On the one hand it must have seemed like a perversely appropriate gesture on the part of
Chris Goss. Having received a variety of comparisons to
Cream after
Masters of Reality's first album came out, thanks in large part to
Goss' vocal resemblance to
Jack Bruce, none other than legendary British drummer and
Cream veteran
Ginger Baker took over the sticks on the group's sophomore effort. Far from being mere wish-fulfillment, though,
Baker's abilities help supercharge the mighty and underrated
Sunrise on the Sufferbus to a higher level.
Baker's lost none of his power -- indeed, arguably he hasn't sounded this good in years, showing flash and flair while never replicating, say, the drum-solo mistakes of
"Toad" -- while both
Goss and
Googe have their instruments like men possessed. The result is fiery, smoking
rock in a classic vein, rescuing the genre from the dullard efforts that groups like
the Black Crowes were plaguing listeners with; even by-the-numbers
blues-rock struts like
"V.H.V." have a sharp, immediate kick to them.
Goss' singing still has hints of
Bruce, as well as
Neil Young, but doesn't just replicate -- consider the smooth flow of
"J.B. Witchdance," where he has a great crisp talk/sing style at play -- while the band's production as a whole brings out the immediacy of the songs. The emphasis on calmer efforts like the dreamy string-and-keyboard drenched
"100 Years" and the enjoyable, steady lope of
"Rolling Green" provide a fine contrast to the amped-up kickers. There's a great ringer in the middle of the album courtesy of
Baker,
"T.U.S.A." With spoken-word lyrics from
Baker himself decrying the inability of Americans to make tea properly ("Pour boiling water over the tea/How simple and clear/Can the instructions be?"), it's the type of relaxed joke more self-conscious bands wouldn't dare try, but which the trio effortlessly turns into a great little song. ~ Ned Raggett
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