Album A Day: Cream – Disraeli Gears

Artist: Cream
Album: Disraeli Gears
Release Date: December 9, 1967

Why do supergroups suck these days?

Look, I realize that Cream is considered one of the first and best of the supergroups, so I’m setting the bar pretty high, but still, when famous musicians get together to form new bands, the results are kinda weak lately. Most of them aren’t really supergroups so much as they are old bands with new lead singers (see: Audioslave, Alter Bridge, Velvet Revolver). And the results just don’t match the overall excitement that bands like Cream, CSNY and Buffalo Springfield hit way back in the day. Seriously, listen to Disraeli Gears and get a sense of what can happen when three masters of their craft get together. This album is loaded with simple, fantastic rock songs. “Sunshine of Your Love” has one of those riffs that has become so immediately recognizable it’s iconic. Add that to the epic storytelling of “Tales of Brave Ulysses” and the straightforward blues of “Take It Back”, and you’ve got an album positively loaded with exciting songs as vibrant as the cover of the album from whence they came. Seriously, these were great songs by great artists. Why can’t the greats from the modern era do this?

I blame hype. Too often these supergroups get their press release and announcement of formation, and suddenly expectations are set. Be it Audioslave or Tinted Windows, there’s suddenly an expectation of what this band is supposed to produce. And usually if the band doesn’t make music comparable in excellence to, say, Led Zeppelin, it’s considered a flop. Imagine being a famous musician and having that kind of pressure put on you before you even write a single song. So the next time a group of already established musicians form together to make an album, is there any way we can hold back initial judgment until we hear what the band can do?

Cream – Sunshine of Your Love [iTunes] (YSI)

==TJ==