Cream

During the two years of their existence, power trio Cream left the imprint of a lifetime on rock 'n' roll. Eric Clapton (fresh from his guitar heroics with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers), Ginger Baker (drums), and Jack Bruce (bass) kicked down all existing doors with 1966's Fresh Cream and became blues-rock gods overnight.

The simple format of drums, bass, and guitar has seldom been stretched to the groundbreaking limits achieved on Cream's second album, Disraeli Gears, a finely wrought matrix of slashing blues riffs and layered distortions. Powerhouse tracks like "World of Pain" and "Outside Woman Blues" are simply indestructible.

There's no better place to catch Cream than live onstage — three supreme musicians indulging their talents to the extreme. Three live tracks capture Cream's immediacy and energy: "White Room," "Steppin' Out," and an electrifying version of their biggest hit, "Sunshine of Your Love."

Between 1966 (the group's live debut at Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival) and 1968 (their farewell gig at Royal Albert Hall), Cream grabbed the blues by the scruff of the neck and shook new life into the genre. Every significant rock act that followed owes the trio a debt. Our Cream Essentials offers you the group's finest work, from the hits ("Sunshine of Your Love") to the monumental live recordings ("Spoonful") and the rarities ("Falstaff Beer Commercial").