In 1968, Eric Clapton made rock history. He thought it was terrible

Eric Clapton considered Cream’s live recording of “Crossroads” a poor performance, despite its later status as a rock classic. The article says an amplifier that was too loud distracted him from the tempo, while many listeners value the recording’s rough, spontaneous energy.

The track was recorded at San Francisco’s Winterland on 10 March 1968 and appeared on Cream’s double album *Wheels of Fire*, alongside studio recordings and other live performances. Clapton said he had little tolerance for much of his old material, especially “Crossroads”; the article frames the recording as an accidental success that helped capture the excitement of Cream’s live shows.