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Ginger Baker at His Best. (1972) Stratavarious. (1974) Ginger Baker at His Best was part of a set of four double albums consisting of selected individual and collective output of the British rock band Cream and that of its three members. The albums were released in 1972.
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- Hank Shteamer
- Cream, “White Room” (1968) Baker’s signature style is all over his playing on this Jack Bruce classic. He lays down a heavy groove during the verses, spelling out the backbeat with the bass drum, snare drum, and hi-hat, but he throws in little ornaments — quick micro-rolls on the snare, tumbling tom fills — that give the part a loping, intensely funky swagger.
- Cream, “Spoonful (Live)” (1968) Cream shone brightest onstage, where the three virtuosos had room to really dig into their material. Willie Dixon’s blues staple “Spoonful,” made famous by Howlin’ Wolf, was an ideal launchpad for the group, and on this nearly 17-minute version from San Francisco’s Winterland, you can hear Baker guiding the band from a sparse half-time shuffle to an incendiary hard-rock churn and back.
- Blind Faith, “Do What You Like” (1969) Baker and Clapton carried that exploratory spirit into their next band, Blind Faith, and the 15-minute, Baker-penned finale from their lone, self-titled LP showed how comfortable they were letting the moment guide them.
- Ginger Baker’s Air Force, “Aiko Biaye” (1970) After Cream and Blind Faith, Baker burrowed deeper into his singular blend of influences, and the first album by his group Air Force — a raw, celebratory set touching on African music, raucous funk, and driving psychedelic rock — plays like an extended glimpse into his musical mind.
- "Toad" Cream. From: 'Fresh Cream' (1966) Every component of Baker's skill and talent is on display as the other two members of Cream, after a brief intro, sit back for this lengthy drum showcase.
- "White Room" Cream. From: 'Wheels of Fire' (1968) Baker leads Cream from a mysterious 5/4 intro into the song's rumbling main 4/4 rhythm, and from there Pete Brown's acid-trip freakout lyrics and Eric Clapton's wah-wah tend to sit center stage.
- "Had to Cry Today" Blind Faith. From: 'Blind Faith' (1969) A triumph of episodic construction, "Had to Cry Today" comes off as a something akin to prog blues.
- "Sunshine of Your Love" Cream. From: 'Disreali Gears' (1967) Cream's highest-charting U.S. single is dominated by a thundering Jimi Hendrix-inspired riff and Baker's ferocious work on the toms.
Ginger Baker at His Best (1972) Stratavarious (Polydor, 1972) Eleven Sides of Baker (Mountain/Sire, 1976/1977) From Humble Oranges (CDG, 1983) Horses & Trees (Celluloid, 1986) No Material (ITM, 1989) Middle Passage (Axiom, 1990) Unseen Rain (Day Eight, 1992) Ginger Baker's Energy (ITM, 1992) Going Back Home (Atlantic, 1994) Ginger Baker The ...
Discover At His Best by Ginger Baker released in 1972. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
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Oct 6, 2019 · By Christopher R. Weingarten. Oct. 6, 2019. Ginger Baker, who died Sunday at the age of 80, was an architect of rock drumming, spilling across tom-toms with both power and nuance.
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Oct 7, 2019 · A proper bleedin’ paper.”. The World’s Most Irascible Drummer swivels a notch. He is evidently in pain from the chronic osteo-arthritis in his back, hips and knees, which he has long kept at bay with pills, potions, painkillers and heavy doses of prescription morphine. Ginger Baker is also very deaf, and his eyesight is none too good either.
