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The Concert at Royal Albert Hall is a remarkable document, as well as a flat-out thrill for long-time Cream fans. I can recall ruefully seeing a clip of Jack Bruce sometime in the `80's declaring that he didn't think there would ever be a Cream reunion-"Some things are not for sale," were the words I believe he used. The famed feud between he and drummer Ginger Baker was to deny the world for another 20-odd years the sublime delight that has now culminated in this DVD. If you have the notion that I might be exaggerating the greatness of this recording, then you either do not appreciate the blues-rock genre, or you have simply not seen the concert.

Right from the opening, Spoonful serves up a Cream concert standard that rivets the beholder, and the ensuing tour de force keeps the intensity unabated through the encore of Sunshine of Your Love, some two hours and another disc later. Eric Clapton, on the included interview session admits that the re-formed band had to go into training not only musically, but physically to be able to produce the shows it did. This definitive power trio positively amazes the viewer with its continually fresh improvisations and energy, despite the 60 year ages of its members. There are no side men, there are no synthesizers, tape loops, and in fact no famous wah-wah pedal in White Room. But that track, and so many others, will blow you away. In his interview, the ever brash Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker asserts defiantly "I think we sound better than ever." And he is right.

I got out some of my vinyl and listened to it critically, and I am here to tell you that Messrs. Bruce, Baker and Clapton have grown tremendously in musical ability and style in the 36 year hiatus of Cream. And it is not simply the quality of the recordings. Each musician is a virtuoso, not just compared to their contemporaries in 1967. Ginger Baker admits his grudging admiration for the skills of his band mates, "I don't think there are three musicians with a better sense of time than three of us." They play, they go into individual improvs, but they come back on a beat like they were never apart. You can catch glimpses of their individual joy as each segue begins.

Here in the US, there has been little attention paid to either Baker or Bruce since, let's say the early `70's, while Eric Clapton has been a regular in the music scene all along. Accordingly, one might have expected that he would dominate the concert, and you will see the young folks in the audience anticipating this. But part of the magic of this reunion is that Eric is the superstar gone home to his family, where he is given no special deference, and his "family" brooks no conceits from him. Each one feels and plays as an equal and that is really what made Cream the stuff of legends. Even rock and roll's other great power trio, ZZ-top, has never achieved this kind of parity among members.

My personal favorite is White Room, and when you watch it, you will really see the power of Ginger Baker. The whole thing is done with drums, bass and single guitar, and despite the never-to-be-forgotten licks of the original, along with the numerous overdubs necessary to yield the grand introduction of this rock classic, 2005's version is simply outstanding. Far better than the awful "WAHHH, WAHHH, WAHHH, WAHHH" vocalized by the band on the Live Cream, Vol. 2 recording. Similarly, Deserted Cities of the Heart, done originally in the studio with a lot of overdubs and phase-shifting, has been simplified, but plays well. I was disappointed to have Those Were the Days left off the play list, and there are some others that the band should try, like I Feel Free, SWLABR, and Tales of Brave Ulysses. But you won't be dissatisfied, I promise you.

The individuals have certainly aged, but Eric Clapton, who is the youngest, I believe, looks well, Ginger Baker looks the oldest, but he is, and he hasn't let health scares keep him away from his cigarettes, still looking like he could handle himself in a tussle outside a club. He kicks it for ten driving minutes on Toad, never boring the audience with die-outs or re-grouping of himself. In his own interview, Jack Bruce alludes to health issues he has had, but he doesn't slack off a bit in the show, despite occasionally resorting to a drafting chair for support. He belts out the majority of the vocals like he has a rented set of pipes, careless of how he might return them. He characteristically messes up the lyrics here and there, but that, like Clapton's sweat-soaked blouses and Baker's numerous broken sticks proves the authenticity of the performance.

So, if you wonder what to watch on a cold winter night, hook your stereo up to your DVD player, cue up Cream at Royal Albert Hall and prepare for a real treat. You will want "more Cream, please."

First, I know that Amazon doesn't encourage too many personal comments but in this case I just have to offer some background. In 1966 and 1967 I had a power trio with Mike Wedgwood, later with Kiki Dee, Curved Air, Caravan and so on, and George Hart, who wrote much of the legendary "Death may be your Santa Claus" by Secondhand (see Amazon.co.uk). We loved the Beatles, the Kinks, the Who and the Stones as encapsulating harmony, melody, humour, whimsy, rhythmn and almost heart-stopping musical ability: and so we played tons of their songs. But we also loved Eric Clapton and the blues, and along came Cream. So we played the whole of "Fresh Cream" except for Toad - don't ask. I loved the band so much that I followed them around, and some of my souvenirs and memories are in Chris Welch's superb book "Cream", for review see Amazon.co.uk - and if you like/liked Cream, get Chris' beautifully produced book. So mad- keen was I that I hitch-hiked from Salisbury to London to see Cream at the Saville Theatre in London (now long-closed) on the chance of getting a ticket - I did, and the only surviving programme is in Chris' book. They were on with the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, believe it or not.

Well, memory is a strange and deceptive mistress. I have a 19 year old son who s a demon sax player, and I am afraid that I have skewed his view of music by the "in my day..." nostalgia, although I don't regret introducing him to old school friend (yes, the same school!)Andy Sheppard on sax, because Andy is the best soprano player in the world: but I am aware that young kids can miss out on a lot of the good new stuff because "Dad thinks it's rubbish" - dangerous territory.

But then, out of the blue, along comes a chance to see if all those old memories are just rose-tinted or actually quite accurate, with the announcement that Cream were reforming for 4 gigs only. So, after virtually remortgaging the house, I bought two tickets for the Thursday night and off son and I went.

When the three old boys walked on stage, the ovation was deafening. There was Jack, fresh from a liver transplant, the type of which poor old Rory Gallagher did not survive: there was Ginger, riddled with arthritis and in his sixties: and there was Eric, after a life of hard times, addiction problems and mixed musical fortunes.

And off they went. My God, and off they went. Several things I had forgotten: they can all sing and the harmonies were exceptional: Ginger's drum sound is the most exciting thing you could ever hear: Jack has the voice of an angel with a range denied to all but a very few: and Eric can play anything.

I know that it sounds unbelievable to those who were not there, but they were just about note-perfect from start to finish - and now we have this fantastic DVD to prove it. On a personal note, the "Stormy Monday" and "Toad" were both recorded the night we were there and both are just brilliantly played - what's that about the band jamming, everybody? After Toad, my son said that this was the best ten minutes of his musical life, having seen Jeff Beck, Stevie Winwood, Meatloaf, Eric and Andy Sheppard in the same 12 months. Other high spots are "We're going wrong" "Sunshine" (of course) "Rollin and a tumblin" and "Crossroads" (although the Wheels of Fire version is definitive.

The whole DVD is a joy to watch and the playing is mind-bending. It's not just three old mates having a good time, it's three absolutely faultless musicians having a good time. For once, son and I could compare notes and agree that perhaps' Dad's memory was not too bad after all. If you have not bought this DVD you should: the Stormy Monday alone is worth the price.

A few weeks ago, my wife was waitressing at a shoot on the downs (hills) near us. Eric was there and signed two programmes - one from 1967 and one from 2005. Same line-up, same music, same magic. He also signed a mug for my daughter, "To Izzie, Eric 2005". What an incredibly talented, nice and gentle man.

Cream rule. No competition.