[2016-04-29] Cream "Classic Album Selection" 5CD box set (Polydor UK)

Linda · **Posted:** Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:57 pm

Description
Following the acclaimed release of Cream’s 10 UK and US 7” singles’ boxed-set package towards the end of last year comes this superb 4 album/5CD set celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cream’s inception in 1966. The Classic Album Selection features the band’s complete studio albums – Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels Of Fire and Goodbye; four incredible albums, which left an indelible mark in rock history.

With Cream, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton, set the template for a whole new generation of rock music with their innate muscial virtuosity. Although they were only together for just over two years, Cream blazed an indelible trail through the latter half of the 1960s with their challenging and exquisite mélange of blues, pop and psychedelia; their influence at their peak, and in the years following their break-up, was immense.

Cream have sold over 15 million albums worldwide, had the world's first platinum-selling double album with ‘Wheels Of Fire’, had 3 of their 4 albums listed in Rolling Stones magazines’ 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and received a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement the same year.

Box includes:

Fresh Cream Album
Disraeli Gears Album
Wheels Of Fire Album
Goodbye Album

[tracklisting][CD1: Fresh Cream]
1. I Feel Free
2. N.S.U.
3. Sleepy Time Time
4. Dreaming
5. Sweet Wine
6. Spoonful
7. Cat's Squirrel
8. Four Until Late
9. Rollin' And Tumblin'
10. I'm So Glad
11. Toad

[CD2: Disraeli Gears]
1. Strange Brew
2. Sunshine Of Your Love
3. World Of Pain
4. Dance The Night Away
5. Blue Condition
6. Tales Of Brave Ulysses
7. SWLABR
8. We're Going Wrong
9. Outside Woman Blues
10. Take It Back
11. Mother's Lament

[CD3: Wheels Of Fire - In The Studio]
1. White Room
2. Sitting On Top Of The World
3. Passing The Time
4. As You Said
5. Pressed Rat And Warthog
6. Politician
7. Those Were The Days
8. Born Under A Bad Sign
9. Deserted Cities Of The Heart

[CD4: Wheels Of Fire - Live At The Fillmore]
1. Crossroads
2. Spoonful
3. Traintime
4. Toad

[CD5: Goodbye]
1. I'm So Glad
2. Politician
3. Sitting On Top Of The World
4. Badge
5. Doing That Scrapyard Thing
6. What A Bringdown[/tracklisting]

Amazon USA
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BHFW3LK/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BHFW3LK/?tag=imwan-21

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

Unless it's real cheap, I would recommend trying to find the the original USA Cream box. It's complete, + bonus trax; & is one of the best sounding cd sets I've ever heard. It apparantly has gone oop in the USA (there is a UK version; I don't know if it's the same excellent mastering)

Amazon is only showing a relatively expensive import (at least that's all that comes up for me in search)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001675SKS/?tag=imwan-20

At least 1 of the USA sets is on ebay.

Linda · **Posted:** Sat Feb 06, 2016 8:45 pm

Geff R. wrote:

Unless it's real cheap, I would recommend trying to find the the original USA Cream box. It's complete, + bonus trax; & is one of the best sounding cd sets I've ever heard. It apparantly has gone oop in the USA (there is a UK version; I don't know if it's the same excellent mastering)

Amazon is only showing a relatively expensive import (at least that's all that comes up for me in search)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001675SKS/?tag=imwan-20

At least 1 of the USA sets is on ebay.

This is the USA pressing:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000003TW3/?tag=imwan-20

Good prices for used, but at your link above (which should be the import pressing) there are several reputable third parties offering it for good prices in new condition. (All of the eBay listings are currently priced higher.)

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

There is one ebay set on auction at $3.00 + high shipping.

Mark MN · 13 Aug 2012

Linda wrote:

Geff R. wrote:

Unless it's real cheap, I would recommend trying to find the the original USA Cream box. It's complete, + bonus trax; & is one of the best sounding cd sets I've ever heard. It apparantly has gone oop in the USA (there is a UK version; I don't know if it's the same excellent mastering)

Amazon is only showing a relatively expensive import (at least that's all that comes up for me in search)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001675SKS/?tag=imwan-20

At least 1 of the USA sets is on ebay.

This is the USA pressing:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000003TW3/?tag=imwan-20

Good prices for used, but at your link above (which should be the import pressing) there are several reputable third parties offering it for good prices in new condition. (All of the eBay listings are currently priced higher.)

I got that one on eBay and remember getting it for an insanely good price. Plus, the seller was only 3 hrs away from me.

Mr Fuse · 01 Dec 2006

The 2013 Japanese SHM Mono/Stereo Remasters are superior to all the other versions I have owned including the Hoffman DCC remaster.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

Not sure if you're referring to cd or SACD; but I would agree that the Japan SACD's are the best sounding Cream ever.

The old USA box is still very good for 44/16 imo. These albums were obviously very well recorded!

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

Geff R. wrote:

Unless it's real cheap, I would recommend trying to find the the original USA Cream box. It's complete, + bonus trax; & is one of the best sounding cd sets I've ever heard. It apparantly has gone oop in the USA (there is a UK version; I don't know if it's the same excellent mastering)

Amazon is only showing a relatively expensive import (at least that's all that comes up for me in search)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001675SKS/?tag=imwan-20

At least 1 of the USA sets is on ebay.

I bought that back in the early days of me being on ICE. It's a great set -- Cream complete on four CDs.

Linda · **Posted:** Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:55 pm

Linda wrote:

Geff R. wrote:

Unless it's real cheap, I would recommend trying to find the the original USA Cream box. It's complete, + bonus trax; & is one of the best sounding cd sets I've ever heard. It apparantly has gone oop in the USA (there is a UK version; I don't know if it's the same excellent mastering)

Amazon is only showing a relatively expensive import (at least that's all that comes up for me in search)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001675SKS/?tag=imwan-20

At least 1 of the USA sets is on ebay.

This is the USA pressing:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000003TW3/?tag=imwan-20

Good prices for used, but at your link above (which should be the import pressing) there are several reputable third parties offering it for good prices in new condition. (All of the eBay listings are currently priced higher.)

This is what the old box set looks like:

We have a cover image for the new Classic Album Selection box in the first post now. Still awaiting the full packshot, but it will definitely be a smallform box, a space saver.

Mr Fuse · 01 Dec 2006

Geff R. wrote:

Not sure if you're referring to cd or SACD; but I would agree that the Japan SACD's are the best sounding Cream ever.

The old USA box is still very good for 44/16 imo. These albums were obviously very well recorded!

The Japanese releases came in 3 formats, SHM, SHM Platinum and SHM SACD. I avoid SACD only format discs and the Platinum SHM reeked of snake oil, so I opted for the Redbook SHM CD versions. The discs came in MLPS and included B-Sides and outtakes. What made it essential for me was that "Fresh Cream" has the original Mono mix which up to then had never seen a CD release. The Mono mixes of that and "Disraeli Gears" are my preferred taste. The Stereo mixes never sounded good to my ears.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I like the SACD's. Good sound. I've also kept the box that Linda showws above, due to a few exclusive tracks & the great sound for cd.

Linda · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:38 pm

Bump: Added the tracklist to the first post. This will be a 5CD set, with Wheels Of Fire split over two discs.

ranasakawa · 26 Jan 2007

No bonus tracks or even B-Sides

ARK · **Joined:** 23 Mar 2013 **Posts:** 1323

ranasakawa wrote:

No bonus tracks or even B-Sides

Title of the last track in the set summarizes things for me. Go with the Those Were The Days set instead.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

ARK wrote:

ranasakawa wrote:

No bonus tracks or even B-Sides

Title of the last track in the set summarizes things for me. Go with the Those Were The Days set instead.

Linda · **Posted:** Tue Apr 12, 2016 3:07 am

Bump: Updated the image in the first post to the full packshot.

jimd · **Joined:** 30 Aug 2013 **Posts:** 8

It continues to amaze me that the record companies allow so many wonderful box sets like 'Those Were The Days' to go out of print.

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

Mr Fuse wrote:

Geff R. wrote:

Not sure if you're referring to cd or SACD; but I would agree that the Japan SACD's are the best sounding Cream ever.

The old USA box is still very good for 44/16 imo. These albums were obviously very well recorded!

The Japanese releases came in 3 formats, SHM, SHM Platinum and SHM SACD. I avoid SACD only format discs and the Platinum SHM reeked of snake oil, so I opted for the Redbook SHM CD versions. The discs came in MLPS and included B-Sides and outtakes. What made it essential for me was that "Fresh Cream" has the original Mono mix which up to then had never seen a CD release. The Mono mixes of that and "Disraeli Gears" are my preferred taste. The Stereo mixes never sounded good to my ears.

What is "SHM Platinum?"

Linda · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2016 5:10 pm

Dr. Chris Evil wrote:

Mr Fuse wrote:

Geff R. wrote:

Not sure if you're referring to cd or SACD; but I would agree that the Japan SACD's are the best sounding Cream ever.

The old USA box is still very good for 44/16 imo. These albums were obviously very well recorded!

The Japanese releases came in 3 formats, SHM, SHM Platinum and SHM SACD. I avoid SACD only format discs and the Platinum SHM reeked of snake oil, so I opted for the Redbook SHM CD versions. The discs came in MLPS and included B-Sides and outtakes. What made it essential for me was that "Fresh Cream" has the original Mono mix which up to then had never seen a CD release. The Mono mixes of that and "Disraeli Gears" are my preferred taste. The Stereo mixes never sounded good to my ears.

What is "SHM Platinum?"

SHM Platinum is supposedly even higher quality than SHM. It's the second tier -- SHM, SHM Platinum, SHM SACD.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I'd guess it's a different surface that may or may nor reduce timing jitter. SACD is an entirely different format.

Linda · **Posted:** Wed Apr 20, 2016 2:08 pm

The British pre-order price for the new Classic Album Selection box has dropped by £6, and is now only £12.99:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BHFW3LK/?tag=imwan-21

[2016-04-29] Cream "Classic Album Selection" 5CD box set (Polydor UK)

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