#31 - Disraeli Gears: Cream (1967)

Probably the first super group, Cream had Eric Clapton (of course) on guitar, but also featured Ginger Baker on drums and Jack Bruce on bass and vocals. Only around for less than four years, they nevertheless were immensely popular and influential. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and won a Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy in 2006.

Ginger, Jack, Eric

Disraeli Gears was their second of four albums. It’s prototypical hard rock, and includes the classic “Sunshine of Your Love.” The title? It comes from a malapropism from one of the roadies for a bicycle’s derailleur gears. It has nothing to do with the 19th Century British prime minister:

The cover is one of the better examples of psychedelia out there. Its creator was Martin Sharp, a pop artist from Australia but a neighbor of Clapton’s in London at the time. 

He actually also got a co-writing credit on the album’s “Tales of Brave Ulysses,” and would do the cover for the band’s next album, Wheels of Fire, as well:

He has 15 credits total, but none I especially care for. In fact, he was much better known for his posters:

In a similar vein, the rest of Cream’s covers are pretty darn forgettable too:

Oh, almost forgot – the back of the album is almost as cool as the front:

And, yes, it’s definitely famous enough to have generated an homage/parody or two. 

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