Search - Blind Faith :: Blind Faith (Deluxe Edition)

Blind Faith: Remastered and Longer, But Better?

Ron Frankl | Hendersonville, NC | 01/12/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Not Bad For A One-Album Band.... :-)

Alan Caylow | USA | 05/04/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Jammin' With Blind Faith

J. E FELL | Carterville, Illinois United States | 02/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a 2 cd remaster of the classic Blind Faith album. The album features one of the first "super groups" with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker(my favorite rock drummer) and the now deceased Rick Grech. They are one of the only bands to release only one album and have it reach number one. The remastering on this album is good. I am a fan of both Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood and I have most of this unissued material on bootlegs already. However, the sound quality is much improved. The "unissued" first version of "Sleeping In The Ground" & the electric alternate version of "Can't Find My Way Home" are excellent. This is the way they played "Can't Find My Way Home" live. The tracks "Exchange And Mart" & "Spending All My Days" mentioned by a previous reviewer come from a later session for an aborted Rick Gretch solo album in which other musicians were present. However, they should have added one of the instrumental versions of "Hey Joe" from these sessions to the second disc. If you do not like jamming you will not like the second disc. It sounds not unlike the Cream "Live" albums or the jams from the "Layla" boxed set sessions. One of the drawbacks to the second disc however is the fact that these sessions were cut before Rick Gretch joined the group. Due to this Steve Winwood plays bass on the first two cuts instead of keyboards or guitar which would have made them more interesting. This is not to say Steve Winwood is a bad bass player but he's no Jack Bruce. The later two jams feature him on Hammond organ. The "Change Of Address Jam" in my opinion the best of the jams. I favor more adventerous playing so I am a fan of the second disc. It gives an insight into the creative minds of these musicians. I found this deluxe addition to be a welcome addition to my collection. Now if they would only release the Hyde Park concert."