Cream
Goodbye

THE REVIEW

Sometimes it happens that a band, due to contractual obligations, is forced to release material dug up from its past or previously discarded, to create albums that are most often mediocre (certainly better than finding bonus tracks after the original tracklist. There's no better way to ruin an album).

This has also happened to the greats of rock and roll, take Led Zeppelin with "Coda," AC/DC with "'74 Jailbreak," the Beatles with "Let It Be" (the exception that proves the rule, one of the few posthumous albums that still contains Songs, note the capital S) ...and also to Cream, who in 1969 managed to release, when there was nothing left of them but the name, an album with an emblematic title: "Goodbye."

The total songs are 6, with the remastered version also featuring a bonus track. To convey to the reader the scantiness of the work, lasting just under 30 minutes, the first 20 minutes are occupied by three tracks from previous albums recorded live: "I'm So Glad," "Politician," and "Sitting On The Top Of The World."

At least the recordings are of good quality and remind us how much these three together could accomplish in the jams spiced with the endless solos of "slow hand," with a bass played at extremely high volumes, a sort of second guitar, and a drummer with a style all his own, the soul of the group.

The remaining tracks, on the other hand, are previously unpublished pieces and include the beautiful "Badge," a pop song sung by Clapton and composed together with George Harrison, who plays rhythm guitar here, "Doing That Scrapyard Thing," reminiscent of psychedelia, and "What a Bringdown," another piece that could have fit perfectly on "Wheels Of Fire." As mentioned, the CD version also includes a bonus track, "Anyone for Tennis," previously released as a single and nevertheless enjoyable.

Overall, it can be considered an album for completists, which nevertheless contains absolutely enjoyable tracks; certainly not the most important record in their discography, which includes many other masterpieces.