Monday, October 27, 2014

WHEELS OF FIRE

I was fourteen years old when I attended my first rock and roll concert, journeying, with my best friend Bob Izzo, from the wilds of Brooklyn into The City (which is what we called Manhattan:  no other name was needed), making our way up from the subway, out onto the streets and straight for the mammoth New York citadel called Madison Square Garden.  There were other bands on the bill that November night, but we were there to see three men whose music had set our souls on fire:  Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, collectively known as Cream (not the Cream, as many people mistakenly called them).  In 1968, Bruce, Baker and Clapton weren’t quite the gods that the Beatles were—who was?—but they were close, and seeing them live, on their farewell tour, was a thrill I haven’t forgotten.

My Teenage Self was enthralled by the long solos—Baker’s drum solo on “Toad” went on for something like twenty minutes—but, to be honest, if I had to sit through those lengthy jams now, I think I’d jump out the nearest window.  All these years later, it’s the songs—brought to life by three of the finest musicians of the era—that endure.  Jack Bruce (usually joined by lyricist Pete Brown) was Cream’s primary songwriter and his unique and soulful voice gave life to many of those memorable tracks.  Bruce was also as inventive, and exuberant, a bass player as rock has ever seen.

Jack Bruce died yesterday and a piece of rock and roll history died with him.  Let’s celebrate the man by listening to some his finest music:  first Cream’s classic album, Disraeli Gears


…and then Jack’s first solo album, an underrated gem called Songs For a Tailor.


Heartfelt condolences to Jack Bruce’s family and friends—and heartfelt thanks for the amazing body of work.

© copyright 2014 J.M. DeMatteis

31 comments:

  1. I'm not very familiar with their catalogue, but "Sunshine of Your Love" is one of the most recognizable--and best--songs of that or any era.

    --David

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    1. They were HUGE back in the day, David, but I suspect there are lots of people out there who know Eric Clapton but have never heard of Jack Bruce. Which is sad.

      If you like "Sunshine," you'd probably love "White Room":

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkae0-TgrRU

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    2. Ha! Funny thing is, I followed the link and I recognized the song, which I do indeed love, but I'd never linked it with CREAM. Which just goes to prove your point...

      --David

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    3. I always think of Cream as the spiritual successor of the Yardbirds. Good music.


      JAck

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  2. Well, Jack, Clapton was in the Yardbirds...and both he and Bruce were in John Mayall's band together...and Bruce and Baker were in two different bands together (and, allegedly, never got along—which made it even more amazing that they went on to form Cream together), so you could say Cream was the culmination of a lot of 60's blues band energies coming together and exploding out into a new sound.

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  3. Way back when, my tastes were different than yours, but looking back at them, I'm not sure they were as good. Strange how that happens. The current me would have preferred Cream, the Doors, and the Dave Clark Five. Back then, I preferred Simon & Garfunkel, and had soft spots for the Turtles (many of whose songs were actually parody, not straight "California sound") and the Association. About the only constant has been my love for Lola by the Kinks.

    And let me add, Lola inspires me to a comment: now that Zauriel has changed gender, his/her thinking processes should become more feminine, too. That could make for some interesting story lines. Rick

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    1. I never saw the Turtles, Rick, but I saw their spin-off band, Flo and Eddie, back in the 70's. I was never a huge Simon and Garfunkel fan (although I loved their BOOKENDS album), but I became a massive fan of Paul Simon's solo music in the 70's and 80's. Went through a Kinks phase in the 70's, too. Loved their ARTHUR album.

      My view of Laurel is that, regardless of the form, he/she is, essentially, the same: angels, in my mind, are beyond sex. That said, each form would has a particular mode of expression—so there would absolutely be differences between male Zauriel and female Zauriel—although, at heart, they're the same being. (My auto-correct keeps trying to change Zauriel into Laurel! Would that make the Phantom Stranger Hardy?)

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    2. "Each form would HAS"?! Why didn't auto-correct fix that?! I, of course, meant "each form would HAVE"! : )

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    3. Gee, I thought you meant "each form has..." with the "would" a typo. :)

      Times and tastes change. At least I had the decency not to vote for my high school class song: "Leavin' on a Jet Plane." It doesn't get much drippier or duller than that.

      But I'm older and wiser now. When I play CD's in my car, it's usually the Ramones. "I don't wanna be a pinhead no more,..."

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    4. I guess when Sheena lost her comic book as a jungle queen, she became a punk rocker.

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    5. Now I'm seeing an animated video for that song...starring the Queen of the Jungle!

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    6. Now all I can see is A Zauriel/Phantom Stranger bit as Laurel and Hardy.

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    7. "Well, this is another fine supernatural mess you've gotten us into!"

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    8. If that doesn't make it into an issue I will be sad.

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  4. ... which got me to thinking about songs involving comic book characters (followed by some web research). As you undoubtedly know, there are a lot of them. One I did not know about was a Ramone's version of Spider-Man from the Saturday morning cartoon show. I hadn't heard it before, and it's fun.

    But in honor of today, Halloween, let me throw in one song which wasn't on the lists I quickly spotted: Return of the Phantom Stranger by Rob Zombie. If you don't know it, I think it is one of the most depressing songs I have ever heard. Right down there with the cancellation of his book. Rick

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    1. Just checked it out: that's a Halloween song if I ever heard one!

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    2. Maybe if the Phantom Stranger and Zauriel guest-star on CONSTANTINE....

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    3. I guess Manny and Zauriel could become a genderless couple.

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    4. Actually, I was hoping that the angel on CONSTANTINE would be Zauriel...but, sadly, no.

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  5. So JMD, have you seen this "Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows" teaser featuring Peter Parker, his red-headed wife and a red-headed little girl? Lots of speculation going on. There's been a lot of 'alternate reality' type teasers for Marvel's new SECRET WARS event next year, but this seems...different.

    My favorite theory: it's actually Ben Reilly and Janine! That would be incredible.

    --David

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    1. Well, THAT would be interesting!

      Hey...Marvel: I'd write Ben again in a heartbeat!

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    2. Hey, Marvel...I'd buy that book!

      --David

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  6. You can't go wrong with The Doors, Rick! The JLD should totally have an adventure on "The Crystal Ship" one day, JMD...

    --David

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    1. No arguments.

      And let me add that the movie about the Doors was amazing.

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    2. Was that the Oliver Stone movie? Never saw it.

      Y'know I've got a magical ship coming up in next month's JLD. Too bad we didn't have this conversation sooner or I would have made it crystal!

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