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Jack Bruce Composing Himself: The Authorised Biography
When Cream broke up in 1968 it was by no means a foregone conclusion that it would be Eric Clapton who would enjoy continued commercial success. After all, it was Jack Bruce who had the looks, and who co-wrote and sang all the band's major hits, including 'Sunshine Of Your Love', 'I Feel Free', and 'White Room'. But he was a singular talent who wanted to be a pioneer, not just a pop star, and he was never happy resting on his reputation.
Cream split in their prime but their influence endured, and when they reformed in 2005 tickets were selling for nearly £2,000 on e-bay. In the 40 years since Cream split Bruce has continued his musical adventures with the likes of John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Carla Bley, and Mick Taylor, never quite achieving the success and recognition he deserves. It has been an often troubled life – heroin addiction, management rip-offs, family tragedy, and a failed liver transplant, all of which he speaks about frankly in this book, telling a story that is sometimes funny, sometimes bleak, and always honest.
Cream split in their prime but their influence endured, and when they reformed in 2005 tickets were selling for nearly £2,000 on e-bay. In the 40 years since Cream split Bruce has continued his musical adventures with the likes of John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Carla Bley, and Mick Taylor, never quite achieving the success and recognition he deserves. It has been an often troubled life – heroin addiction, management rip-offs, family tragedy, and a failed liver transplant, all of which he speaks about frankly in this book, telling a story that is sometimes funny, sometimes bleak, and always honest.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 10, 2021
Interesting in parts, too long in others
This is an interesting a challenging book for anyone who might not be a utterly devoted Jack Bruce fan. If like me, you really only know Jack Bruce by his association with Cream, this book will probably disappoint as its scant on detail not already known, especially if you’ve read Eric and Ginger’s books.
Here I’m nitpicking, while this is an enjoyable read, and offers a glimpse into who Jack Bruce is, for me it has long passages about albums I hadn’t heard of. Maybe that’s the aim, to get me to go and listen to more Jack… I might just do that.
Read this if you love Jack Bruce, if you want some rails from Cream, read Wikipedia
This is an interesting a challenging book for anyone who might not be a utterly devoted Jack Bruce fan. If like me, you really only know Jack Bruce by his association with Cream, this book will probably disappoint as its scant on detail not already known, especially if you’ve read Eric and Ginger’s books.
Here I’m nitpicking, while this is an enjoyable read, and offers a glimpse into who Jack Bruce is, for me it has long passages about albums I hadn’t heard of. Maybe that’s the aim, to get me to go and listen to more Jack… I might just do that.
Read this if you love Jack Bruce, if you want some rails from Cream, read Wikipedia
Displaying 1 of 1 review