Blind Faith [Original recording remastered]

Blind Faith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 27, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1969
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B000059T00
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (162 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,157 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #22 in Music > Classic Rock > British Invasion
  • #52 in Music > Rock > Blues Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The short-lived classic-rock supergroup Blind Faith's sole album has aged remarkably well. In 1969, Blind Faith fused the psychedelic blues of Eric Clapton and the soulful vocals and keyboards of Steve Winwood with the polyrhythmic, Afrocentric leanings of drummer Ginger Baker. "Can't Find My Way Home" is one of the hippie era's most lyrically poignant, sonically subtle tunes. The record has a lot of surprises; "Presence of the Lord" is rousing and melancholy at the same time, while the way the bass and guitar double-team on the introductory melodic line to "Had to Cry Today" makes a hard-rock cliché fresh again. The 10-minute drum solo on "Do What You Like" is pretty good as 10-minute drum solos go. This 2000 reissue of the album omits the unreleased jams and mixes that fill the second disc of the deluxe reissue that appeared earlier in the year. --Mike McGonigal

Product Description

The lone album from the supergroup of Baker, Clapton, Winwood and Grech didn't live up to expectations, but features the great Can't Find My Way Home; Presence of the Lord , and Sea of Joy .

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 96 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Blind Faith: Remastered and Longer, But Better? January 12, 2001

By Ron Frankl VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Now often overlooked, Blind Faith was guitar god Eric Clpaton's first move after Cream imploded at the end of 1968. Joining forces with the multi-talented Steve Winwood(vocals and keyboards), who has just left Traffic, seemed like an unbeatable idea, and the addition of drummer extraordinaire Ginger Baker and bassist Rick Grech made Blind Faith seem like a "can't miss" project. Six months later it was over. Rushed into the studio by greedy and insensitive managers and then sent on a long and chaotic tour, Blind Faith never had a chance to gel as a band. After one promising album, the original supergroup broke up.

Judged a disappointment at the time Blind Faith's one and only album has some very fine moments. Clapton had yet to develop the confidence needed to be a convincing lead vocalist, so he deferred to Winwood, who was at his peak as a singer. Clapton's guitar work is simply magnificent, as he is already maturing beyond his work with Cream and pointing towards his renaissance with Derek & the Dominoes that began a year later.

Polydor has remastered "Blind Faith" using state-of-the-art technology, and reissued it with outtakes and jam sessions from the original 1969 recording sessions. The original album is a revelation; the sound as crisp and full as is imaginable. The clarity is astounding, and even if you think you know every note of this album, you will be pleasantly surprised by what you hear on this new version. Songs like Winwood's "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Sea of Joy," and Clapton's "Presence of the Lord" have aged very well and sound better than ever.

The outtakes are a mixed lot.... A couple have appeared on Clapton and Winwood's anthologies, and several others have circulated for years on bootlegs, albeit with inferior sound. These tracks are interesting but not essential.

The jams, alas, are largely a waste. Playing riffs for ten or fifteen minutes while waiting for a musical idea that's worth keeping is not my idea of fun for the listener. These tracks are not even built around a reliable and basic format like 12-bar blues. There are some fiery moments - how could there not be with these musicians - but, like the three CD "Layla" box a decade ago, most of the unreleased material is disappointing.

Still, fans of Clapton, Winwood and their various bands will probably want to own this set. The remastered "Blind Faith" is a gem, and stakes a viable claim for the album as one of the best of its era. Read more ›

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Faith redeemed April 18, 2002

By Jinkyu

Format:Audio CD

This one-shot supergroup may not have lasted long, but they produced a solid recording here. There are only six songs, which is as expected--with Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood in the same group and the opportunity to showcase Ginger Baker's remarkable talents as a drummer, jams are certainly in order and Ginger does well in "Do What You Like," the concluder. The songwriting is dominated by Winwood, but Clapton contributes his classic "Presence of the Lord," which begins with a soulful verseline and then bursts into a potent guitar solo. Winwood's "Sea of Joy," "Had to Cry Today," and "Can't Find My Way Home" are all excellent, with pretty verselines accentuated by his high-pitched vocals and neat instrumental riffs.

In fact, the only thing that stops me from giving this five stars (just barely) is that there are only six songs. The jams show solid musicianship and worksmanship but don't blow you away. However, do not let the uneven reception this album received deter you. It is eminently listenable, and actually very relaxing, something just to put on and soak up when you feel laid back. The songs are not mellow as in slow, but in texture Blind Faith is smooth-flowing solid rock.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad For A One-Album Band.... :-) May 4, 2001

By Alan Caylow

Format:Audio CD

The world's first "supergroup," consisting of Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker & Rick Grech, Blind Faith fizzled out almost as quickly as they began---too many egos, too many cash-ins on the part of their managers, and a plagued U.S. tour sealed their fate. But amidst their all-too-brief whirlwind in 1969, the band DID manage to cobble together one single self-titled album, which still stands today as a classic. Containing just six songs, the "Blind Faith" album has held up just fine, thank you very much. "Had To Cry Today," spearheaded by Clapton's unique fretboard, is a groovy headbobber. "Can't Find My Way Home" is one of Winwood's most heartfelt compositions, and Clapton's beautiful "Presence Of The Lord" is one of the biggest highlights of Slowhand's career. The band put an excellent, fresh spin on Buddy Holly's "Well Alright," "Sea Of Joy" is another Winwood winner, and the big finish, Baker's "Do What You Like," is a rock drummer's heaven. And let's not overlook the great bass contributions throughout from Grech, keeping this great rock outfit firmly anchored.The original six-song "Blind Faith" album easily earns 5 out of 5 stars, but this is the special 2001 re-issue version, which now makes "Blind Faith" a double album, containing five previously unreleased extended jams and a few other studio leftovers. Now, you'd think that by applying more material to the album, it would make this already-brilliant recording even more brilliant. But not so fast---while some of the extra material here IS a wonderful addition to the 1969 album, some other material comes across as excess flab that should've stayed in the vaults.... First, the Good Stuff: the two solid versions of the blues number, "Sleeping In The Ground"; Winwood's engaging instrumental "Time Winds" (but was it intended to have lyrics, I wonder?); and the electric version of "Can't Find My Way Home," which is just as lovely as the acoustic original. As for the five extended jams, the "Acoustic Jam" is a total keeper, & "Slow Jam #2" is another inspired workout, with the band hitting a good groove and rocking it for all it's worth. The remaining three jams, however, despite the fine musicianship on display, are meandering and unmemorable---they don't really GO anywhere. But to be fair to the band, none of these jam sessions were originally intended for commercial release. Still, "Acoustic Jam" & "Slow Jam #2" DO work, and like the regular album itself, they show what Clapton, Winwood & the boys were capable of when they were cookin' together.Blind Faith's light shined much too briefly, but at least they left behind a terrific album before all was said and done. Most of the bonus material on this deluxe edition compliments the original record quite nicely, so if you're a big fan of this album, then this is certainly worth getting. 32 years later, "Blind Faith" is still a rock gem. Read more ›

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars meeting of the blinds July 10, 2005

By Don Schmittdiel

Format:Audio CD

'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. Read more ›