Where should I start? For one thing this Gold series is the best thing that any company has done for classic rock music. I will be writing for the rest of the groups that I have in the Gold series. 5 stars would not do this justice. For a greatest hits CD this is the best you can get and probably will not get any better now or in the future. Lets start off this way, The Cream is one of the best early super groups around. So you will understand what I'm comparing this too, here is what I have, 1) Fresh Cream (Regular and the 24K Gold CDs). 2) Disraeli Gears (the regular, 24K Gold and Deluxe Edition CDs), 3) Wheels Of Fire (the regular, and 24K Gold CDs), 4) Goodbye Cream (Regular and 24K Gold CDs), 5&6) Live Cream and Live Cream II (regular and 24K Gold CDs). The Best of Cream (regular CD). So everyone understands regular CD means first releases, very little if any cleanup for CD issue. Now to top things off I have The Box set "Those Were The Days". All of this in the quest of getting the best sound quality Cream music. Yes I guess I could be considered a Cream fanatic. Just so you will understand there are other groups I have gone through this with. Buy the way for each of the upgrades they did get better. Topping off with the Deluxe Edition, which I believe is the ULTAMATE! But I seem to be going off on a tangent. So let me say this about the Cream: Gold, 1) They did an excellent job with covering their popular songs. There is more than enough for the casual and the most fanatic fan. 2) The equalization/Frequency response is unbelievably good. 3) The clarity/low distortion is fantastic. I have listen to this with an excellent sound system and a very good set of headsets and tape hiss was virtually removed (At least I could not hear it, those with better hearing may be able too). For those who are interested in Eric Clapton (the early days) along with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce this is the best way to get acquainted. This was well worth the money to get and I highly recommend it to everybody.

This is an ultimate at least for me,as far a good collection.All the hits and more plus the great live cd # 2 is good.But the sound is far superior to the others that came before.Now all we need is a eric clapton(gold)cd.With his old to the present as a soloist,something that I have not seen out there in the stores yet.I have a feeling its coming next from hip o records in the near future.So buy you will be happy with this investment of old rock and roll.They just don't make music like this anymore.

As I have bought these Gold collection cd's I have been disapointed beyond belief. The Aerosmith one had no 1970's material, the bands best era, what up with that, and all the others are just well not good at all!

On with Creams gold. Cream is one of rock and rolls all time biggest, best, and most influential bands of all time, and as time goes on the bands legacy only seems to grow! As generations past new ones seem to discover this band more and more. So its easy to understand how you could make a bad best of by Cream because of how many important songs that band made, but Gold hit the nail on the head.

Not only doe this collection cover the bands big hits like 'Sunshine Of your Love' 'I Feel Free' 'Strange Brew' 'Im So Glad' and 'White Room' but they also put the real classics here like 'Badge' 'SWALBR' 'Tales Of Brave Ulyssis' and 'World Of Pain' which is amazing because those are the bands best songs and they often get left off of best of's and its a real let down, but once again the Gold collection came through here and delivered the goods, and boy did they deliver them right!

As I sit and think about what this collection could have to make it better im cant think of anything, usually I would say maybe a few live tracks, but here you get a whole nother disc dedicated to live material which is great here because live performances is what Cream was known for, so no complaints there.

As far as im concerned this is the best Cream collection out there, with out the box set anyways, so if you want to get into Cream this is the way to go!

I recommend the album be revised for future releases. I will go through Cream's four albums and discuss changes that I think should be made.

Fresh Cream:

ADD: Spoonful. This studio version has been featured on every previous Cream collection (Best of Cream, Heavy Cream, Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream, The Very Best of Cream, Those Were the Days, 20th Century Masters: The Millenium Collection: The Best of Cream). Perhaps this cut is not being included because the live version is on disc two, but both versions are necessary (much like N.S.U., Sunshine of Your Love, and I'm So Glad, each of which is featured in both studio and live versions). "Spoonful" should be placed after all "Fresh Cream" tracks and before any "Disraeli Gears" tracks.

Disraeli Gears:

ADD: Dance the Night Away. This was Cream's breakthrough album, and part of the reason I think this "Gold" collection is so excellent is that it contains six of the songs from that album. However, this is clearly one of the best from that album, and it is absent here.

ADD: Outside Woman Blues. Place between "SWLABR" and "We're Going Wrong."

REMOVE: World of Pain. This is a good song, but it is not as strong as the two aforementioned, so in order to make space for those, it should be removed.

Wheels of Fire:

REMOVE: Passing the Time. Just as this is the only Cream collection without the studio cut of "Spoonful," this is also the only Cream collection with this sub-par track. It is clearly one if their weaker songs, and it should be removed.

Goodbye:

Remove: "Doing the Scrapyard Thing," "What a Bringdown." Cream's final album was a disappointment to critics and fans alike. The only one of the three studio cuts from the album (the other tracks were live) that has earned any recognition is "Badge." The other two cuts are superfluous, weakening both that album and this collection. Cutting them, "World of Pain," and "Passing the Time" to make room for "Spoonful," "Dance the Night Away," and "Outside Woman Blues" would be a good choice.

Disc two of the collection is nearly perfect. It is such a gift to us Cream fans that Cream's best live moments have been compiled onto a single disc. Live Cream releases over the years felt like quickly thrown together collections intended to capitalize on the popularity of Cream without giving the musicians the respect they deserve. Not here. The only minor complaint I have here is "I'm So Glad," which was recorded later than the rest of the tracks and feels out of place. Still, this is a great disc, of which there are not enough superlatives for.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review, and please leave me helpful feedback of you agree with the changes I suggest.

The sound quality of these recordings are fantastic. Great album, great songs, great band. This album is a must get.