

Very strong album and an influence on 1000s of garage bands formed in the wake of the British Invasion as they mutated from blues to psychedelia.

 

I bought it because I heard Blue Condition playing somewhere, so I have to go with that one. I suspect few others will, as it doesn't seem to be too many people's favourite track.

Despite being far from my usual style of pop fare, Sunshine of Your Love has always been a favourite too.

 

Cream rocks!
Sunshine of Your Love for me.
Da da da dun, da da da da dah dun.

 

The Cream Album by Album Thread

 

Why? It's atrocious. I'm not complaining that it's taking up space or anything, it's not, but I honestly think it's unlistenable.

Mate, it's not that at all. The song is just horrendous. I can stand, even like comical songs like You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) by The Beatles, Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict by Pink Floyd or Pressed Rat and Warthog from Wheels of Fire which is pretty light hearted but this thing is just terrible, terrible, terrible.