During the 60s many incredible bass players changed the course of Rock and Roll and one of them was certainly Cream’s bass player and singer Jack Bruce. He was an inspiration for countless musicians over the decades and a crucial part of the evolution of bass playing. During the next years many other power trios appeared and one of them was the Canadian Progressive Rock band Rush, which also had Geddy Lee a bassist/singer. But what is Geddy’s opinion on Jack Bruce and Cream?
What is Geddy Lee’s opinion on Jack Bruce and Cream
As expected, Geddy Lee is a huge fan of Cream and the late legendary bassist, singer and songwriter Jack Bruce. He was lucky enough to have seen them playing in Canada back in 1968 and since his friends didn’t want to go, he decided to go see them on his own. It was a life changing moment that became a huge inspiration for his career.
He recalled that in an interview with Sirius XM Classic Vinyl Influences show in 2013 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). “Cream sort of changed my life. They blew my mind and I remember they were coming to Toronto. I couldn’t get any of my friends interested to go see them, they were playing at Massey Hall and I went down and bought a ticket and I went by myself.”
“I just had to see them, they were such an important band to me. Jack Bruce’s bass playing was just out of this world. Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, I mean they were the ultimate trio. The most influential band in my entire career in many ways.”
“The day I bought the ticket I was walking through a department store, because it was chilly out. All the televisions in the TV department had shots of Robert Kennedy. It was the day that Robert Kennedy was shot. So it’s another thing that I sadly never forget, but Cream were a really incredible band to me. It was incredible to see them live back in the day,” Geddy Lee said.
Geddy Lee chose Jack Bruce as his “Rock God”
Geddy said many times that Cream and Jack Bruce’s bass playing was a huge inspiration for Rush in the early days of the band. He is such a big fan of his work that in an interview with BBC in 2019 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage), he chose Bruce as his “Rock God”.
“I was a very young, aspiring musician in Toronto, Canada. Jack Bruce’s bass parts that slipped behind Eric Clapton’s soloing always really grabbed my ear. I remember in 1969, seeing an advertisement for Cream coming to Toronto at the prestigious Massey Hall, which was our Opera house.”
“I went to Massey Hall, bought my single ticket and came back for that show. It was one of the strangest and greatest experiences of my life. Because I got a balcony seat. So I was overlooking the stage and I was so close to them. I remember being so enamored with them and watching Jack Bruce. So it was one of the greatest, most memorable shows I’ve ever seen. Then I went of course, to follow Jack Bruce’s solo career (after that),” Geddy Lee said.
Geddy Lee, of course, talked about Cream many times over the decades. Some of his favorite songs by them are: “White Room” and their versions for “Spoonful” and “Crossroads”. Curiously, Rush recorded a version for “Crossroads” on their 2004 covers album “Feedback”. The song was composed and first recorded by Robert Johnson in 1936.