By David Schultz
(photo from JackBruce.com)

Befitting a show that drank deep from the well of classic rock nostalgia, Ginger Baker closed out Cream's triumphant return to New York's Madison Square Garden with a 15 minute drum solo. That's right, the show concluded with a drum solo. Conjuring up the ghosts of the most stereotypical arena rock artifact, Baker delighted the awestruck crowd with his percussion prowess during the set closing "Toad," while band mates Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce watched from just offstage. Clapton and Bruce returned to the stage for the closing riff, but Baker surely closed one of the unlikeliest reunions in the most unexpected of fashions. To no one's surprise, the audience rewarded rock's pioneering blues-rock power trio with waves of adulation.

Regrouping its original lineup of Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, Cream sounded as fresh as they during their celebrated run in the late 60s. Without employing any gimmickry or stage tricks, Cream produced a thunderous explosion of sound that other bands today struggle to achieve on their own. Eric Clapton may have brought more star power to the current mix, but no charity work was being practiced here. Clapton easily slipped into his old role of lead guitarist while bassist Jack Bruce stepped up front handling the majority of the vocals. Though an unfamiliar sight to see Clapton figuratively sharing his stage, he asserted himself often, offering unsubtle reminders that the "Clapton is God" graffiti that adorned England's walls so long ago did not overstate the matter.

Despite the long layoff, the trio seemed quite comfortable on stage. Much more at ease than when clad in the suit and tie of the master bluesman, Clapton strode the stage in jeans and a T-shirt while Baker pushed the merchandise by wearing a snazzy new Cream concert-T. In fine voice throughout the evening, the wild-haired Bruce belted out traditional blues standards with the same fervor as Cream's classic rock radio standards. Clapton has never shied away from playing his Cream hits throughout his career, making Bruce's turns on "White Room" and "Sunshine Of Your Love," initially disorienting. However, Bruce's voice, as well as his demonic thundering bass on "Sunshine," brought a refreshed authenticity to extraordinarily familiar material. Clapton came front and center for an incendiary rendition of "Crossroads" and delivered an inspired guitar solo during "Badge." Those two songs, especially "Badge," which Clapton stretches out considerably during his solo shows, seemed criminally short given the fire power Bruce and Baker can supply.

But for the inclusion of Disraeli Gears' "Tales Of Brave Ulysses," the Garden set lists did not vary significantly from those of last May's Royal Albert Hall shows. Cream’s predilection for the blues loomed large throughout the evening and they played old favorites like Willie Dixon's "Spoonful" and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday." The opener, "I'm So Glad," retained every bit of its bluesy psychedlia but, for sheer 60's hippieness, it paled in comparison to Ginger Baker's rendition of "Pressed Rat and Warthog." Always fun to let the drummer sing a song, especially one with goofy, stoner lyrics like this one. If the song selection didn't show the band's age, it came closer to the forefront when Clapton made no effort to hit the pseudo-falsetto verses of "White Room."

Until earlier this year, the possibility of a Cream reunion, much less one occurring in America was remote. A major roadblock to this three night October run at the Garden involved clearing up Ginger Baker's immigration issues so that he could obtain a U.S, visa. Without overstating the matter, this late October, three night run at Madison Square Garden qualifies as historic. Other than a brief set at 1993's Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction and their Royal Albert Hall run earlier this year, these are Cream's only gigs since breaking up in November of 1968. Unfortunately, the palpable excitement over a Cream reunion transformed the event into a corporate boondoggle. The majority of the seats, including the entire floor, were long gone by the time the tickets were made available to the general public. Unless you had connections with a beer distributor, real estate title company or other corporate outlet, you were not getting anywhere close to the floor. Once the ticket booths opened, the only available seats were in the upper reaches of the Garden and located behind the stage.

The knock on this show will be that Clapton, Bruce and Baker are too old and, like other classic rock dinosaurs, are raping the corpse of their musical legacy for one more gigantic payday. The astronomical ticket prices, floor seats sold at the box office for $350, provide fine grist for many a detractor's mill. To dwell on the cost of these shows is to miss the point completely, especially in light of the fact that the upper level seats were a relatively reasonable $65. Reunion shows like Cream's work because music is not a sport. Unlike athletes, musicians don't necessarily wear down with age. In fact, sometimes they get better.

Labels: Eric Clapton