Reviewed! Cream - Royal Albert Hall 2005 DVD
Cream
Royal Albert Hall
2005
Eagle Vision
Cream’s Royal
Albert Hall 2005 DVD is a wonderful presentation, a release truly as
satisfying as the band themselves. And speaking of the band themselves, their
ability to produce music that doesn’t sound as if its coming from a three piece
band. Royal Albert Hall 2005 opens
with “I’m So Glad,” which is a fine song in its own right though its comes
across as outdated present day. The opening track isnt the only track that
suffers from such a time warp, as other tracks like “Pressed Rat and
Warthog" and "Deserted Cities of the Heat" sound better four
decades ago. Still, a vast majority of the setlist on Royal Albert Hall 2005 comes across in stellar fashion, as the band
sound spot on firing off one good track after another like “Spoonful,” “Rollin’
and Tumblin,’” and “Sweet Wine.” The slight tweaks to “Badge” work well, while
the penultimate “Toad” and eventual closer “Sunshine of Your Love” go a long
way in effectively and efficiently closing out this set. Royal Albert Hall 2005 houses a collection of alternate versions of
some of the songs (“Sleepy Time Time,” “We’re Going Wrong” and “Sunshine of
Your Love”), since the concert was recorded over four days. There are also
interviews with the three members of the band in which they discuss the process
of getting back together and performing again. To be honest, Royal Albert Hall 2005 isn’t all that
special in itself, what’s special is seeing Cream live in all their glory,
showing that like a fine wine, they only get better with age.
Grade: B
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