Cream Those Were the Days (Polydor)
Most rock fans know both bands by name, but while Cream is widely considered a rock ‘n’ roll cornerstone, a near supergroup whose garrulous, blues-based hard rock set the tone for the 70s, the Zombies are dimly remembered as a melancholic beat combo whose entire legacy consists of three mid-60s singles: “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No,” and “Time of the Season.”
Number of gold or platinum records
Zombies: 1
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Zombies: no
Cream: Eric Clapton; incalculable
If Cream’s exciting early work was sparked by the dynamic alchemy of three sympathetic virtuosos, its later live recordings are the often tedious effusions of three tireless monologuists–ear-crushing volume, extended unaccompanied wankery, and pure bombast mar much of the material on the box set’s final two CDs. In the liner notes to Those Were the Days, drummer Baker recalls that Clapton and Bruce ceaselessly topped up their Marshall stacks simply to keep from being overshadowed by each other. “It was ridiculous….Playing that loud had nothing to do with the music. There was, in fact, one gig where Eric and I stopped playing for two choruses. Jack didn’t even know. Standing in front of his triple stack of Marshalls, he was making so much noise he couldn’t tell if we were playing or not.”
