Classic Artists: Cream on AllMovie

Though it eked out a surprisingly terse lifespan (1966-69), the musical and cultural impact of the psychedelic blues-rock supergroup Cream (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce) cannot be overestimated. And if the broad outlines of its story are familiar - from guitar demigod Eric Clapton's arrival from The Yardbirds and The Bluesbreakers and his meteoric ascent to megastardom, to the group's innovative desire to pattern its approach after that of an improvisatory jazz combo, to the band's crest of the top of the American charts with the live 1968 double LP Wheels of Fire, to the need of the individual members to fork off in different directions and disband, signified by the release of the 1969 Goodbye - the details of the story are much more obscure. Now, the rock documentary Cream: Classic Artists carries viewers behind the scenes, for an "inside" look at the band's story, as told by Clapton, Baker and Bruce themselves, in never-before-seen, extended interviews. The program also packs in clips from some of Cream's most legendary performances, such as London's Revolution Club in November '67 and Cream's 1967 appearances on Sveriges TV and Beat Club. Many of Cream's associates turn up with fond on-camera reminiscences about the band, including: roadie Donal Gallagher; Tony Palmer, director of Cream's final concert; Moody Blues frontman John Lodge; Zeppelin rocker Paul Jones, and Cream promoter Harvey Goldsmith. As an added bonus, the program features a memorabilia slideshow and photo gallery.