A-Z Challenge: Cream

I almost used Conundrum, which is no band or song I ever heard, but rather a cry of distress because I have too many C-options.  My first pick was Comfortably Numb, one of my favorite songs by my favorite band.  But I have plenty of other opportunities to talk about Pink Floyd, so I’ll give that a pass for now.

Next, I thought Credence Clearwater Revival, because not only are they a seminal part of rock history, complete with a case study in how to get screwed over by a record company, but there are two C-words in their name.

My wife suggested Carrie Underwood, and I could go on for days about her song “Jesus Take the Wheel” and how, in my opinion, Jesus would really want her to try to steer.

But then my wife suggested Eric Clapton and Cream.  Jackpot.  Not only can I bundle in two C-words out of that, I can get two C-Words out of it.

Cream broke records (NOTE: Not literally) and are credited for being the world’s first supergroup.  It’s really a storybook situation: Ginger Baker (NOTE: He even has a storybook character name, you know?) really liked Eric Clapton’s guitar playing, and Eric liked Ginger’s drumming, so they decided to start a band.  Eric really liked Jack Bruce’s bass playing and singing, and he suggested to Ginger they add him.  Jack Bruce and Ginger baker hated each other and in prior bands had gotten into fistfights and altercations involving knives, so naturally the dynamics of rock and roll brought them back together.

Despite the raging inferno of egotistical hatred that was the rhythm section, Cream wrote some phenomenal music, and their liver performances paved the way for the likes of Led Zeppelin and Rush.  From re-arrangements of classic blues tunes such as “Spoonful” and “Crossroads” to “White room and “Sunshine of Your Love” they pulled their talents together to build out a new wing in the annals of rock history.

And my personal connection to Eric Clapton:  His wife is from Columbus, and his daughter was born here, at Riverside hospital, delivered by the same doctor who helped bring my first son into the world a month later.  So we're pretty much related.  That's way cool.