I basically frittered my way through my spring break. I didn't leave my apartment complex (I went outside to get the mail and to dispose of the garbage) for three of the eleven days, I didn't SHOWER on two of them. What did I do? I spent the first three days talking to the tech support people at both ETS, who I was supposed to do online grading for all week but who are operating a system that doesn't work well on IE 11 (which every PC shipped in the past year has) and doesn't work at ALL on Windows 8.1 (which everyone who bought a computer with IE 11 on it upgraded to when Windows said it was available), and at Dell, because my laptop, which was having issues with the wireless card and is under warranty through January of next year, just pretty much stopped doing anything. The restore flash drive arrived Monday from Dell, and that worked, putting it back to Windows 8.0, but only on the SECOND pass, so that's four days. Tuesday I went to my office at Pierce to grade a midterm exam I need to give back next week, Wednesday was an errands day and I had Top Comments to write. We'll just skip the next three days (I did some diarying), but this morning I graded for another four hours. That means the music diary I was saving for the end of the month will be tonight's diary. I guess rock and roll is appropriate for Palm Sunday, no? Of course, that doesn't mean I can't do my end-of-the-month music diary too.
So tonight, more British Invasion. Only four albums, and only in existence from mid 1966 through the end of 1968, but OUTSIZED influence, maybe because the lead guitarist is the only player of that instrument, IMO, who should be mentioned in the same breath with Jimi Hendrix. These three guys.
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This has also been prompted by an exchange in last night's Top Comments diary between Ed Tracey and rserven in which the former advanced the opinion that Blue Condition was, um, crap to which the latter responded that the album from which it came, Disraeli Gears, was anything BUT crap. The title of this diary, in fact, refers to a song from that album and I think it makes Robyn's point very well.
Thus, to the bio. The world's first supergroup! As Rolling Stone observes in its biography,
Cream formed in mid-1966 when drummer Ginger Baker left Graham Bond's Organisation, bassist Jack Bruce (formerly of Bond's band) left Manfred Mann, and Clapton, already a famous guitarist in the U.K. [from his work with one of the versions of the Yardbirds], left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
Three albums, one a two-disk set with studio recordings on one and the live performances they had become famous for on the second. Just good uncomplicated rock and roll. 15 million records sold in less than three years (and I bought three of those).
My five favorites: four from Cream and one from one of Eric Clapton's subsequent side projects.
From Fresh Cream, which comes in at position #102 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The blurb says "psychedelic pop spin." I'm not sure I hear that, but this is the third song on side 1, and I think it's a grabber.
From the second album, Disraeli Gears, which we discussed briefly above, #114 on Rolling Stone's 500 GAAT list. I'm surprised the first album ranks higher, but whatever. The list characterizes this song, which is ABSOLUTELY my favorite offering by Cream, as a "wah-wah freakout" and they may be right. I remember hearing this on the car radio on a cold crisp winter morning on my way home from taking my father to work and being absolutely blown away. First song, second side.
Her name is Aphrodite and she rides a crimson shell,
And you know you cannot leave her for you touched the distant sands
With tales of brave Ulysses, how his naked ears were tortured
By the sirens sweetly singing. [WAH-WAH-WAH]
I mean, really!!
From Wheels of Fire, #205 on the Rolling Stone album list. There are two really anthemic Cream songs for the people who play air guitar. One is on Disraeli Gears, but it's like "Lola" which I've heard far too often. This, which is #376 on the 500 Greatest Rock Songs list, is the other. You will have heard this before too, but I can't construct a list of songs for this group without it.
From their last album as a group, Goodbye. You will recognize this as one of those quirky songs that always finds its way into my "five favorites" lists.
And this. This is #27 in Rolling Stone's Top 500 list, ahead of the Beatles' A Day in the Life and behind Otis Redding's Dock of the Bay. On my list, it's #2, right after Gimme Shelter. Since Rolling Stone considers it Eric Clapton's best song, why not? The group involved was called Derek and the Dominos, all refugees from Delaney and Bonnie & Friends. I feel no need to explain this further. Another longish song. Just listen.
That's my take on them. You're invited to use the comments for your favorite Cream songs that I left out. And about tomorrow night. Four more hours of online grading, from 4:30-8:30 PM Pacific Time. I'll miss you.
And now for the stuff that makes this Top Comments:
TOP COMMENTS, April 13, 2014: Thanks to tonight's Top Comments contributors! Let us hear from YOU when you find that proficient comment.
From gooderservice:
onemadson had this to say in bobswern's diary, WH Shifts Into Orwellian Mode On Heartbleed.
From your diarist,
Dave in Northridge:
xxdr zombiexx explains how Republicans game the electoral process in Steve Singiser's diary about gerrymandering.
TOP MOJO, April 12, 2014 (excluding Tip Jars and first comments):
1) That's unfortunate by leevank — 152
2) There is. by nachtwulf — 144
3) If we're doing ancestral rights by Major Kong — 133
4) The anti Obamacare red meat is no longer working by Horace Boothroyd III — 131
5) They can't be terrorists by chuckvw — 97
6) Like hell by Sun dog — 93
7) I saw the segment on Greta on Fox . . . by NotGeorgeWill — 90
8) Thank you! by nachtwulf — 86
9) I'd like to point out by bootsykronos — 85
10) Good luck with stopping that rumor. by nachtwulf — 82
11) Thanks Dartagnan. by HoundDog — 82
12) The only problem with that theory by nachtwulf — 80
13) Perspective by PatConnors — 80
14) Congratulations on your first diary! by Youffraita — 79
15) And now, any rancher in the West who actually ... by leevank — 76
16) Ranchin' by Joe Jackson — 76
17) It's more than just the Supreme Court, by Dartagnan — 76
18) It should be emphasized that by Villabolo — 71
19) ALEC UT Ken Ivory Legislator was fueling by MNDem999 — 68
20) He's a winner if they share the revenue with him! by leevank — 68
21) The solar project is dead. by Kuparuk — 68
22) I could probably understand this decision... by reflectionsv37 — 67
23) State control over federal lands by Scott in NAZ — 66
24) Which is a shame. by nachtwulf — 63
25) I'd love to see their take if a group of by ExpatGirl — 60
26) Republicans are predictable thugs by Jeff Y — 60
27) check out comments in the CNN link by MartyM — 60
28) If, in fact, this is not the end of action... by Meteor Blades — 60
29) Not only online...disinformation King Hannity.... by kharma — 58
30) That, and our ignorant gun culture. by Bob Johnson — 58
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