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Jack Bruce (Cream bassist) Unloads on Zeppelin.

VeddernarianVeddernarian Posts: 1,924
edited November 2008 in Other Music
Article 1: http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2008/cream-man-blasts-led-zeppelin

Cream Man Blasts Led Zeppelin
added 06 November 2008 at 11.25

Zep are “crap”, says Jack Bruce, before attempting to retract his statement. “You mustn’t criticise the Queen or Led Zeppelin in the UK”, he mumbled…

It seems like there’s one person in the UK who isn’t too thrilled that Led Zeppelin got back together. That man is Jack Bruce, lead singer of 60s pioneering blues-rock outfit Cream.

In an interview with Classic Rock, Bruce slammed the O2 re-union show and said Zep guitarist Jimmy Page was ‘crap’.

“They played one fucking gig – one fucking lame gig – while Cream did weeks of gigs.. Fuck off, Zeppelin, you’re crap. You’ve always been crap and you’ll never be anything else.

“What? You’re gonna compare Eric Clapton with that fucking Jimmy Page... Eric’s good and Jimmy’s crap. And with that I rest my case”.

Funnily enough, Bruce’s grumpy comments have caused a bit of a stir which may or may not have spurred him into a retraction of sorts. On Detroit radio station WCSX yesterday, the frontman pushed his foot further into his mouth with the following choice quotes…

"I was just having some fun with the press gallery really… being fairly tongue in cheek… the thing about Zeppelin is obviously it's a little bit of jealousy on my part… the audience was created by Cream and Jimi Hendrix… then Zeppelin came along and had a very easy ride in that way”.

He was also having a bit of a laugh when he wheeled this one out…

“The one good guy in that band is dead… so what are you gonna do? In Britain you mustn’t criticise the Queen or Led Zeppelin.”

In a small bit of Zeppelin news, Jack will be overjoyed to hear that former Soundgarden man Chris Cornell is reportedly in the frame for Robert Plant’s job. It’s news, even, to Cornell himself…

"I have not been approached so far to fill in for Robert on the upcoming Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be," Cornell told MTV.

There’s that rumour scotched, then…
Up here so high I start to shake, Up here so high the sky I scrape, I've no fear but for falling down, So look out below I am falling now, Falling down,...not staying down, Could’ve held me up, rather tear me down, Drown in the river
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  • VeddernarianVeddernarian Posts: 1,924
    Article 2:
    Jack Bruce: "the only decent guy in Led Zeppelin is dead"
    Cream bassist continues attack

    Michael Leonard, Thu 6 Nov, 12:33 pm UTC


    Zeppelin, with "decent guy" John Bonham pictured left

    View in gallery
    Cream's bassist Jack Bruce is continuing to wage a war of words on Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin.

    Not content with the controversy he caused by his comments at the Classic Rock Awards, Bruce has now given an interview to Detroit classic rock radio station WCSX, and again criticises Zeppelin for their reunion show at London's O2 in December 2007.

    "They hijacked that gig because it was supposed to be a tribute to [late Atlantic label boss] Ahmet Ertegun," says Bruce. "We [Cream] were going to be playing it: it was going to be at the Royal Albert Hall, with the Stones playing too, but they hijacked it and made it into a sort of Zeppelin gig.

    "Eric [Clapton] and I decided we didn't want to be a part of it. They moved it to the O2, and it had gone in the wrong direction for us as a tribute to Ahmet."

    "Jimmy Page ain't no Eric Clapton… the only decent guy in that band is dead." Jack Bruce
    "Obviously, there's a little bit of jealousy on my part with Zeppelin, more than a little bit. The audience was created by Cream and Jimi Hendrix, and Zeppelin came along and had a very easy ride. We were the pioneers, and pioneers often don't get the recognition they deserve.

    "And let's face it, Jimmy Page ain't no Eric Clapton… the only decent guy in that band is dead."

    Bruce laughs in the interview, adding "you know my sense of humour".

    Though MusicRadar does wonder why he's even starting this 'joke' feud now? Bruce is 65 years old.
    Up here so high I start to shake, Up here so high the sky I scrape, I've no fear but for falling down, So look out below I am falling now, Falling down,...not staying down, Could’ve held me up, rather tear me down, Drown in the river
  • VeddernarianVeddernarian Posts: 1,924
    Article 3: http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/page/classicrock?entry=led_zeppelin_you_re_crap

    'Led Zeppelin, you’re crap. You’ve always been crap and you’ll never be anything else'


    Jack Bruce (above) picked up the Classic Album gong for Cream’s Disraeli Gears at last night's Classic Rock awards.

    After the ceremony Dave Ling grabbed Bruce for a quickfire interview – and was stunned when the legendary bassist launched into an extraordinary anti-Led Zeppelin tirade.

    Here's a transcript of what transpired…

    The million dollar question: Are Cream going to do anything again?
    Oh yeah, I’m sure we will. But we’ll have Todd Rundgren [who’s just walked by] in the band by then.

    It’s good news that there might be more from Cream.
    Well, the trouble is that I’m doing so many amazing things on my own. Cream is just a band from many, many years ago, and we did do something [referring to the reunion shows in 2005]… Everybody talks about Led Zeppelin, and they played one fucking gig – one fucking lame gig – while Cream did weeks of gigs; proper gigs, not just a lame gig like Zeppelin did, with all the [vocal] keys lowered and everything. We played everything in the original keys. [Becoming animated]: Fuck off, Zeppelin, you’re crap. You’ve always been crap and you’ll never be anything else. The worst thing is that people believe the crap that they’re sold. Cream is 10 times the band that Led Zeppelin is.

    That’s a bold opinion.
    What? You’re gonna compare Eric Clapton with that fucking Jimmy Page? Would you really compare that?

    To be fair, they’re different kinds of player, aren’t they?
    No! Eric’s good and Jimmy’s crap. And with that I rest my case.

    Are you having a good time this evening?
    Sure. Yeah. I always have a good time, but especially tonight.

    Especially tonight? So do you go to a lot of awards ceremonies?
    No. I don’t go to anything. I’m not allowed out. I’m not even allowed in.

    So what made you come along to this?
    My wife and my kids insisted.

    Why did they insist? Do they like magazine?
    They like the magazine, yeah. I like your magazine, too. But that doesn’t mean I have to go along to your awards.

    So who have you spent quality time with?
    I met a lot of old friends. Jeff Beck. Gary Moore – loads and loads of people that I don’t often see. It’s nice to catch up with them again. Ozzy’s here and it’s really nice.

    The atmosphere is quite chilled-out.
    It’s excellent. No pressure. It’s quite different to the Grammys, though the Oscars are good.

    So Disraeli Gears is now 41 years old.
    Is it really? Wow.

    It doesn’t seem like 41 years?
    No. It seems much longer than that.

    It must be an album you’re still proud of?
    Of course. Albums like that are timeless. If you make something great – and Disraeli Gears is great, in its own way – it lasts forever. Nobody says Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony sounds dated, do they?
    Up here so high I start to shake, Up here so high the sky I scrape, I've no fear but for falling down, So look out below I am falling now, Falling down,...not staying down, Could’ve held me up, rather tear me down, Drown in the river
  • Gonzo1977Gonzo1977 Posts: 1,696
    I think Jack Bruce needs to lay off the fucking sauce.
  • Who PrincessWho Princess out here in the fields Posts: 7,305
    I don't know why everybody's made such a fuss about this. Jack's always enjoyed saying crazy things. He's just having a good time with a gullible journalist. When you've been asked the same boring questions so many times, it must be hard not to mess with people:

    So Disraeli Gears is now 41 years old.
    Is it really? Wow.

    It doesn’t seem like 41 years?
    No. It seems much longer than that. :p
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • MojopinMojopin Posts: 216
    That's actually hilarious. :D

    Mojo
    "A consistently good band works all the different elements well. A song has to appeal sentimentally, intellectually, physically, viscerally, and dig deep down into your soul and suck you into it. And after that, of course, it'd be a matter of taste." ~ Kim Thayil from Soundgarden
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    Jack \ wrote:
    Albums like that are timeless. If you make something great – and Disraeli Gears is great, in its own way – it lasts forever. Nobody says Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony sounds dated, do they?
    Did he really just compare Cream to Beethoven? What an idiot...
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • cc10106cc10106 Posts: 385
    Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker are notorious assholes, Clapton well ya know already. Might help explain why Cream didn't last very long. That said, that band was revolultionary and was definitely one of the best bands from Britain in regards to sheer musicianship/talent individually and collectively. Think of it as the well-trained jazz musician crowd turning their noses up on what was a bunch of guys that just flat out rocked and weren't necessarily all about technical ability (Bonham is unfuckwithable though).

    LZ was fairly sloppy live more often than not, but not in a bad way necessarily. Perhaps that was on purpose i don't know. Their sound had plenty of rough edges to it. There's a tangible energy and real-ness to what they did - you could feel it. They were a band, Cream was a group of ridiculously skillled musicians that didn't get along. Both have their place in the pantheon.

    Bruce's comment about them and Hendrix paving the way for LZ holds a lot of water, particularly for the American audience. VH1 Classic did a series (name escapes me now) recently on 5 or 6 periods of music, and in one they focus on Cream exclusively for a while. It explains well the effect they had on the scene.
  • Gonzo1977Gonzo1977 Posts: 1,696
    Joke or not...This is a no win situation for Jack Bruce and he's only going to make himself look like a total chump if he continues step in this pile of dog shit that he's created for himself.

    Cream is a well respected band, they're in the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame...

    There's no need for this, and I hope this waterhead comes to his senses and realizes that these comments are only going to make him seem like a deragned and jealous old fart.

    Clapton probably want's to beat the holy shit out of him after this whole debacle.
  • cc10106cc10106 Posts: 385
    Cream didn't need to be in the RnR HoF to be respected. I seriously hope that doesn't affect peoples' opinions of bands - whether they make it in or not. Bruce needs to stfu already though, no doubt. Talk about raining on another's parade. In his defense, atleast he didn't make a record with fucking Puff Daddy. That one still boggles my mind, wtf was Jimmy thinking? I hope the money was worth it man.
  • Bushleaguer28Bushleaguer28 Posts: 776
    Wow Bruce - Jealous much?

    I like how he describes Clapton as "good" - the word good doesnt come close to describing Clapton - he is far better than "good" can ever get across. So in trying to insult Jimmy Page he insulted Slowhand as well.

    I think next time Bruce does an interview he needs to leave the JD at home so he avoids sounding like a complete fool again.

    Cream was a great band in their own right - so was Zep. Comparing bands to try to figure out whos better is apples and oranges - there is just no point to it. All I know is that LedZep's sound spoke for itself - they didnt need any help from Cream's music to get an audience as Bruce suggested.

    And saying the "one good guy from that band is dead" shows how little class this whole rant has.
    http://mastersofourdomain.blogspot.com/

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  • pjfan020pjfan020 Posts: 426
    i think it's funny how he talks about cream doing weeks of touring when they got back together...he also forgets to mention how they weren't amazing sounding. Their reunion show lacks a lot of energy and I think jack thinks they still sound better than they do. Clapton is another story though..he sounded great on most of that show. Jack's just jealous and that's it. If he's pissed because more people listen to Zeppelin than Cream then he's a got a big issue for a 65 year old.
    "Tonight we're just gonna play you some good old American Rock and Roll." tom petty-7-15-05
  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 30,736
    i thought this old goat was dead allready :eek: ...
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • i am a targeti am a target Posts: 808
    "Jimmy Page is crap."

    says the fucking BASS player.
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    "When I hear a group like Led Zeppelin - without being derogatory about them - I'm not hearing any new riffs coming out of that style of band which I didn't hear put down four years ago."


    Mitch Mitchell, 1971
  • rriversrrivers Posts: 3,698
    In Clapton's book, he says he didn't like Zeppelin either, but I don't remember it coming off like Bruce did. I know Clapton didn't want to be in a band that relied heavily on riffs and I think that was one of the reasons he left Cream. He was always much more into the blues.
    "We're fixed good, lamp-wise."
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    "When I hear a group like Led Zeppelin - without being derogatory about them - I'm not hearing any new riffs coming out of that style of band which I didn't hear put down four years ago."


    Mitch Mitchell, 1971
    Even their non blues rip-off songs were rip-offs. As I'm sure you know, Randy California wrote Stairway to Heaven, not Jimmy Page :p

    Also I hear Going to California was stolen from Given to Fly ;)
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • wcsmithwcsmith Posts: 165
    It's really annoying when people argue that Zeppelin = riffs, or the whole "Zeppelin ripped people off" thing. If you were a blues-based, hard rock band back in England in the 60's, that's just what you did. You liberally borrowed songs, melodies, lyrics, etc. from blues musicians (See The Rolling Stones, Free, The Yardbirds, et al). And in terms of the "Zep had no original riffs" thing, LZ was far more than a collection of riffs (Your Time is Gonna Come, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Battle of Evermore, The Rain Song, Ten Years Gone, Black Country Woman, just to name a few) and while they did sound somewhat sloppy live, it's a little hyperbolic to call Jimmy Page and Robert Plant "crap". And for a real musician (which I believe Jack Bruce is indeed a good musician) to call John Paul Jones "crap" is utterly and completely ridiculous.
    "I'll ride the wave where it takes me"
  • wardenwarden Posts: 99
    I didn't really have an opinion on Jack Bruce.... but now I do. He sounds like a confused old man who who's just pounding the bottle.

    Led Zeppelin >>>>>>>>>>>>> Cream and it's not even close. Clapton was the only reason Cream was any good. Plus, Bruce is probably the weak member of Cream since Ginger Baker is a solid drummer.
  • patrickredeyespatrickredeyes Posts: 8,834
    Way to go Jack. :)
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    rrivers wrote:
    In Clapton's book, he says he didn't like Zeppelin either, but I don't remember it coming off like Bruce did. I know Clapton didn't want to be in a band that relied heavily on riffs and I think that was one of the reasons he left Cream. He was always much more into the blues.
    Clapton is full of crap and always has been. Certainly the least pure purist I've ever heard. He left the Yardbirds to make pure blues music, ended up in Cream, left Cream to make pure blues music, ended up in Blind Faith and so on. Now he just makes adult contemporary radio blues pop.

    I don't like Zeppelin OR Cream but at least Zep had some balls about them. They knew they were hacks, not Robert Johnson, and they just wanted to make hard rocking music.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Clapton is full of crap and always has been. Certainly the least pure purist I've ever heard. He left the Yardbirds to make pure blues music, ended up in Cream, left Cream to make pure blues music, ended up in Blind Faith and so on. Now he just makes adult contemporary radio blues pop.

    I don't like Zeppelin OR Cream but at least Zep had some balls about them. They knew they were hacks, not Robert Johnson, and they just wanted to make hard rocking music.


    I never liked Cream. The poncy whimsicality of Pete Brown's lyrics, sung in Bruce's smug whine, with those strangled falsetto "Ahhhhhs" in the background, led the way for prog's most pompous yet least creative excesses. I far preferred the Elvin Jones-inspired creativity of Mitch Mitchell to Ginger Baker's five cowbells called Pamela and their daughter (which sometimes seemed to cover up for some kind of basic lack of musical empathy). And even though I found Bonham a bit unsubtle at times, it was his taste I was questioning, and never his ability. He was a monster of a virtuoso.

    Bruce could play bass, for sure, but once Larry Graham came along, his style of playing sounded old. And as for Clapton, if I want slowhand, I'll listen to Peter Green, the maestro of tone.

    Zep are Zep. I like to tease Zep obsessives but they were fun, a lot of the time. Cream, on the other hand, were the epitome of a neurotic Lahhhhhhndun muso clique.
  • Who PrincessWho Princess out here in the fields Posts: 7,305
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    I never liked Cream. The poncy whimsicality of Pete Brown's lyrics, sung in Bruce's smug whine, with those strangled falsetto "Ahhhhhs" in the background, led the way for prog's most pompous yet least creative excesses. I far preferred the Elvin Jones-inspired creativity of Mitch Mitchell to Ginger Baker's five cowbells called Pamela and their daughter (which sometimes seemed to cover up for some kind of basic lack of musical empathy). And even though I found Bonham a bit unsubtle at times, it was his taste I was questioning, and never his ability. He was a monster of a virtuoso.

    Bruce could play bass, for sure, but once Larry Graham came along, his style of playing sounded old. And as for Clapton, if I want slowhand, I'll listen to Peter Green, the maestro of tone.

    Zep are Zep. I like to tease Zep obsessives but they were fun, a lot of the time. Cream, on the other hand, were the epitome of a neurotic Lahhhhhhndun muso clique.
    Even though I don't agree with everything you're saying I must say this is an outstanding post. Kudos.
    And I am always pleased to see someone recommending one of my fave guitarists, Peter Green. :)
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    whoprincess wrote:
    Even though I don't agree with everything you're saying I must say this is an outstanding post. Kudos.
    And I am always pleased to see someone recommending one of my fave guitarists, Peter Green. :)


    I saw Peter Green soon after his comeback in 1996, at Cambridge Junction. Cozy Powell was on drums!
  • Kilgore_TroutKilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    wow... if only chris had rested on his laurels a bit longer... making decent/mediocre, unappreciated music like "carry on"... he couldve used touring with zeppelin to launch him back into the spotlight instead of whoring himself out to timbaland...

    at this point the pairing just makes both seem all the more pathetic... though id probably still pay to see it :D

    EDIT: sorry to hijack the thread and turn it into yet another CC bashing... i just found that part to be the most interesting
    "Senza speme vivemo in disio"

    http://seanbriceart.com/
  • kenny olavkenny olav Posts: 3,319
    old people are funny bastards. that's all there is to this.
  • reeferchiefreeferchief Posts: 3,569
    Cream bassist unloads on Zeppelin, my mind is sick, sick I tell ye.:p
    Can not be arsed with life no more.
  • Kilgore_TroutKilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    reeferchief wrote:
    Cream bassist unloads on Zeppelin, my mind is sick, sick I tell ye.:p
    especially if you move "cream" right after "unloads" :D
    "Senza speme vivemo in disio"

    http://seanbriceart.com/
  • Who PrincessWho Princess out here in the fields Posts: 7,305
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    I saw Peter Green soon after his comeback in 1996, at Cambridge Junction. Cozy Powell was on drums!
    That sounds like a great show!

    Cozy was a helluva drummer. When I saw Jeff Beck in the 80s his touring band featured Cozy and Max Middleton on piano. RIP Cozy. :(
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • KannKann Posts: 1,146
    reeferchief wrote:
    Cream bassist unloads on Zeppelin, my mind is sick, sick I tell ye.:p
    I was afraid I was the only one to see that, made me feel sick as well :)
    And the point of all this is : everyone needs to retire at some point, including musicians. I enjoy both cream and led zeppelin, but honestly leave the place for new bands.
  • nuffingmannuffingman Posts: 3,014
    Kann wrote:
    And the point of all this is : everyone needs to retire at some point, including musicians. I enjoy both cream and led zeppelin, but honestly leave the place for new bands.
    Why??????????????
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