Cream "Crossroads" & "Deserted Cities of The Heart" (First Time Reaction)

[@claudeproost1286]

Finally Crossroads! The most blistering solo of all blistering solos, incredible, never tires me!

[@steven.6227]

Three masters goin off at the same time and it just flows together

[@alpetrocelli4465]

This version of Crossroads is one of the great jams of the era. I loved tripping & listening to Cream. Their music could take you anywhere and to the most beautiful places. Great choice.✌️❤️🎶

[@davidbowman6740]

Saw Cream live back in the day and it’s still hard to believe that such a sound could come from just bass, guitar and drums. Probably the best rock/blues trio of them all.

[@garyhamalainen1651]

guitar, bass and drums only and the result was such an amazing chemistry that there was really no room for any other instrument

[@daveman15]

Thanks for featuring "Deserted Cities of The Heart". A rare song for reaction.

[@lindahunter4545]

Eric Clapton and Wheels Of Fire is over 50yrs old and a great classic! The first vinal album that i bought when I was only 16yrs old. I still enjoy every song and i'm 74yrs old now! Great music to this day!

[@dawntucker5052]

Jack Bruce ❤❤❤

[@casedismissed8581]

THE ONE THE ONLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ddthor]

Bruce’s Theme for an Imaginary Western is a wonderful song covered beautifully by Mountain with Bruce’s American doppelgänger, Felix Pappalardi, on vocals.

[@PetrNielsn]

Yes, that deserves a reaction.

[@kurtkish6970]

What a singer Jack Bruce was with Cream. Goddamn!

[@JohnLancaster-i2o]

That bass of his was pretty good too.

[@EdwardConnolly-f1c]

Absolutely. And also in his solo career. His first three solo albums are on another level. His singing on Harmony Row….well just listen…

[@realbser1956]

The Cream of the crop, Clapton, Bruce, Baker and Pappalardi. Thanks Ken.

[@thescrewfly]

... and Brown and Dowd and Sharp.

[@davescurry69]

​@thescrewfly but mainly just Bruce, Baker and Clapton.

[@thescrewfly]

@@davescurry69 Goes without saying, absolutely, but the OC felt the need to chuck in Felix too.

[@davescurry69]

@thescrewfly yeah, not really sure why. Okay, he produced their albums apart from Fresh Cream, which personally sounds better than what followed, but he wasn't a member of the band. Anyway...

[@vicprovost2561]

Felix and Lesley West blew me into the next galaxy back in the day!

[@Bill_Jones.]

This is a true story. Back in October '68 I saw Cream at The Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston (tickets were $3, $4, $5, and $6). I don't remember what price mine were, but we were just happy to be there. Before the show began we hit the snack bar to load up on crap before taking our seats. While we were waiting our turn, some random dude walked by and said that we could see the band up close if we walked down to a roped off area a little further away. We followed his lead and came to a stairwell where we could see a little way downstairs. After standing there for a couple of minutes, we saw movement coming up the staircase towards us. There were 2 security guys standing close by, but that was it. We walked up to get as close to the ropes as possible, and stood there getting excited. After less than a minute, lo and behold, here they came. First came Jack Bruce, followed by Eric Clapton, followed by Ginger Baker. Jack and Eric just passed us by without so much as a glance in our direction. They all came within 2 feet of us on the way to the stage. Ginger walked by last, and he looked over at us and sort of grinned. They all must of thought "Who are these punks" as they passed us by. We were all in 7th heaven though. Great show that night and these were a couple of the gems they played. Absolutely true story.

[@cosmiccat6708]

@@Bill_Jones. Great treasured memory. Very cool 😎 👌.

[@cosmiccat6708]

Clapton on freakin' fire on Crossroads

[@54fighting5]

Being a lifelong Clapton fan since i first heard him in the mid 60's, the Crossroads solo still makes the hair on my neck stand up. The whole band was cranking in that song, especially the second solo.

[@whitneyjacobs7874]

Deserted Cities is one of my favorite Cream tracks and an oft-overlooked one. It has hints of prog that pop up in some of their deep cuts.

[@mk-cx7ov]

Hear, hear!

[@elisabethaxelsson4736]

I started too like Cream last year , but better late then never. They was so very talened all 3 ,Ginger was out of this world .

[@johnsilva9139]

Yes, better late then never. Good to hear that 55 years after they split people still discover them and get into them.

[@marksimpson1991]

Never forget hearing this on the radio for the first time. Those were the days! Pure innocence.

[@astroteech]

Crossroads! Legendary blues forever. Just search how many others have covered this truly classic blues toon. Amazing!

[@timothyparsons8327]

Cream happened over a short period but their impact on the musical world is still second to none

[@nathanweiss5174]

Those lead sections of Crossroads are unhinged. No way all three of them can 'solo' at the same time and have it sound so good and cohesive at the same time. Only they could really make that work.

[@EastPeakSlim]

I was lucky enough to be at Winterland (yes, in San Francisco) when they took clips of the live performance for the album. The Clapton solo is pieced together, but so seamless, you could never tell. For me, best concert ever.

[@rohmarts]

There were 2 Fillmores: Fillmore East in Manhattan and Fillmore West in San Francisco

[@Lwize]

I went down to the crossroads, and drove through when it was clear.

[@garyhamalainen1651]

Outstanding track..... it's a completely innovative arrangement as well and as a young guitar player looking for inspiration this was a major climax. Clapton was playing out of his mind as were Bruce and Baker and the solo verses were insanely great. They did some good tracks in the studio as well but for me this felt like what Cream was meant to be.... three super creative musicians at the top of their game. Crossroads was a moment in music that could never be duplicated.

[@garyhamalainen1651]

AND if Robert Johnson were ever to hear this version he might have needed to be told it was one of his own songs. But something about the way Clapton approached this performance kept it in the blues genre somehow. Sheer blues madness and beauty.

[@lindaulloa4786]

Love me some Cream! They were so distinctive. You immediately know when it's Cream!!

[@cynthiaschultheis1660]

"Crossroads" old blues tune. Many British followed and played artists here in blues, hillbilly rock. CREAM great group!! Great guitar🎸 Great drums (Baker) and great singing🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

Among my peers from the late 60s we would have felt naked without our copy of the Wheels of Fire double album. It was one of those seminal records you just had to possess.

[@ModTrash]

Eric's guitar on 'Deserted Cities of The Heart' is unreal, great live version of this out there too.

[@waynedavenport6053]

There is a video on KZbin of their reunion concert at the Albert Hall I think, in London where they play this song live with Jack playing a Fretless Bass guitar, that is just mesmerising to watch, do yourself a favour and find this concert, and enjoy!

[@UFOS4]

This is a love fest for me! Cream is my forever favorite band since 1967. These songs were fabulous. “Deserted Cities of the Heart” doesn’t get much attention, so thank you, Ken and Lee. There is more Cream left to savor❤…”Spoonful, “Those Were the Days” and many more. ❤❤❤

[@garyrosenberg3369]

After more than 50 years still one of my top 5 albums, with the Crossroads solo being one my all-time favorites. Give us more!😊 PS: before you get too excited about the speed of Clapton's solo on Deserted Cities - it was recorded at slower speed, and that's why the vibrato sounds so chipmunkish. Still beautiful!

[@Kerazen123]

Clapton was letting loose in that live cut!

[@martinwragg8246]

Crossroads, Clapton at his best, live and note perfect.😊

[@russallert]

The Cream version of Crossroads is simply one of the best rock & roll moments in history that got captured on record. For curiosity's sake, you might want to check out a 1966 version of Crossroads by Clapton and an ad hoc group called Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse. They recorded some tracks for an Elektra Records compilation album called What's Shakin', and the line-up included Jack Bruce on bass, Pete York (Spencer Davis Group) on drums, Stevie Winwood (also Spencer Davis Group, soon to form Traffic) on lead vocals, Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) on harmonica, and Ben Palmer (a musician friend of Clapton's) on piano. Deserted Cities Of The Heart is great song by Jack Bruce (on which he overdubbed some cellos) that (to my ears) is a good preview of his first solo album Songs For A Tailor. The album is worth checking out, with Bruce doing most of the instrumental tracks himself (guitar, piano and bass - similar to Stephen Stills' work on the first CSN album), plus Jon Hiseman of Colosseum on drums. It also includes George Harrison playing rhythm guitar on one track, and a horn section that included Dick Heckstall-Smith, a sax player from Colosseum who also played with Jack in The Graham Bond Organisation, as well as in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers at the same time as Mick Taylor - the London music scene in the 60s was VERY incestuous, and everyone played with everyone else at some point in time.

[@malcolmwood5676]

Robert Johnson was a big hero for EC. He did a whole album of Robert Jonson covers called "Me and Mr Johnson". As for this album I'm sure you would enjoy the live versions of Spoonful and Politician. Also as an example of a fifteen minute drum solo that manages not to become repetitive there is Toad.

[@kurtkish6970]

If Eric's solo EVER stops giving me the chills- bury me 'cause I'll be dead. Plus- Bruce and Baker COOKIN' over his solos!!!!!

[@ronaldelliott4373]

Same! Still my personal favorite all these yrs later.

[@HabaneroTi]

Clapton's solos on Crossroads are among the all-time standout rock guitar solos, up there with Gilmour's Comfortably Numb, Page's Dazed and Confused and Prince's While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

[@georgepitts1057]

Listening to Jack Bruce's melodic bass, I am reminded that ALL of my favorite bassists (Tony Levin, Jack Bruce, Les Claypool) were trained on classical cello! Kind of a trend, methinks!

[@yankeeboyno7]

After listening to Deserted Cities one day, and dealing with Vietnam, I wrote the following poem: In days of old, When men were bold, Peace was nothing more it seems, Then a lost forgotten dream.

[@normanmiller604]

"Deserted cities" and "Those were the days" are great examples of how brilliant a drummer Ginger Baker was.

[@ericdunford4557]

Crossroads is a great warm-up for the big one. Spoonful.

[@marthagavey9321]

❤🎉❤Spoonful and Sunshine of Your Love, were my infatuation songs back in the day!! 🥰🎶💕 JH cover amazing 😍 for Sunshine, also!!!!😮

[@turdferguson3475]

For me, "Crossroads" is the best example of the intangible quality of Clapton's playing. Not super fast, but oh so perfect.

[@johndrx165]

The dissonant break in Deserted Cities is classic Jack Bruce who plays cello.

[@mikeeckel2807]

A favorite quote by Jack Bruce...(I'm paraphrasing) "Ginger and I knew that Cream was a jazz band. We just didn't have the heart to tell Eric."

[@ronaldelliott4373]

Crossroads live, San Francisco 68’ is still one of the foundational recordings that influenced what later became, The Classic Era. So glad they rolled taped that night.

[@DukeBaker-u1y]

Especially when you consider how poorly served Cream were, both visually and audio wise.

[@michaeldezego340]

Two suggestions: Hideaway on the John Mayall's Blues Breakers album (the so called Beano album) with pre cream Clapton, and Key To The Highway on the Layla album by Derek and The Dominoes featuring Duane Allman on slide guitar.

[@alanclayton9277]

deserted cities - psychedelic perfection. crossroads written by a genius but they give it such a different scale and clapton shows his god aspirations.

[@-R.Gray-]

You might know bass player Jeff Berlin, who played with Allan Holdsworth in Bruford's group, and later with Holdsworth and also with guitarist Scott Henderson. He liked Clapton's playing on "Crossroads" so much that he covered it on his 1986 album Pump It. He plays Clapton's solos on the bass, and Buddy Miles is the vocalist.

[@SupernalOne]

Clapton has a sweeter lighter voice, Bruce has that dark blue soul shout - in a similar vein, the spin-off band Mountain had two vocalists with different styles: West and Pappalardi, the growler and the crooner - another heavy band to enjoy :)

[@jasonralph4286]

I know that Jack and Ginger had their competition about who's playing too loud but damn I love this shit. Great memories. A hiddy gem right after Cream broke up is BLT, (Bruce, Lordan and Robin Trower). Some very good tunes there and the sandwich on the album cover always makes me hungry. Have a great year...

[@davidrauh8118]

Jack on bass and cello, Ginger on drums and glockenspiel on the first one. Eric sings Crossroads.

[@joncasida-sn1on]

Love your playlists. As a 73 year old who grew up with the Beatles as #1 in my life's soundtrack. I noticed you gave The Velvet Underground a spin. You gotta check out Lou Reed's song Rock and Roll on his live album Rock and Roll Animal. You won't be disappointed.

[@-R.Gray-]

Before Cream, Clapton had done very few vocals, like another Robert Johnson song on the 1966 John Mayall album "Ramblin' On My Mind" - so he was just developing as a singer at this point. Also see the later recordings Jack Bruce did with Gary Moore and Robin Trower. I think the fastest I heard Clapton play was on the live cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Sitting On Top Of The World" on the Goodbye Cream album.

[@earlymorningtwilight9119]

Tales of Brave Ulysses is the best.

[@FredGarnett]

My two favourite Cream tracks and "Jack is a beast" on both of them. The "middle section" of Heart is Jack using the classical music techniques on the cello that he learnt at the Academy of Music... If you are interested Jack's first solo album after Cream - Songs for A Tailor" is also a beast and amazingly under-rated. Try the first track "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out of Tune" with Jon Hiseman on drums as a taster.

[@ROUGHSEES]

Do the whole album, Lee. You won't be disappointed.

[@jons3808]

Yes please

[@ColeenU]

Cream...could it get much better?

[@mattreynolds612]

LFG!!!! 1ST Superband

[@freda1182]

Classic and really, really great!

[@JettRink-b8k]

Finally a top line reaction song... thank you.

[@Zeb-gb2uk]

Ronnie VanZant, Allen Collins ,and Gary Rossington of Skynyrd were huge Eric Clapton/ Cream fans they actually collected soda bottles to go see Cream . Anyhow they covered Crossroads Allen Collins goes insane well worth a listen ✌️💕

[@MrHannu62]

i have this cream album before...i like

[@ricardodinapoli21]

Jimi Hendrix dare to play with Cream ( Plugged his guitar in Bruce's amp, and Clapton couldn't believe it LOL!! ) . He was sad when they separated.

[@damonhines8187]

Always loved Jack's playing, as well as his vocals, writing, but his bass tone always sounded to me like all the disappeared socks had ended up in his speaker cabinets. 🖖🏼😅🎉🎶❤️🍁❤️✨️🕊🧦

[@knuteboy3778]

Crossroads is one of Clapton's all-time best live solos. However, on this same album is a track called Sitting on Top of the World, which has my all time favorite studio solo from Clapton. Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Check it out.

[@markcorcoran482]

A BIG shout out to Martin Sharp’s fantastic album cover art for Wheels, and Disraeli.

[@jazzzman8050]

This version of Crossroads is the greatest blues-rock performance of them all. All other music of the genre must be measured against this. Many come close, none surpass.

[@RobertERensch]

Play the whole album, Lee. ✌️✌️😘😘

[@davidwolf4677]

I was 10-11 yo in 1968-69. Drums were my first love, but after I heard “Crossroads” and this album, I switched to guitar! I traded 10 of my 45 rpm records for a copy of “Wheels of Fire”.

[@steveowens2505]

Second solo on Crossroads Clapton got lost in progression and they still landed it. Like a high wire act.

[@Linda-y9h]

It's because of Ginger Baker that as a kid I learned that redheads were referred to as gingers. 😂❤

[@CadillacL]

Knew you’d be blown away by Crossroads. Next you need to hear “Spoonful” from “Wheels of Fire” & “Stepping Out” from Live Cream Vol. 2.

[@doriwiljt]

I love Jack Bruce's voice

[@williammcdonald5325]

There's a Fillmore East & a Fillmore West

[@RalphSpoiledsport]

Great video

[@VereinPlatzhirschamHirschenpla]

Beware of Mr. Baker ;)

[@princeofpcos9804]

Clapton's old SG was just screaming

[@Cheryworld]

the second guitar solo on Crossroads, even when you know its coming. Jesus Christ

[@billdomitilli8125]

My one regret as a SF-going hippie of that era was never seeing Cream live. Check out their triumphant 2005 Royal Albert Hall reunion. Cheers, --bd

[@lutherthoresen7967]

Toad from Wheels of Fire (live) was the "gold standard" of drum solos back in the day. There is a brief intro and outro with guitar and bass, but Ginger shines. I haven't found any video of that, but the album cut is great. The studio cut of Toad on Fresh Cream is ok, but the one Id encourage is the live cut. There is a video from the early 2000's reunion, but Wheels of Fire is the best place to start. Whether as a reaction video or on your own, ENJOY!

[@tonetone7572]

back then the 2 best guitarist we strived to imitate and who set the tone and raised the bar for where we should go were Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix...

[@alphaomega6062]

5:41 I have never worked out what Clapton is singing there - brilliantly unintelligible! LOL

[@hwinker]

Listeners to Robert Johnson know the feeling. But Eric's singing "asked the Lord above for mercy, help me if you please" slightly altering the original's "asked the Lord above have mercy, save poor Bob if you please."

[@jons3808]

Please do Toad and Spoonful off this album 😊

[@thegoods7]

And Traintime! Best harmonica, guitar and drum performances ever!

[@shemanic1]

The cover of my vinyl album has gotten very tatty since I bought it on release, due to how much it was played in it's early years, it still plays ok. A superb musical journey worth savouring, I saw them live a few times & they never disappointed.

[@cshubs]

When you get a chance, listen the Derek & The Dominos jam sessions-- a collect of 5 blues instrumentals that'll bend your mind. One of them is essentially Clapton with the Allman Brothers Band, but all 5 are excellent!!!

[@RichardSchaefer-zx9ig]

I think "Crossroads" was Clapton's first lead vocal for Cream, and likely first ever vocal. Tremendous solo

[@calumg9424]

He sang “Rambling on my mind”on the beano album and also “From four until late” on creams first album “Fresh cream”

[@Humb7757]

‘Crossroads’ is only the tip of the iceberg…Speaking of live performances… ‘Live Cream’ Volume 1 and 2… will make you happy!

[@terrenceplunkett]

Jack Bruce was main driving force behind this band. Clapton thought Cream was going to be straight blues band

[@richdiddens4059]

Where did you get the Jethro Tull hat? I want one!

[@vicprovost2561]

Amazing album, full of bangers, do the entire thing! Crossroads is Clapton's signature song for me, he makes Robert Johnson proud and blows the roof of that track. More Cream! Enjoy. 🎵🎸🎤🔥

[@will-x9c]

Deserted Cities was another Pete Brown poetic masterpiece. I think Bruce even played cello. Crossroads was from the "Clapton is God" era. At the time no one was better. He could solo to infinity and never run out of creative steam

[@craigreid7178]

Crossroads = El Clapitan at his very best. The peak of his playing.

[@JohnLancaster-i2o]

Please do "Mary had a Little Lamb" with Buddy Guy and Jack Bruce playing bass. It is incredible.

[@helenespaulding7562]

What’s so funny is that, it wasn’t until a few years ago ( I’m in my 70’s and an American) that I learned that “rider” was/is(?) British slang for the lady you are currently sleeping with. It’s here, and in several Zep songs…no doubt others, and I blissfully was unaware. 🙄😏

[@michaeldonaghey]

"Rider" has been used by many of the old blues guys since at least the 1920's.

[@helenespaulding7562]

@@michaeldonaghey I did not know that! I just read a novel about modern-day Ireland and they were using it. Damn...Now I wonder about its origins. Perhaps it was brought over from England to America long ago and found its way into black blues? hard to imagine country-folk in Ireland having gotten it from black blues. In a linguistic sense, it would be fascinating to track the etymology of it.

[@michaeldonaghey]

@@helenespaulding7562 I am Irish in my 70's and have never heard this term outside of blues songs. We do use the term ride for sexual intercourse.

[@tschieding]

Check out "Deserted Cities of the Heart" on Live Cream II, recorded at the Oakland Coliseum on 1968. If you turn it up REALLY LOUD, you'll get some idea of the Cream experience live. Many Cream fans are of the opinion that this recording is superior to the studio version. I agree!

[@bertybasilbennett3040]

The sound these 3 guys made was incredible. Such a shame jack and ginger never got on. Eric got fed up with their fighting why they split up.Jack Bruce was a classically trained cello player/bass player.

[@stuBdoc]

Best live jam in history! Now you can appreciate why the graffiti used to say "Clapton is God!" Not to mention Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. But maybe it's my imagination, but the playback seemed slightly slow.

[@orchidwave2574]

Clapton always gets props (deservedly) for his guitar work, but is oddly overlooked as a singer... I find his vocal delivery as interesting as his guitar playing. Not crazy about his politics though! I used to play keys in a Clapton tribute band so I've had to dive pretty deep into his material.

[@mikeross14]

Do "Spoonful!" the Great Willie Dixon cover!

[@clifton8929]

The first Super Group. And after this Clapton was in another Super Group that consisted of Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech. If you want to hear Clapton go off hard, play "HAD TO CRY TODAY." kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGW8oJKMl6yXg8ksi=ZXxlX2n9RT9MKPLP

[@WilliamBell-t8k]

The late great Jack Bruce....