Around The Next Dream

Of course there will always be comparisons with Cream, but BBM is not BBC. That doesn't mean that this is in anyway an inferior product, it's a different product; Gary Moore was his own man and didn't simply show-up as a substitute Eric Clapton. There are of course similarities to Cream but for each there is a counter similarity to Moore's own blues catalogue.All of that said, opener "Waiting in the Wings" and second track "City of Gold" are straight out of the Cream-style blues playbook, whereas third track, the ballad "Where in the World" stands closer comparison with Moore's "Parisienne Walkways" in its raw emotion and quality. Fourth track is another that could be from the Moore catalogue, "Can’t Fool the Blues" wouldn't have been out of place on one of Gary Moore's solo blues albums: "Still Got The Blues" or perhaps "After Hours". "High Cost of Loving" however belongs only in the BBM catalogue with Jack Bruce on vocal duties as Moore solos letting notes pour out; and then it's back to early Cream with the simple [and loud] anthemic "Glory Days", but I don't like the call-to-arms trumpet call, it's unnecessary and doesn't add anything for me.I am sure that I've heard the opening of the ballad "Why Does Love (Have to Go Wrong?)" somewhere before but can't put my finger on where. Notwithstanding that this is perhaps the most complex track here, and at eight and a half minutes long it's also the longest and that gives Messrs Bruce, Baker and Moore a chance to cut free and given that chance there's no holding them back as they rock out for the final three minutes, [today at least] this is probably my favourite track. I don't like the Gary Moore penned ballad "Naked Flame" that follows, it's dominated by the sound of the Hammond organ, that is until Moore unleashes his plaintive guitar solo wringing the blues from his fretboard, sorry this is one I can live without.The cover of Albert King's "I Wonder Why (Are You So Mean to Me?)" is another that could have come from one of Moore's solo albums, but in this company it's not that exciting despite Moore's frenetic but workaday [for him at least] fireworks. The final track, in the original set, "Wrong Side of Town" is another Moore penned ballad and is not for me, it's a real nose dive; Bruce takes vocal duties and that's a positive, but it's all a bit lounge-jazzy, it never takes-off and like "Naked Flame" it's drenched in swirling keyboards and that's a no-no and a disappointing way to end an otherwise largely exciting blues-rock set.Fortunately though my 2002 reissue has four bonus tracks so I don't have to finish on the "Wrong Side of Town". The first of these is the Moore penned "Danger Zone", it's a pretty standard Moore blues-rocker with limited lyrics and a soaring solo, it's Ok but there are better tracks in the original set. Peter Green's "World Keeps on Turning" is the second and is less rocky and more bluesy than many of the other tracks here, it's better than good and [IMO] should have made the original final cut as Moore is given the time and space to cut loose and soar. Next a down and dirty live run through of the country blues standard "Sitting on Top of the World" that Cream, inter alia, had previously covered; and finally a live reprise of track nine "I Wonder Why (Are You So Mean to Me?)" that's more exciting than the studio cut.And that's it, the only release from what turned out to be a one-off super-group. I bought "Around the Next Dream" after hearing a track or two on the radio many, many years ago [I don't remember which one(s)]; and to be honest since then I haven't revisited it many times. But listening again on a whim today I realise that this is one that shouldn't have been gathering dust for the last fifteen years or so, yes there are a couple of clunkers and that's why it's only four stars, but there are also some golden nuggets.

Creamy daze! For all those who wanted more Cream on their musical dessert, here is a fantastic second helping! A great amalgam of Cream and Gary Moore - a superb mixture!Track 1 - Waiting in the Wings - rock at its best, as good as White Room (and ever so slightly similar?) with brilliant vocals and guitar;Track 2 - City of Gold - another classic Cream style track - could have graced any Cream album - certainly of that standard.Track 3 - Where in the World - more of a ballad in the Gary Moore classic "Parisienne Walkways" style - excellent, great melody, great hook;Track 4 - Can't Fool the Blues - ballsy rocky slab of blues really chucks it at you;Track 5 - High Cost of Living - a little bit of funk rolled in some blues and dusted with powerful JB vocals and screaming GM guitar (that guitar seems to have a life of its own!);Track 6 - Glory Days - anthemic! - back to Fresh Cream/early Cream - a great big sound, strangely familiar and instantly likeable/recognisable - shades of GM's "Out in the Fields" but with extra Cream;Track 7 - Why does love (have to go wrong) - great crowd pleaser (I detect faint recollections of Sympathy by Rare Bird in the quieter bits) - (Incidentally check out Rare Bird for a fantastic but now wholly obscure sound! Join the cult or just the niche?) - anyway track 7 is brilliant with a great instrumental work out at the end;Track 8 - Naked Flame - beautiful slow number, great vocals, great lyrics - modern paean to love - much angst - quavering Hammond keyboards etc followed by GM off the leash again! You can't stop him - he clearly enjoyed this very much - virtuoso contemporalis;Track 9 - I Wonder Why (are you so mean to me) - straight back down to earth blues again - more GM blues than Cream rock - no nonsense "gets the job done" blues. GM probably wrote this in his sleep!;Track 10 - Wrong Side of Town - change of style again - these guys keep us moving! JB ballad (could be covered by Sting) - JB vocals stretched slightly but he gets away with it - hardly any sign of GM here - not my favourite but still listenable;Track 11 - Danger Zone - back to mid-stream Moore/Cream - substantial blues rocker but there is better on this album;Track 12 - The World keeps on Turnin - great exercise/work out for GM - enjoyable blues number - "Cryin" "Woman" "Lovin" "Turnin" - I wish I could play guitar like that.Track 13 - Sittin On Top of the World - Cream number from Wheels of Fire - Live version - well up to Cream standards.Track 14 - I Wonder Why - Great live version of Track 9 - somewhat faster and benefits from it. Can't complain.So there it is - a great big giant album chock full of quality songs. Rock and Blues and Blues and Rock and a bit of Ballad thrown in for good measure. Gary Moore as good as Eric on this and some times it even works better than EC. More Cream than Cream?? Certainly Gary seems to wring every last ounce out of his guitar as if he's forcing it to speak and scream. This album must be one of the great hidden masterpieces and it can be yours for the price of a pint! What are you waiting for?!PS - apologies for all the exclamation marks but my word - it does deserve them!!!!!!!!!!This is just amazing quality

I have to agree with many of the other reviews, in that this is a really good album. Ok, there are comparisons with Cream, and with Gary Moore's solo work, but that is no bad thing.There are some very good songs, needless to say exceptionally well played. Moore's vocals are not that great, but he does play some fine guitar.Bruce's vocals are up to his usual high standard.The blues numbers are quite "heavy", but not as much as some of Moore's solo works, and the quality of Bruce and Baker as the rhythm section is, of course, second to none. Tommy Eyre is also included on keyboards (ex- Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, and a fine player).To sum up, I would say the album is a selection of some strong songs (one or two of which do sound very Cream like), some fairly typical Gary Moore blues covers, and top quality playing from seasoned professionals!My guess is that this line-up got Messrs. Bruce and Baker thinking about putting Cream back together!Recommended, and certainly at this price (£3.93)!