I'm not sure what's most surprising...that there was a Cream reunion at all, or that they waited almost 40 years to do it, especially when anyone of even the remotest musical influence have reunited for big-buck nostalgia tours over the past 20 years. Think about it...even the surviving Beatles got back together (in a roundabout way) when they re-recorded two John Lennon songs for their "Anthology" series. Not Cream. They made a few classic albums, did some legendary concerts, then promptly split up, leaving a legacy that was never once revisited until last spring, when Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce & Eric Clapton played four nights at London's Royal Albert Hall, now preserved on this great-looking & sounding two-disc DVD from Rhino.

I'll confess I've never been a huge fan of Cream, but I've always respected their enormous influence, particularly on the genre that would eventually become heavy metal. No sane person would ever call Cream's music heavy metal, but they are the original "power trio" who laid the initial blues-based groundwork for Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Rush, etc. They also had a legendary knack for in-concert improvisation that arguably inspired countless other non-metal artists to indulge themselves on stage throughout the 70s. The band perform 19 songs, ranging from classic blues tunes, to rarely played album cuts like "Pressed Rat and Warthog," to the proto-metal hits like "White Room" & "Sunshine of Your Love." Highlights include their first live performance of "Badge" (from their final album), and blistering rendition of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads." Ginger Baker's drum solo during the instrumental, "Toad," still goes on forever, but I'm sure most Cream fans wouldn't have it any other way. Musically, the band sound as good as they did in their heyday, maybe even better. Clapton's guitar work is truly inspired; he hasn't sounded this good in 20 years, and he tears up the fret board like it was still 1968, reminding the uninitiated that he was once worthy of the claim, "Clapton is God." As a visual performance, however, Cream has never been what anyone would call an exciting band. Unless you're a die-hard disciple, 130 minutes of watching these guys go through their paces isn't something that would warrant too many repeated viewings (especially Baker's solo). Clapton remains the most dynamic performer of the group; he makes his exemplary solos look effortless, and even after all these years, what he can do with a guitar is jaw-dropping.

This widescreen presentation of their performance looks outstanding, presented in high definition video. At times, you almost feel like you were there for these shows. The audio is even better, rendered in 5.1 DTS Surround. This is a great disc with which to crank up and show to others what your home theater system is capable of.

The best supplemental feature is a 15 minute interview with Bruce, Baker & Clapton, who discuss how & why they decided to reunite, how their rehearsals went, and also teasingly hint that there's more to come in the future, such as a tour of the U.S. (Wouldn't THAT be cool?) Also included are alternate takes of "Sleepy Time Time," "We're Going Home" & "Sunshine of Your Love," drawn from performances not selected as part of the feature length program.

The guys in Cream have aged quite a bit (Baker looks like he's ready for a retirement home), but their skills are still sharp as ever, and watching them take the stage together for the first time in nearly 40 years is a treat. Anyone who loves their music, as well as the band's attitude toward it, will enjoy this 2-disc set. As for those who think Clapton has lost his creative fire, they need only to check out the opening song to realize he may very-well still be God. Useless Trivia: Look quick for shots of various celebrities in the audience, such as Jude Law, Sean Penn and Queen's Brian May.