Blind Faith - Blind Faith

Media:	Audio CD
Record label:	Polydor / Pgd
Release date:	27 February, 2001
List price:	~~$11.98~~
Our price:	$7.99 that is 33% off!

Blind Faith

Average rating: Stars

A Fantastic Band That Couldn't Even Outlive Cream

Whenever I hear this album, I become somewhat dismayed that this group could not have stayed together longer. The chemistry between its members is fabulous, and this was probably the last time in his career that Eric Clapton is heard playing a screaming Gibson guitar just as he did with Cream, especially on "Had to Cry Today". And yet the acoustic "Can't Find My Way Home" also hits the mark, albeit in a much more subtle fashion. This song is actually a forerunner of MTV's "Unplugged", obviously unbeknownst to anyone back in 1969. This is one of those albums that is absolutely timeless-and nearly flawless, as well.

Blind Faith - Blind Faith

meeting of the blinds

'Blind Faith' is one of the finest albums of the 1960's, perhaps the most progressive decade in music. That should be no surprise as the band combined elements of two of the most talented and inventive bands of the era, lead guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker, two-thirds of 'Cream', together with keyboardist/lead singer Steve Winwood and bassist Rick Grech, two-fifths of 'Traffic'. The band only managed to stick together for one album and one tour, which also shouldn't have been a surprise given that Winwood's continued indulgence in psychedelic rock and flirtations with jazz fusion were a poor match for Clapton's foray into more traditional pop sounds and life-long side-interest in blues rock.

Ignoring their flimsy bonds, Clapton, Winwood, and Baker brought five stunning compositions into the studio. For the most part, this album became a Steve Winwood dominated production, with the artist penning fully half of the songs and singing all of the lead vocals, even on Clapton's only entry, his epic 'Presence of the Lord'. Although the set does allow all of the musicians ample room to move, Winwood's characteristic sound, together with Baker's avant garde, jazz influenced contribution ('Do What You Like'), is what gives the disc its overall feel. The bands cover of Buddy Holly's 'Well All Right' along with Clapton's 'Presence...' are clearly the odd tracks out.

That being said, there is not a bad performance on this disc. All of Winwood's contributions are classics, from the plaintive 'Had To Cry Today', to the tender 1960s's "looking for myself" nostalgia of 'Can't Find My Way Home', to the rapturous 'Sea of Joy'. Each feature distinctive melodies, endearing lyrics, and elite musicianship. The studio rendition of Clapton's 'Presence of the Lord' probably isn't the definitive version to most people, as numerous live covers have appeared on other releases, in particular with Eric masquerading as 'Derek and the Dominos'. The song evolved and eclipsed its original form. And despite the relative simplicity of 'Well All Right', this band certainly manages to make this song sound like anything but a boppin' 1950's Buddy Holly track. If this was the first song you heard off this album and were told it was the weakest track, you'd surely buy the album without even asking to hear the rest of it.

The album closes with Ginger Baker literally laying claim to his fifteen minutes of fame, penning the 15 minute-plus 'Do What You Like', another period piece that gave all four musicians an opportunity to solo and, in the end, do what they like. It's probably the most critiqued song in the lot, but a lot of the criticsm comes from people who were expecting too much. 'Blind Faith' is solid, forceful, meaningful, and possesses a personality all its own, and plenty of other 'supergroups' have produced far less. This is a "must-own" for any collector of rock classics.

Blind Faith - Blind Faith

timeless and original

i'm not sure why this album isn't more widely know and heralded as a great, original and unique (redundant i realize) album from the still relatively early days of rock. perhaps it is because clapton's guitar playing is subdued and chiming vs. aggressive and bluesy as was his other work prior to this album. the whole sound of the album is different than anythimg else you'll hear and has a haunting melodic feel throughout. cant find my way home is the track that, to me, stands above the rest, but only slightly. compared to the "supergroups" of today (Audioslave, Velvet Revolver, etc.) this album is truly new and different than the artists previous work and the collective musical talent truly shines through.

guy smiley signing off...