Jack Bruce Blasts Zep!

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Story here:
http://www.planetrock.co.uk/Article.asp?id=967610&spid=11484



Cream was my first concert. I was 15 in 1968 & they played a SENSATIONAL show at the L.A. Forum. I went with 2 buds & our girlfriends, 6 of us crammed in the back of an older guy's van. We all took mescaline for the first time & therefore the psychelic songs & music were 10 times more intense than usual!!!!!!!!!! I thot Ginger Baker & his Double Bass Drumkit was the most amazing phenomenon on this planet!! I continued to think that until I saw Zep 2 times 2 years later &  BONZO was even more amazing than Ginger! ...even with only a single bass kit! Zep played for 3 hours both times & CREAM had only played for 2!!! Deep Purple opened for Cream.
Then I saw Zep again in '71 & they played for 3 & a half hours & BONZO played a 45 minute MOBY DICK~ over twice as long as Ginger's drum solo & THUNDEROUSLY more POWERFUL! ...even tho again he played a single kick set.

Unfortunately CREAM was on their Farewell Tour in '68....so they were only together 2 years!!
ZEP went for what--12 years--& toured their asses off, playing mostly 3 hour shows with No Opener!!!

I wish Y&T would do that!!! WS too!!! 3 & a half would be even better!!

Right now I'm listening to The London Philharmonic performing instrumental versions of Zep songs. This is FANTASTIC music & not too many bands are worthy of such an honor, having a full orchestra pay tribute like this.
Highly recommended.

I love Jack & I'm mighty glad I got to meet him. Caught him in the bar at Konocti before he went on with Ringo Starr & The All Star Band in '99. Shook hands & called him Mr. Bruce. Told him that CREAM was my first concert in '68 & he asked "Where?"
When I answered "L.A." he said "That was a good show!"
Funny that I started playin' bass 4 years later....at age 50....& the first riff I played was....
Sunshine of Your Love

My fav CREAM songs today are Sitting On Top of the World & Spoonful.
CREAM gave credit to Chester Burnett aka Howlin' Wolf for Sitting On Top of the World & Willie Dixon for Spoonful, unlike Zep who didn't give credit where credit was due for so many of their songs. In all fairness to Zep tho, you gotta understand that most of those ol' Blues songs went thru many lyric changes & musical changes as they developed from one band to another over decades....like this song:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitting_on_Top_of_the_World

Interesting, huh?

Here it is LIVE for ya along with Steppin' Out whuch is a Bluesbreakers toon Eric did with John Mayall:



Young Clapton being AGGRESSIVE!!
Mighty glad I saw him back then! CREAM was fokking BRILLIANT!!! ZEP too!!!!
Personally I prefer Page's work over the years to Clapton's, Zep concerts over Cream, & Zep put out 4 times the number of albums that Cream did.
Hmmmm....I've often said that JPJ is my fav bassplayer, but Jack Bruce is right up there with him!! Jack can IMPROVISE all over the neck like a Mad Monster!!!!
I prefer Jack's singing to Plant's too most of the time.

You gotta hand it to CREAM for being a TRIO & kicking ASS & ya really gotta hand it to JACK for performing the duties of both JPJ & Plant--playing bass AND singing!!

Nothing really tops SPOONFUL~ the song that made everyone rush the stage:



This version cuts off the ending tho. Here's the Wheels of Fire version:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtIdBMPUJGk&feature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5791GE2zHc&feature=related


The Ultimate Jam Song!

Ginger Baker inspired me to become a Double Bass Drummer!!
I didn't get my first kit til '78 tho...after seeing Aynsley Dunbar playin' hell outa his Double Bass Kit!!
Jack Bruce inspires me to play bass & sing now!!

I hope CREAM & ZEP will both carry on with more reunion shows in 2009!!

[sniper]

great story........loved reading it.

[lowend1]

Well, don't your remember that SNL skit with Mike Myers - "If it's nay Scottish, IT"S CRAP!" ?

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Well, don't your remember that SNL skit with Mike Myers - "If it's nay Scottish, IT"S CRAP!" ?

Ha ha haaa That sums it up, ay? Classic!

[Dave W]

Sounds like Jack's been taking charm school lessons from Yngwie Malmsteen.

[TBird1958]

Funny, my experience with L.Z. in '73 (Houses of the Holy tour)was a complete snorefest. They were boring and not even the requsite Mescaline and Pot made them good for me. I actually fell asleep during the drum solo!
Good thing was, I only wasted $5.00 on seeing them. Compared to my first ever concert, Alice Cooper that I'd seen a few months earlier L.Z. was   
I saw Jethro Tull about two weeks later for the "Passion Play" tour, quite honestly they made L.Z. look pretty sorry, they played the entire album without break - awesome!

[Dave W]

Funny, my experience with L.Z. in '73 (Houses of the Holy tour)was a complete snorefest. They were boring and not even the requsite Mescaline and Pot made them good for me. I actually fell asleep during the drum solo!
Good thing was, I only wasted $5.00 on seeing them. Compared to my first ever concert, Alice Cooper that I'd seen a few months earlier L.Z. was   

Hell, I could fall asleep listening to LZ II. Never voluntarily listened to anything past that.

They were the champs of taking the music of others without attribution and making it boring.

[gearHed289]

I almost started a thread about this, but I knew it would end up being extremely negative toward Mr. Bruce, and I'm still not quite certain just how serious he was being. But there were definitely some unnecessary things said, whether he was joking or not. And the whole "I was just kidding, BUT... blah blah blah blah blah.." is just weak. Just from a compositional standpoint, Zep destroys Cream. He says the only good guy in the band is dead? Regardless of what you think of Page and Plant, there's no denying the mammoth amount of talent possessed by JPJ. Phenomenally tasteful bass player AND a master keyboardist. Then there's guitar and mandolin, and his crazy lap steel stuff. Mr. Bruce should shut up (unless he's singing) and play the bass. But PLEASE not the fretless - MY EARS!!!    See, there I go! I will stop now. 

[Freuds_Cat]

I like em both. as with all things, bands have great, good and bad shows/days. As do musicians. getting caught on camera saying something spontaneous but stupid is a possibility for all and sundry.

For me Mike Patton takes the cake though.

[nofi]

as far as i'm concerned patton can say whatever he wants. he has been involved with far more creative projects than most of the people who have been around as long or longer than he.  his stuff isn't everyone's cup of tea but what is.

[Freuds_Cat]

I've seen him, I've got his albums, I like his music and I'm not a fan of Wolfmother.

Acting like a 10 year old kid in a sandpit when you are a talented, successful adult will make anyone look like an arse and IMHO Patton is not above the rest of us when it comes to showing a bit of respect to fellow musicians.


   .....except Michael Anthony   

Nah, seriously its better to just say nothing.

[lowend1]

I, for one never got Patton and FNM - and I listened for almost all of his fifteen minutes.
That said, I didn't care for Wolfmother's schtick either.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Jack may have been drunk if he was celebrating getting an award.

...or maybe he's just gettin' bitter in his old age.

Whatever~ I still love the guy & say God bless him.

Threw a bit of Spoonful into our TigerShark theme at a party recently.
May see it on youtube soon....

[eb2]

Isn't he dealing with cancer too?  I dunno - it kind of takes some sac to tool on guys you know. 

[Dave W]

He had a liver transplant. I don't know if it was due to cancer.