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APRIL CHALLENGE: LIVE ALBUMS
When Cream was On Fire
The live performances on “Wheels of Fire” are unmatched
I unintentionally pre-empted Buddy Gott’s April Challenge (“Favorite Live Albums”) when I wrote about Eagles Live in March. Sorry Buddy!
Still, I couldn’t help but rise to the challenge — officially — by enthusiastically endorsing yet another of my favorite live albums, or at least the second disc of a double album, Wheels of Fire by the supergroup Cream. The three superstars comprising Cream were Eric Clapton (guitar, vocals), Jack Bruce (bass, harmonica, vocals) and Ginger Baker (drums).
Wheels of Fire was released as a double album in the U.S. in June 1968 and in the UK in August 1968. The first disc was recorded in studio. The second disc was recorded live at Winterland Arena and The Fillmore, both in San Francisco. It was not uncommon for double albums to follow the studio/live format in the Sixties and Seventies.
I purchased Wheels of Fire when it came out because, at the time, I was a college student steeped in rock music of all kinds. (Sadly I sold the album when my college days were over.) While I loved both discs, I distinctly remember that the live performances on the second record absolutely blew me away. Of course, it probably helped to be high while…
