Watch Cream: Disraeli Gears

Cream: Disraeli Gears (Classic Albums) is a documentary about the creation of the legendary British rock band's second album, Disraeli Gears. The hour-long film, released in 2006, features interviews with band members Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce, as well as music historians and recording studio personnel. The film opens with a brief history of the band, which formed in 1966 and quickly rose to fame with their debut album Fresh Cream. It then delves into the making of Disraeli Gears, which was recorded in just three and a half days in May 1967.

The album's iconic psychedelic artwork is discussed, with designer Martin Sharp describing how he created the famous images of a group of bikers and a giant colorful gear. The band members also reminisce about the album cover shoot, which involved Clapton and Baker being doused in paint.

The documentary then goes track-by-track through the album, with each song dissected and analyzed. The opening track "Strange Brew" is revealed to have started as a riff that Clapton came up with backstage at a gig. The band worked on it during soundcheck and by the time they hit the studio, it was ready to record.

Other highlights include the history behind "Sunshine of Your Love," the album's most famous song, and the story of how the instrumental "Tales of Brave Ulysses" was created. The latter is particularly interesting, as Clapton explains how he wanted to write a blues song about the Greek mythological figure, but ended up with a psychedelic rock track instead.

Throughout the film, there are snippets of the band's music videos and live performances, including their appearance on The Beat Club in Germany. These serve as a reminder of just how talented Cream were as a live act, with each member given the chance to showcase their skills.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the documentary is the discussion of how the music was recorded. The band famously recorded most of the album live in the studio, with minimal overdubs. Baker explains that this was partly due to practical reasons – they couldn't afford to spend too much time in the studio – but also because they wanted to capture the energy of their live performances.

The studio engineer, Tom Dowd, talks about the challenges of recording the album, particularly in the case of "We're Going Wrong," a song that features a backwards guitar solo. Dowd had to come up with a clever solution to achieve the effect, as well as many other creative recording techniques.

Overall, Cream: Disraeli Gears (Classic Albums) is a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of rock's greatest albums. The interviews with the band members are insightful and often funny, and the music is, of course, phenomenal. The film is a must-watch for any Cream fan, as well as anyone interested in the history of rock music.