Cream – Disraeli Gears (1967): This is the second and best-known album by the landmark British power trio – and also the only Cream album that I owned for many years – composed of guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist and vocalist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker. (The album name is taken from that of 19th Century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, I assume, though I have never seen that written down anywhere). Jack Bruce was an important songwriter for Cream, mostly collaborating with Pete Brown (who was not otherwise associated with the band). While their first album, Fresh Cream (1966) is more of a straight blues-rock album, Disraeli Gears adds psychedelia to the mix and brings in American Felix Pappalardi as their producer, who became almost like a fourth member of the band. With his wife Gail Collins Pappalardi, he wrote two songs on this album, “Strange Brew” and “World of Pain”. Besides their hit single “Sunshine of Your Love”, outstanding songs on the album include “Strange Brew”, “Tales of Brave Ulysses”, and “Swalbr” – the curious title of the last song comes from the initials for “She Walks Like a Bearded Rainbow” (or “She Was Like a Bearded Rainbow”). The closing track “Mother’s Lament” shows that Cream was also attracted to traditional songs other than the blues. For a change, no attempt was made to market a different album in the U.S. from the one that was released in England; and Americans responded by driving the album to #4 on the Billboard album charts, even better than the #5 showing that Disraeli Gears reached in the U.K.
