A double album???? How audacious!!!! It was just a few years earlier that groups such as the Beatles were making an album into a thematic whole rather than a collection of hits. Now, here comes Cream, whose very name proclaims they are the best musicians (i.e., the cream) of the British music scene, recording just their third album, and they have the nerve to release it as a double!! What nerve! But, what a great album!! After 30+ years, most of this amazing music still holds up today. What's even more amazing is that many listeners at the time were awed by the "symphonic tracks" (i.e., those with violas and cellos), such as "Passing the Time" or "As You Said", but these have not stood the test of time as well as the "simpler" blues tracks such as "Politician" or "Born Under a Bad Sign". "White Room", of course, is the ultimate marriage of the symphonic (violas and tympani) and the blues (Eric's great guitar figures). Speaking of Mr. Clapton, some people need to be reminded that Cream was a group of three equal virtuosos and not just his backing band. (According to Chris Welch in his fine book simply entitled Cream, the brass at Atlantic Records thought the same thing; that Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker were Eric's backups just like the Bluesbreakers were to John Mayall.) On the live disc, the two "backups" were given a chance to strut their stuff, with Bruce turning in an outstanding "Traintime" and Baker with his drum opus "Toad". (Because of "Toad", concertgoers everywhere were treated to endless, ponderous drum solos by musicians not nearly as talented as Mr Baker.) The amazing "Crossroads" is still a radio staple today (the song is actually a medley of two Robert Johnson songs, "Crossroad Blues" and "Traveling Riverside Blues"). "Sitting on Top of the World" would make Howlin Wolf proud, while "Deserted Cities of the Heart" impresses with it's time and tempo changes (and, on Live Cream II, proves a surprisingly powerful live piece.) In all, a fabulous effort, influencing guitar players and seminal rock musicians for generations to come. Waste no time in letting Wheels roll into your collection at once!!!