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Customer Reviews of Wheels of Fire

Clapton At His Best - What More Is There To Say?
Cream's debut album, "Fresh Cream", is undoubtedly their greatest album ever, but this epic comes very, very close. This would be the last album from blues/rock's greatest trio before they called it quits.
The studio disc is very good. Personally, I'm sick of people rambling on about "White Room" like it's a masterpiece or something. It's a good song, but hardly their best. "Sittin' On Top Of The World" and "Born Under A Bad Sign" are excellent blues songs with Clapton providing some superb licks. "Passing The Time" and "As You Said" are forgotten masterpieces that Cream fans never seem to mention (they also never mention "Rollin' And Tumblin'" from the debut album, which is hands down their greatest studio song ever). Both of these songs have a wonderful, haunting atmosphere that I just can't describe. The warm, Christmas-ey feel on "Passing The Time" is particulary enthralling, with Jack Bruce giving his best, most emotional vocal performance ever.
"Those Were The Days" is another great song, but "Pressed Rat And Warthog" is utterly stupid and the guitar solo on "Politician" just doesn't go anywhere. And "Deserted Cities Of The Heart" is pretty much boring.
But wait! Then we have the live disc! This features Clapton at his absolute best. Everyone knows that he jams his heart out on "Crossroads", giving new fire and passion to Robert Johnson's blues chestnut. But even better is the monstrous 17-minute version of "Spoonful", in which Eric plays perhaps the greatest solo of his life. I kid you not. He slowly, carefully builds up the tension until it approaches the 12-minute mark (about 11:50), when he brings it to a grand climax, delivering a frightening tidal wave of notes that just twists your insides in a knot. It's like an orgasm - slowly building the tension until...WHAM!...that Heavenly climax just seems to come out of nowhere. It's amazing. If you ask me, the album is worth having just for that solo alone.

Pretty amazing for a band that was only together for two years.

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A moment in time
While flawed in places, this still ranks as a 5 star album. The studio work is odd at times but never boring or predictable. Even the traditional blues songs have little quirks that take them out of the normal 5-bar variety. Then there's the live part. There has never been a 3 piece band who could improvise/jam together like these guys. For the average listener these songs may sound like one long drone (and Baker's long drum solo and Bruce's harmonica rant may well qualify) but the interplay on "Spoonful" and "Crossroads" is amazing. This is where Clapton ascended to the throne of Guitar God. His live lead breaks on "Crossroads" are the best in rock and roll history. It's not the vocals, bass or drums that keep that song playing perpetually on classic rock stations the world over. It's that incredible flowing guitar.

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Atonal Apples...Amplified Heat
It's been said elsewhere...and it is worth repeating...This is an epitome of improvisational music from a group that was only in existence for a relatively short time. Although their musical differences and divergent directions that each took have been fairly well-documented, perhaps it was that same divergence that lent itself to their ability to stand on a stage and create at that given moment some pretty incredible music. Another one of those defining moment works...