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Rating: "She's a witch of trouble in electric blue. In her own mad mind she's in love with you, With you. Now what you gonna do?"
Year: 1967 The Cream certainly represent, and rightly so, one of the fundamental building blocks in the "modern" creative-musical curve that still today feels, and not as a distant echo, the influences, styles, and solid foundations laid by the three musician members Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce (together in Blues Incorporated and the Graham Bond Organization) and the still very young but talented Eric Clapton, offspring of the Yardbirds and Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
"I've been waiting so long To be where I'm going In the sunshine of your love."
With such an exceptional lineup, Cream presents a very elaborate Rock-Blues and of complex execution that is enriched by the vast artistic and cultural influences of the individual members endowed, indeed, with an exceptional performing and compositional talent out of the ordinary. Although the true measure of Cream's evaluation finds greater response in the listening to a Live or having personally attended one of their performances on major stages around the globe (where endless and hallucinatory solos or personal improvisations play a fundamental role), it does not detract that their studio works are real remedies for the ear canals of those who listen to them and still allow for a clear idea of their greatness.
"Outside my window is a tree. Outside my window is a tree. There only for me. And it stands in the grey of the city, No time for pity, for the tree or me."
Disraeli Gears, Cream's second historic studio effort, was recorded way back in May 1967 in New York at the Atlantic studios, and is still today considered a milestone and symbol of reference for the cultists of not only Rock&Blues music. The album is produced by Felix Pappalardi, who actively participates in the group's activities collaborating in the writing of the songs and handling nearly all the production and post-production. The arrangements, on the other hand, are entrusted to the care of Robert Stigwood. Impossible not to affirm that what comes out is an absolute masterpiece.
"Goner build myself a castle High up in the clouds. There'll be skies outside my window, Lose these streets and crowds."
In the historic composition of Bass, Drums, and Guitar, the Disraeli Gears Cream move between rhythms and melodies of a classically inclined Blues with ingenious and exemplary inspirations of Rock and (at times) Jazz that will be so influential in the future. The entire album, which nonetheless stays distant from the acidic pessimism of most classic Blues, is consumed in one breath thanks to the relentless rhythms imposed by the trio's instruments. Tracks such as "Sunshine Of Your Love," among the most imitated of all time, "Strange Brew," or "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" are just some of the warhorses that the three will use to heat up the audiences in their psych-live performances, where spirits are easily heated and reach very high temperatures.
"And the colours of the sea bind your eyes with trembling mermaids, And you touch the distant beaches with tales of brave Ulysses, How his naked ears were tortured by the sirens sweetly singing, For the sparkling waves are calling you to kiss their white laced lips."
Also, the lyrics proposed here, splendidly vocalized by the excellent bassist Jack Bruce, are well inspired and penetrate the neurons with impressive force, gifting the entire work, along with the musical parts, a unique, original sound. Brilliant. It's in the air. Disraeli Gears paves the way, creating a link with "Fresh Cream" (1966), to "Wheels Of Fire" (1968), considered by many to be the absolute masterpiece.
"Take it back, take it back, take that thing right outa here. Right away, far away, take that thing right outa here."
Even considering the decisive distance from any of their live performances, Disraeli Gears absolutely cannot be missing from the minimum musical dispensary. Indispensable.
"Are we wollin'? A one, a two, a free, a four..."
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Strange Brew (02:50)
Strange brew, killing what's inside of you.
She's a witch of trouble in electric blue,
In her own mad mind she's in love with you.
With you, now what you gonna do?
Strange brew, killing what's inside of you.
She's some kind of demon messing in the glue.
If you don't watch out it'll stick to you.
To you, what kind of fool are you?
Strange brew, killing what's inside of you...
On a boat in the middle of a raging sea,
She would make a scene for it all to be
Ignored, and wouldn't you be bored?
Strange brew, killing what's inside of you.
Strange brew, strange brew, strange brew, strange brew.
Strange brew, killing what's inside of you.
02 Sunshine of Your Love (04:13)
It's getting near dawn,
When lights close their tired eyes.
I'll soon be with you my love,
To give you my dawn surprise.
I'll be with you darling soon,
I'll be with you when the stars start falling.
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love.
I'm with you my love,
The light's shining through on you.
Yes, I'm with you my love,
It's the morning and just we two.
I'll stay with you darling now,
I'll stay with you till my seeds are dried up.
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love.
I'm with you my love,
The light's shining through on you.
Yes, I'm with you my love,
It's the morning and just we two.
I'll stay with you darling now,
I'll stay with you till my seeds are dried up.
I've been waiting so long
I've been waiting so long
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love.
04 Dance the Night Away (03:36)
by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown
Gonna build myself a castle
High up in the clouds.
There'll be skies outside my window;
Lose these streets and crowds.
Dance the night away.
Will find myself an ocean,
Sail into the blue,
Live with golden swordfish,
Forget the time of you.
Dance the night away.
Dance myself to nothing.
Vanish from this place.
Gonna turn myself to shadow
So I can't see your face.
Dance the night away.
06 Tales of Brave Ulysses (02:49)
You thought the Latin winter would bring you down forever,
But you rode upon a steamer to the violence of the sun.
And the colours of the sea blind your eyes with trembling mermaids,
And you touch the distant beaches with tales of brave Ulysses:
How his naked ears were tortured by the sirens sweetly singing,
For the sparkling waves are calling you to kiss their white laced lips.
And you see a girl's brown body dancing through the turquoise,
And her footprints make you follow where the sky loves the sea.
And when your fingers find her, she drowns you in her body,
Carving deep blue ripples in the tissues of your mind.
The tiny purple fishes run laughing through your fingers,
And you want to take her with you to the hard land of the winter.
Her name is Aphrodite and she rides a crimson shell,
And you know you cannot leave her for you touched the distant sands
With tales of brave Ulysses; how his naked ears were tortured
By the sirens sweetly singing...
The tiny purple fishes run laughing through your fingers,
And you want to take her with you to the hard land of the winter.
07 SWLABR (02:34)
Coming to me in the morning, leaving me at night.
Coming to me in the morning, leaving me alone.
You've got that rainbow feel but the rainbow has a beard.
Running to me a-cryin' when he throws you out.
Running to me a-cryin', on your own again.
You've got that pure feel, such good responses,
But the picture has a mustache.
You're coming to me with that soulful look on your face,
Coming looking like you've never ever done one wrong thing.
You're coming to me with that soulful look on your face.
You're coming looking like you've never ever done one wrong thing.
So many fantastic colors; I feel in a wonderland.
Many fantastic colors makes me feel so good.
You've got that pure feel, such good responses.
You've got that rainbow feel but the rainbow has a beard.
09 Outside Woman Blues (02:27)
If you lose your money, great God, don't lose your mind.
If you lose your money, great God, don't lose your mind.
And if you lose your woman, please don't fool with mine.
I'm gonna buy me a bulldog, watch my lady whilst I sleep.
I'm gonna buy me a bulldog, watch my lady whilst I sleep.
'Cause women these days, they're so doggone crooked,
That they might make off 'fore day creep.
Well, you can't watch your wife and your outside women, too.
You know you can't watch your wife and your outside womens, too.
Cause when you're out with your women, your wife will be at home,
Cooking your food, doing your dirt, buddy what you trying to do?
You can't watch your wife and your outside womens, too.
You know you can't watch your wife and your outside women, too.
When you're out with your women, your wife will be at home,
Doing a dirt, cooking your food, buddy what you trying to do?
10 Take It Back (03:08)
by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown
Take it back, take it back, take that thing right out of here.
Right away, far away, take that thing right out of here.
Don't let them take me to where streams are red.
I want to stay here and sleep in my own bed.
Need all your loving, long blonde hair,
Don't let them take me 'cause I'm easily scared.
Take it back, take it back, take that thing right out of here.
Chorus
I got this great need, the need to stay alive.
Not ashamed of my creed, I've got to survive.
So come on baby, don't go away,
Just let them save me for a rainy day.
Take it back, take it back, take that thing right out of here.
I got this need, the need to stay alive.
Not ashamed of my creed, I've got to survive.
So come on baby, don't go away,
Just let them save me for a rainy day.
Take it back, take it back, take that thing right out of here.
Chorus
I got this thing, I've got to keep it sharp.
Don't go to places where it won't shine in the dark.
So come on baby, don't go away,
Just let them save me for a rainy day.
Take it back, take it back, take that thing right out of here.
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Other reviews
By Carillon Infernale
Cream remains to this day one of the most influential groups in the history of rock.
Clapton’s guitar shines through, leading to his recognition with this LP as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
