CoronaVinyl Day 45 (Supergroup): Disraeli Gears by Cream

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For today's CoronaVinyl category -- supergroup -- we shall look no further than the original supergroup (and power trio, for that matter), Cream.  Of course, a supergroup is a band that is formed by musicians who are already famous, either as solo artists or as members of other bands.

Formed in 1966, they chose their band name because that's what they were:  the cream of the crop.  Eric Clapton was the best guitarist in the world that anyone knew about (Hendrix wouldn't appear for another year) and had played in The Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.  Ginger Baker was the best drummer in the world, and it wasn't close.  Jack Bruce was a great bassist who could sing and write, and in addition to a brief stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, he and Baker had been the rhythm section in the Graham Bond Organisation.  

A little more than two years after they formed, they had broken up, but in that span, they recorded four albums, all of which were classics and loaded with a blistering combination of blues, psychedelic rock, proto-metal, and hard rock.  So many great songs.  "White Room" is a classic rock radio stalwart.  "Sunshine of Your Love" is one of the first songs I learned how to play on the bass.  "Crossroads" introduced a generation (and the generation after them) to Robert Johnson, even if Cream's version sounded nothing like the original.  "I Feel Free" might be my favorite Cream song.  Their cover of Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign" was fantastic.  I could go on, but I won't, since I could say something nice about pretty much every Cream song, even "Pressed Rat and Warthog."

The band's sophomore release was 1967's Disraeli Gears, which is arguably the best of their four albums (though they're all excellent).  If the psychedelic album cover was any indication, the band was moving towards a more psychedelic rock sound than they had on their first album, Fresh Cream, which heavily featured blues covers.

Disraeli Gears -- a malapropism uttered during a discussion about bicycles by one of their roadies, who meant to refer to derailleur gears, but instead went with the last name of two-time British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli -- features some of the band's signature songs, like "Sunshine of Your Love," "Strange Brew," "Tales of Brave Ulysses," and "SWLABR."  The album was the band's breakthrough in the U.S., reaching #4 on the Billboard album charts and eventually going platinum.  It also hit #5 on the UK album charts and was Top 10 in several other countries (including #1 in Australia and Finland).

The only version of the album I could find on Spotify is the deluxe edition, which contains 40 songs -- 29 more than the original album.  There are some demos, outtakes, BBC session recordings, and alternate versions.  

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Sunshine of Your Love"
If psychedelic 12-bar blues had an anthem, it would be "Sunshine of Your Love."  What a great song, providing the road map for the transition from blues-based rock to hard rock and metal that would come in the years to come.  It was the band's first Top 40 (and Top 10) hit in the U.S., climbing to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 (only 1968's "White Room" would chart higher, hitting #5).  Baker's drumming was maniacal and thunderous as ever on this track, and his drum fills are constant and delicious.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "SWLABR"
"SWLABR" was the B-side to "Sunshine of Your Love."  I think it's an underrated song, with nonsensical lyrics, but a great groove and, of course, great guitar work.  Apparently, it stands for "She Walks Like a Bearded Rainbow," which is why the final lyric make a little more sense.  That's also a great way to describe how a female walks, though when you do describe someone's gait as such, make sure to add "and I mean that as a compliment."