Classic Albums – Cream’s Disraeli Gears
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Main Documentary: B-
Maybe I
have such high expectations for the Classic
Albums series that I am being harsh, but despite the volume on Cream’s
classic album Disraeli Gears running
the same length as other installments in the series, it just does not seem to
be enough time. Sure, we hear stories
about classic tracks like Sunshine Of
Your Love and Strange Brew, but
it is just not enough. That is why the
DVD is so good, because the extras fill in the gaps.
Eric
Clapton really set himself for up for a permanent place in Rock legend history
before Blind Faith, Derek & The Dominoes – Layla
(reviewed on the fine going-out-of-print audiophile SACD elsewhere on this
site) and his enduring solo career. The
late, great Tom Dowd did some of his most enduring work here, which says
something about a producer whose legacy is filled with enduring work. I wanted to hear more about them and the
connections to what came next and we do not get that, because the series wants
to and needs to stick to the album at hand.
That is the best, most honest approach, showing how the strength of even
a great series (only rivaled by the Under
Review series from Britain we are also covering every installment on this
site we can get our hands on) like this can have limits.
What the
band did was help create the harder sound Rock would become known for into the
1970s spearheaded by The Beatles, Who, Rolling Stones, Lovin’ Spoonful and acts
not delving into the Art Rock direction.
Along with The Yardbirds and Fleetwood Mac, the more deeply Blues
approach to Rock led to a new explosion of energy that would define the
stronger side of the post-Beatles era. Disraeli Gears is as important an album
in that direction as any and more of a landmark than it may get credit
for. That is why it may be so hard to
define, but this Classic Albums installment
will make fans, historians and music lovers happy just the same and is
recommended.
The 16 X
9 (1.78 X 1) image is not bad and sometimes a bit touch soft, but not to the
extent a few widescreen titles in this series had. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo,
however, does not have any real Pro Logic surrounds, but there is a half-hour
of extras typical of the series with some that feature audio the producers knew
did not belong in the body of a final product.
However, they are all extras fans will want to hear and include moments
that should have been in the main feature.
- Nicholas Sheffo
