Twenty years ago, three of rock’s greatest musicians walked back onto a stage together after 37 years apart, and the result was one of the most celebrated reunion performances in music history. Cream’s ‘Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005’ is out now via Surfdog, reissued on blue and green splatter triple vinyl and blue and orange double CD to mark the anniversary of those four extraordinary nights in London.
Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton reunited as the original supergroup with nothing to prove and everything to deliver, and the recordings capture exactly that. Nineteen tracks drawn from the best of those shows, running from “I’m So Glad” through “Crossroads,” “White Room,” and closing on “Sunshine of Your Love,” the setlist is a masterclass in blues-rooted rock played by three musicians at the absolute peak of their collective craft. The alternate take of “Sleepy Time Time” rounds out the collection as a final gift to anyone paying close attention.
Cream built their legacy in just four years between 1966 and 1968, releasing four albums that permanently reshaped rock, blues, and psychedelia. The Royal Albert Hall reunion shows demonstrated that the chemistry between Baker, Bruce, and Clapton never faded. It just waited. These recordings have the warmth and weight of a band that understood exactly what the moment meant.
The 20th anniversary reissue is out now. Essential for longtime fans and a compelling entry point for anyone still discovering why Cream remain one of rock’s most vital stories.
Track Listing:
- I’m So Glad
- Spoonful
- Outside Woman Blues
- Pressed Rat and Warthog
- Sleepy Time Time
- N.S.U.
- Badge
- Politician
- Sweet Wine
- Rollin’ and Tumblin’
- Stormy Monday
- Deserted Cities of the Heart
- Born Under a Bad Sign
- We’re Going Wrong
- Crossroads
- White Room
- Toad
- Sunshine of Your Love
- Sleepy Time Time (Alternate)