News

For Cream Fans 4 Complete U.K. & U.S. 1969 Concerts Including Final Royal Albert Hall Show

Michael Fremer  |  Mar 3, 2020

UMe will release on March 6th, 2020 a 4 CD live box set containing on 4 CDs 4 complete UK and US 1968 Cream concerts, including 19 previously unreleased tracks that include the final ever Royal Albert Hall concert—all recorded during Cream's "Farewell Tour".

The 36 track box included 10 tracks from the Royal Albert Hall concert that previously only appeared on a DVD. The original 1969 Goodbye Cream vinyl release contained the group's final studio recordings (including the memorable "Badge" featuring George Harrison a/k/a "L'Angelo Misterioso, with Felix Pappalardi on mellotron, filled out with "I'm So Glad", "Politician" and "Sitting on Top of the World" grabbed from a live concert recorded October 19th, 1968 at the Los Angeles Forum.

This box is clearly for Cream fanatics and they know who they are. The set contains the October 4, 1968 Oakland Coliseum concert, the October 19th, 1968 L.A. Forum concert, the October 20th San Diego Sports Arena concert and the Royal Albert Hall Farewell Concert November 26th, 1968.

According to the press blurb, the first three concerts were mastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Reeves at Universal Mastering, Nashville, TN, while the Royal Albert Hall concert was mastered from the original analog tapes by Jason NeSmith at Chase Park Transduction, Athens, GA., which begs the question "Why not a deluxe vinyl box set cut from those tapes?". Meanwhile there's this CD resolution box set for fans of Eric Clapton and the late Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.

COMMENTS
Mike Mangold's picture
Submitted by Mike Mangold on Tue, 2020-03-03 10:03

Because it's a CD only set. If there is a vinyl release in the future, I'll likely buy THAT.

OldschoolE's picture
Submitted by OldschoolE on Tue, 2020-03-03 11:53

I agree, why not at least a vinyl box set. I have had two Cream LPs on CD and they sound terrible! I also have them on vinyl (original pressing on one and early reissue from 1980 on another and both chew up the CD version and spit it out).
At any rate, I'm not a Cream fanatic, but appreciate some of their work.

CJB's picture
Submitted by CJB on Tue, 2020-03-03 14:25

I'll get it. I've heard much of this material on bootleg already. Not their best work overall. If it's a pricey set, I'll skip it, and I am a Cream fanatic.

Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on Wed, 2020-03-04 14:59

... the mid-$50 range.

creativepart's picture
Submitted by creativepart on Tue, 2020-03-03 14:37

I saw Cream live on May 11, 1967 in Akron, Ohio and that show is burned into my psyche - the live albums just can't capture the SPL thump in the chest that standing 6' from the stage did that night.

Tom L's picture
Submitted by Tom L on Tue, 2020-03-03 14:40

for Cream fans to spring for the CDs, then they will release on vinyl in a couple of years.

Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on Wed, 2020-03-04 14:48

... announced along with this CD set?

Welcome to the new world order since the lacquer master disc factory burned down.

Tom L's picture
Submitted by Tom L on Wed, 2020-03-04 21:18

has anything to do with it.
Vinyl may come later, after sales of the CD slow down. More $$ that way.

ArcAudio's picture
Submitted by ArcAudio on Fri, 2020-03-06 09:23

If a vinyl version was planned, the lacquer would have been cut many weeks and or months ago. I streamed the set today, nothing special IMO. Mostly for Cream completist and collectors. Similar to the Elvis Las Vegas box in the fact that the general public is not really going to listen to the same set list (basically)over and over again from a series of concerts.

Slammintone's picture
Submitted by Slammintone on Fri, 2020-03-06 21:56

Cool box set with a lengthy booklet of Cream history and pictures. Similar title tracks on all four discs with different recording perspectives. I like what I have heard thus far. For $55 I couldn’t pass it up.

wozzabear's picture
Submitted by wozzabear on Sun, 2020-03-08 05:04

wheels of fire - enough said, surely....

theqrm's picture
Submitted by theqrm on Thu, 2020-03-19 11:13

...has great ears. Recently did the Allman Brothers box "Trouble No More" as well.

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