Cream,是最早的超级摇滚乐团之一。1966年,Eric Clapton离开了John Mayall的Bluesbreakers乐团之后,Eric Clapton与贝司手Jack Bruce以及鼓手Ginger Baker创建了Cream乐队。作为英国最天才的吉他手,Eric Clapton的这只乐队虽然成立不久但是已经吸引了无数歌迷的注意。Cream于1966年7月29日在曼切斯特举行了第一次小规模公演,之后在首次在“温莎爵士和布鲁斯音乐节”正式登台演出。
乐队初创
1967年初,随着Jimi Hendrix的到来,Clapton在英国第一吉他手的地位受到了挑战。Hendrix参加了1966年10月1日Cream在威斯敏斯特大学举行的一场演出。虽然Clapton仍然被认为是英国音乐界最好的吉他手,Hendrix的到来对Clapton的下一步计划有很深的影响。Clapton的目标是"掀起一场音乐思想的革命…改变世界,让人们震惊"。
在流行迷幻的60年代中期,Eric Clapton带领Cream乐队发行了一张迷幻布鲁斯摇滚乐专辑《Fresh Cream》,而这张专辑让他的名字以及他杰出的吉他演奏技术在大西洋彼岸的美国也广为人知。接着发行了两张成功的专辑《Disraeli Gears》和《Wheel of Fire》。头3张专辑的成功加上频繁的巡回演出使这支乐队的国际声誉直逼the Rolling Stones和the Beatles。
巨大成功
仅仅三年时间,Cream就获得了巨大的成功,销售了1500万张唱片并且在欧洲和美国巡回演出,获得成功。他们革新了摇滚音乐,成为既具备音乐艺术性,又广受听众欢迎乐队之一。他们在美国的热门单曲包括“Sunshine Of Your Love”、“White Room”和“Crossroads”。
Cream在原来的摇滚上加以变化和革新,他们高水平的现场演出掀起了全场观众的激情。Cream的演出曲目风格多样,不管是流行音乐“I Feel Free”还是冗长的布鲁斯音乐“Spoonful”,都有Clapton精彩热辣的吉他旋律、Bruce优美流畅的低音贝斯和Baker强劲有力的鼓声。
在这一时期,除了继续担任吉他手的角色,Eric Clapton开始向歌手和歌曲作者方向发展,以布鲁斯音乐为主,他的大部分作品的歌词作者是Pete Brown。Cream的成功,将Eric Clapton成功的推向国际乐坛,而重新诠释蓝调经典作品“Spoonful”、“Crossroads”、与“Born Under A Bad Sign”,更巩固了他的地位。
乐队解体
尽管Cream在当时广受欢迎,是最成功的几支乐队之一,同时对于Clapton的赞誉也达到了一个新的高度,但是乐队维持的时间并不长。在1968年举行告别巡回演出和1969年发行专辑《Goodbye》之后,Cream乐队于1969年初在伦敦宣告解散,但是即便在乐队解散之后,乐队的最后一张专辑《Goodbye》仍然在美国的专辑榜上稳坐亚军。
导致乐队的解体的原因是乐队成员之间持续的加深的矛盾。另一个因素是滚石杂志批评了乐队在美国的音乐会,大大打击了Clapton。当时the Band发行了一张名为《Music from Big Pink》的唱片,被舆论界认为将摇滚乐带到了新的方向。Clapton对他们的音乐大为着迷甚至要求加入他们,可惜被拒绝了。
再度聚首
Cream告别大碟《Goodbye》,是1968年10月19日在美国洛杉矶举行的现场演唱会的录音,在Cream解散后不久发行。其主打曲是“Badge”,由Eric Clapton和George Harrison联手创作。
1993年,Cream的成员再度聚首,为纪念他们载入摇滚音乐名人堂而演出。另一次Clapton、Bruce和Baker三重奏的完美演出是在2005年5月伦敦皇家艾伯特大厅,演唱会从5月2日至6日共四场,门票全部销售一空。2005年5月发行了演唱会现场录音大碟。之后同年10月在纽约麦迪逊广场花园演出3场。
(百度百科)
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Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup power trio consisting of bassist/singer Jack Bruce, drummer Ginger Baker, and guitarist/singer Eric Clapton. Their sound was characterised by a hybrid of blues rock, hard rock and psychedelic rock, combining the psychedelia-themed lyrics, Eric Clapton's blues guitar playing and vocals, Jack Bruce's voice and prominent bass playing and Ginger Baker's jazz-influenced drumming. The group's third album, Wheels of Fire, was the world's first platinum-selling double album. Cream are widely regarded as being the world's first successful supergroup. In their career, they sold over 15 million albums worldwide. Cream's music included songs based on traditional blues such as "Crossroads" and "Spoonful", and modern blues such as "Born Under a Bad Sign", as well as more eccentric songs such as "Strange Brew", "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "Toad".
Cream's biggest hits were "I Feel Free" (UK, number 11), "Sunshine of Your Love" (US, number 5), "White Room" (US, number 6), "Crossroads" (US, number 28), and "Badge" (UK, number 18). Cream made a significant impact on the popular music of the time, and, along with Jimi Hendrix, and Terry Kath of Chicago, popularised the use of the wah-wah pedal. They provided a heavy yet technically proficient musical theme that foreshadowed and influenced the emergence of British bands such as The Jeff Beck Group in the late 1960s. The band's live performances influenced progressive rock acts such as Rush. Cream were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. They were included in both Rolling Stone and VH1's lists of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". They were also ranked number 16 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".
Origin: London, England
Genres: Psychedelic rock, blues rock, hard rock, acid rock
Years active: 1966–1968 (reunions: 1993, 2005)
Labels: Reaction, Polydor, Atco, RSO, Reprise
Associated acts: Powerhouse, The Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Blind Faith, Bruce-Baker-Moore
Past members: Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton
(wiki)