Sound: On Cream's debut album, the soon-to-be revolutionary band sounds very raw. That's not to say they sound bad, however. There is a huge difference between this album and the landmark magnum opus, "Disraeli Gears," though. They sound like they could be playing a live show during this one. They hadn't fully defined the blues rock genre that would become so popular in the last '60s and early '70s starting with Cream and going through Jimi Hendrix, Canned Heat, and the Allman Brothers Band. This album is almost completely raw blues, with the exceptions of "I Feel Free," "N.S.U.," "Dreaming," and "Toad." The latter track may be one of the first-ever recorded drum solos. The tandem of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker was still in its infancy, but they sound like a veteran blues band (which, when one adds all of their credentials at the time together, they are). // 8
Lyrics and Singing: Jack Bruce sings the overwhelming majority of the songs, and that's just fine for me and any other Cream fan. We know Eric Clapton is a great singer, but Jack Bruce is a fantastic bluesman himself, and he conveys emotion through these songs like no other could. Three of the songs, "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "Spoonful," and "I'm So Glad," are blues standards arranged by Cream. They arranged every one of these classics well. The lyrics go very well with the music Cream provides. // 10
Impression: As stated before, this album is a lot more raw than other Cream albums. "Disraeli Gears" is probably the cleanest, and it's probably the one most would want to start with if they're just getting into Cream. They could work both backwards and forwards, picking up this album combined with "Wheels of Fire." The most impressive song on the album is probably "I Feel Free" simply because we get a glimpse into the stardom Cream would achieve in the next two years. I can't say I hate anything about this album. I had wanted to purchase it for a long time, and when I finally did, it exceeded my expectations. If it were stolen or lost, I would most certainly buy it again. And again. And again. // 10
