Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Christgau's Record GuideC+
Rolling Stone(unfavorable)

Live Cream Volume II is the second live album by the British rock band Cream, released in March 1972 by Polydor Records (Atco Records in the US). This album contains six tracks recorded at various performances from 9 March to 4 October 1968.

Reception

Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic stated that Volume 2 had more songs on it than its predecessor, including two songs whose album versions were released as singles. He also commented on how the sound quality was some of the best at the time. He did not like, however, that there were not as many extended jams as there were on the predecessor and that Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton's singing is not good on "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love." Greenwald felt that the live version of "Deserted Cities of the Heart" is better than the studio version.

"Steppin' Out" was used in the dramatic climax of Mean Streets (1973) directed by Martin Scorsese.

Track listing

Side 1
No.TitleRecording date and locationLength
1."Deserted Cities of the Heart" (Jack Bruce, Pete Brown)4 October 1968, Oakland Coliseum Arena4:32
2."White Room" (Bruce, Brown)4 October 1968, Oakland Coliseum Arena5:39
3."Politician" (Bruce, Brown)4 October 1968, Oakland Coliseum Arena5:06
4."Tales of Brave Ulysses" (Eric Clapton, Martin Sharp)10 March 1968, Winterland4:45
Side 2
No.TitleRecording date and locationLength
5."Sunshine of Your Love" (Clapton, Bruce, Brown)9 March 1968, Winterland7:24
6."Steppin' Out" (James Bracken, mistitled as "Hideaway" on original LP pressings)9 March 1968, Winterland13:38

Personnel

Per liner notes

Charts

Chart (1972)Peak position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)30
French Albums (SNEP)27
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)15
UK Albums (OCC)15
US Billboard 20027