A slow blues ballad, released as Cream's first single (just ahead of "I Feel Free"), fall 1966. It's true Baker frequently has stated that he hated it, but then Baker was often quite free in his disdain for Bruce and his music, and the two men infamously did not get along well, both before Cream formed and during its heyday (their mutual dislike eventually led to Cream's demise, fall 1968). Baker has also claimed that Clapton hated it as well; since I've never seen any statements from Clapton one way or the other about this song, who knows if that's true or if it's simply Baker trying to enlist Clapton in his feud with/hatred of Bruce?
In any case, as I write (fall 2017), Jack Bruce has been dead three years and Baker, who may or may not have been sincere, posted an expression of condolence on his website at the time of Bruce's death.
I happen to like the song. I also feel Bruce was the main driving force and creative engine of the trio, while Baker was competing with the likes of Keith Moon for most-showboating-drummer (this was before Bonzo John Bonham had become famous, or infamous, for the same thing) and Clapton was overplaying and taking longer and longer guitar solos in Cream's live performances. Yes, Bruce had his myriad faults as well, but without him Cream had no heart or soul. As for the person who said he didn't care for Baker's "Toad," I agree. You can toss in "Pressed Rat and Warthog" for good measure. Some people can do spoken lyrics/raps (Bob Dylan, the late Gil Scott Heron, and thousands of good hip hop artists, not to mention Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant"), and some people can't. At least "Wrapping Paper" wraps up in less than four minutes' time. Live in concert, "Toad" could drag on forever, eliciting Grateful-Dead-on-a-particularly-bad-night tedium.
A slow blues ballad, released as Cream's first single (just ahead of "I Feel Free"), fall 1966. It's true Baker frequently has stated that he hated it, but then Baker was often quite free in his disdain for Bruce and his music, and the two men infamously did not get along well, both before Cream formed and during its heyday (their mutual dislike eventually led to Cream's demise, fall 1968). Baker has also claimed that Clapton hated it as well; since I've never seen any statements from Clapton one way or the other about this song, who knows if that's true or if it's simply Baker trying to enlist Clapton in his feud with/hatred of Bruce?
In any case, as I write (fall 2017), Jack Bruce has been dead three years and Baker, who may or may not have been sincere, posted an expression of condolence on his website at the time of Bruce's death.
I happen to like the song. I also feel Bruce was the main driving force and creative engine of the trio, while Baker was competing with the likes of Keith Moon for most-showboating-drummer (this was before Bonzo John Bonham had become famous, or infamous, for the same thing) and Clapton was overplaying and taking longer and longer guitar solos in Cream's live performances. Yes, Bruce had his myriad faults as well, but without him Cream had no heart or soul. As for the person who said he didn't care for Baker's "Toad," I agree. You can toss in "Pressed Rat and Warthog" for good measure. Some people can do spoken lyrics/raps (Bob Dylan, the late Gil Scott Heron, and thousands of good hip hop artists, not to mention Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant"), and some people can't. At least "Wrapping Paper" wraps up in less than four minutes' time. Live in concert, "Toad" could drag on forever, eliciting Grateful-Dead-on-a-particularly-bad-night tedium.