- Stephen Thomas Erlewine/AMG (4/5 Stars) -
Fresh Cream is the debut studio album by British supergroup Cream. It was the first LP release of producer Robert Stigwood’s new “Independent” Reaction Records label, released in the UK as both a mono and stereo version on 9 December 1966, the same time as the single release of “I Feel Free”. The album was released a month later, in January 1967, in the United States by Atco Records as both a mono and a stereo version.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 101 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Fresh Cream represents so many different firsts, it's difficult to keep count. Cream, of course, was the first supergroup, but their first album not only gave birth to the power trio, it also was instrumental in the birth of heavy metal and the birth of jam rock. That's a lot of weight for one record and, like a lot of pioneering records, Fresh Cream doesn't seem quite as mighty as what would come later, both from the group and its acolytes. In retrospect, the moments on the LP that are a bit unformed -- in particular, the halting waltz of "Dreaming" never achieves the sweet ethereal atmosphere it aspires to -- stand out more than the innovations, which have been so thoroughly assimilated into the vocabulary of rock & roll, but Fresh Cream was a remarkable shift forward in rock upon its 1966 release and it remains quite potent. Certainly at this early stage the trio was still grounded heavily in blues, only fitting given guitarist Eric Clapton's stint in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, which is where he first played with bassist Jack Bruce, but Cream never had the purist bent of Mayall, and not just because they dabbled heavily in psychedelia. The rhythm section of Bruce and Ginger Baker had a distinct jazzy bent to their beat; this isn't hard and pure, it's spongy and elastic, giving the musicians plenty of room to roam. This fluidity is most apparent on the blues covers that take up nearly half the record, especially on "Spoonful," where the swirling instrumental interplay, echo, fuzz tones, and overwhelming volume constitute true psychedelic music, and also points strongly toward the guitar worship of heavy metal. Almost all the second side of Fresh Cream is devoted to this, closing with Baker's showcase "Toad," but for as hard and restless as this half of the album is, there is some lightness on the first portion of the record where Bruce reveals himself as an inventive psychedelic pop songwriter with the tense, colorful "N.S.U." and the hook- and harmony-laden "I Feel Free." Cream shows as much force and mastery on these tighter, poppier tunes as they do on the free-flowing jams, yet they show a clear bias toward the long-form blues numbers, which makes sense: they formed to be able to pursue this freedom, which they do so without restraint. If at times that does make the album indulgent or lopsided, this is nevertheless where Cream was feeling their way forward, creating their heavy psychedelic jazz-blues and, in the process, opening the door to all kinds of serious rock music that may have happened without Fresh Cream, but it just would not have happened in the same fashion as it did with this record as precedent.
LP Track Listing
A1 I Feel Free -- 2:52
A2 N.S.U. -- 2:44
A3 Sleepy Time Time -- 4:20
A4 Dreaming -- 2:00
A5 Sweet Wine -- 3:18
A6 Cat's Squirrel -- 3:05
A7 Four Until Late -- 2:06
A8 Rollin' And Tumblin' -- 4:42
B1 I'm So Glad -- 3:58
B2 Toad -- 5:10
B3 Spoonful -- 6:37 (LP bonus track)
B4 Wrapping Paper -- 2:22 (LP bonus track)
B5 The Coffee Song -- 2:44 (LP bonus track)
B6 Rollin' And Tumblin' (mono) -- 4:42 (LP bonus track)
Notes
Limited edition, 180+ pure virgin vinyl analogue pressing.
Remastered by Steve Hoffman on all vacuum-tube cutting system.
Contains bonus tracks (B3-B6).
The noise in N.S.U. is on master tape.
I'm So Glad was originally mixed to mono only.
Personnel
Cream
Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals
Jack Bruce - vocals, bass, harmonica, piano, cello
Ginger Baker - drums, percussion, vocals
Production
Robert Stigwood - Producer
John Timperly - Engineer
I Feel Free
Cream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
I feel free
Feel when I dance with you
We move like the sea
You, you're all I want to know
I feel free
I feel free
I feel free
I can walk down the street, there's no one there
Though the pavements are one huge crowd
I can drive down the road, my eyes don't see
Though my mind wants to cry out loud
I, I, I, I feel free
I feel free
I feel free
I can walk down the street, there's no one there
Though the pavements are one huge crowd
I can drive down the road, my eyes don't see
Though my mind wants to cry out loud
Though my mind wants to cry out loud
Dance floor is like the sea
Ceiling is the sky
You're the sun and as you shine on me
I feel free
I feel free
I feel free
I, I, I, I
The song "I Feel Free" by Cream is an upbeat and joyous tune that celebrates the feeling of being free. The lyrics describe the freedom that comes from being in love and dancing with someone special. The repetition of the words "I feel free" reinforces this theme and creates a sense of happiness and liberation.
The first verse sets the tone for the song with the repeated "bomp, bomp" sounds creating a catchy rhythm that persists throughout the song. The second verse continues the theme of dancing with someone you love, describing the way that the couple moves together like the sea. The chorus then reinforces the feeling of freedom that comes from being with someone you love, with the singer declaring "I feel free" repeatedly.
The third verse takes a slightly different tone, with the singer describing the feeling of being alone in a crowded place. The lyrics suggest a sense of detachment from the world, where the singer can walk down the street and feel as though no one is there. This feeling comes from a desire to cry out loud, suggesting a feeling of sadness or isolation. The song then returns to the joyful chorus, where the singer celebrates the freedom and joy that comes from dancing with their lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp
Repetitive sound used to indicate the singer's feeling of liberation
I feel free
The singer feels unburdened and unrestrained
Feel when I dance with you
The singer associates the sensation of freedom with dancing with another person
We move like the sea
The artist and their partner move fluidly and naturally
You, you're all I want to know
The artist's desire for freedom is linked to their connection with their partner
I can walk down the street, there's no one there
The singer feels alone in their experience of freedom, though surrounded by people
Though the pavements are one huge crowd
The streets are full of people, but the singer feels disconnected from them
I can drive down the road, my eyes don't see
The artist is so absorbed in their own thoughts and feelings that they are unaware of their surroundings
Though my mind wants to cry out loud
The artist feels overwhelmed emotionally, but is unable or unwilling to express those emotions
Dance floor is like the sea
The artist continues to associate the freedom of dancing with the fluidity of the ocean
Ceiling is the sky
The singer suggests that their experience of freedom is limitless and expansive
You're the sun and as you shine on me
The artist's partner is a source of light and warmth, bringing them further into a feeling of freedom
I, I, I, I feel free
Reiteration of the singer's sense of emancipation
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACK BRUCE, PETE BROWN, PETER CONSTANTINE BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ralph Signorelli
on Spoonful
First time I heard Cream I was stoned out of my mind on LSD lying of the floor between two very large speakers, for 8 hours. These guys are the best musicians England ever produced. All Rock music after this was just was just imitation.