Cream

While I was younger, I didn't understand quite clearly why classic rock was so important. I used to think, in my narrow-mindedness back then, that "If it's gone, it's gone" and, that I should look just for the new bands that I was hearing.

How wrong was I. Basically, all the great music you'll ever hear in your entire life, comes from that "Classic" era in rock. It's quite hard for me to say this, but there wasn't such an explosion of music like it was in the 60's. A friend o' mine and I discused once that, maybe the 90's were, in some ways that kind of explosion too, with the advent of alternative music, like grunge. But, as soon grunge idols were gone, the music was left away... At least, from the "mainstream".

There are so much things to learn from classic rock bands. First of all (And that's what caught me really) that, they were sort of, jamming over the base of another wonderful music, like the blues. If you hear CLOSER, all bands from the 60's sound very, very bluesy-driven. And simple blues (Meaning simple in a good way) is good.

The later excess of progressive rock sort of, carried away that tradition, and well, that's the way music evolves. Or involves, who knows.

One of the most notable acts from that time, was a band conformed by 3 gentlemen from England, called Cream. At the time they emerged, they were considered a supergroup, 'cause the three gentlemen weren't unknown. Two of them, came from a free-form jazz background, the bass player Jack Bruce and the drummer Ginger Baker. The third one, was a guy, who was - and still is - considered a God when it comes to guitar playing. It was Eric Clapton, who at the time was playing with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.




- This is what I'm talking 'bout. Year: 1968.

While I heard Cream, I was still quite dazed 'bout Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon. That record was the first thing in my life I heard with some blues doses, and it passed quite a long time before I understood what was David Gilmour playing. To be honest, I still am understanding it, 'cause blues for me is quite a different world, I come from a more classical-driven environment. Go figure.

And it happened the same that happened with Floyd. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. And also, I couldn't get it at first, but finally I felt in love with that bluesy-raw sound. Jimi Hendrix helped too, 'cause at the time I started to hear Cream I was really into Hendrix.

For me it's quite funny, to say this but, I ain't able to play the blues like those guys do, and I think I will never be. I'm not pessimistic, but I recognize that this particular music, it's not like classical music at all, which is the one I understand better. It's not technical, it's not driven by velocity and scale runs. And that's what makes this music (and classic rock, like Cream) so special, 'cause is different, refreshing, and simple.

The most important thing in music, I think -not that I made this "discovery"- is to actually, play what suits more you. If you're a guy (or a girl, I don't know who'll be reading this) like me, who's classical-driven, then do your thing. Learn as much as you could, but be honest with yourself and play what you gotta play.



- Cream in 2005. They do stand the test of time!

If you're a guy/girl who is bluesy, go for it. Play that blues loud and clear, with all the feel you could, play what you gotta play. And most important, no matter what your school is, either classical, bluesy, or jazzy or whatever, learn to appreciate the other music out there as well. Once you do it, like the guys from the 60's did, you're on the right track.

That's what I learned from the 60's music. What could you learn?