Retro Reviews: Blind Faith - Blind Faith

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Blind Faith – Blind Faith (1969)

***

Producer: Jimmy Miller

Musicians, Steve Window, Eric Clapton, Ric Grech, Ginger Baker

Songs: Had To Cry Today, Can’t Find My Way Home, Well All Right, Presence Of The Lord, Sea Of Joy, Do What You Like

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    I don’t know what to make of this album, it had great promise, but it seems to struggle with it’s goals. The idea of Clapton working with Steve Winwood, of the Spencer Davis Group and  wunderkind of the band Traffic, seemed compelling. There are no doubt two great songs in here that will stand the test of time, mixed in with some indulgence. Jimmy Miller’s involvement is surprising as he had done such an effective job with the Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet, yet somehow things don’t always translate here. There’s a feeling with some of the tracks on the album, there’s an emphasis on songcraft, then there’s the jump into virtuosity – and the problem may in lie with one person – Ginger Baker. One has to wonder if he was the right fit for such a project. We will get back to that later.

    The album opener “Had To Cry Today”, written by Winwood is good, but overstays it’s welcome and should have been tightened up - considering its length. The next track “Can’t Find My Way Home” is perfection, played by Winwood and Clapton on acoustics it encapsulated what this album could have been, and I suspect this will be a radio and cultural staple for years. The cover of Buddy Holly’s “Well All Right” is quite fun with a clever introduction. Clapton’s “Presence Of The Lord” is no doubt the next best track on the album with a clever middle break down and should also be a staple of radio.

    Winwood’s “Sea of Joy” has a solid opening series of riffs and is probably one of the last good tracks. This leaves us with the long album closer, “Do What You Like”, The initial keyboard solo by Winwood starts out sounding like Richard Wright from Pink Floyd, before morphing into its own thing. The same is true with the start of Clapton’s solo, sounding a little like Robbie Kreger of The Doors before it finds its footing and does its own thing. The Ric Grech solo is merely adequate, Ginger’s drum solo is good, but it feels like something we’ve heard before from him. The song was written by Baker and just designed as a showcase for himself. I can’t say this is any fresher than what I heard from Bonham thus far. This feels like an album where other material was developed and didn’t make the cut, while the production is good, it’s offset by uneven material. The provocative cover makes for an interesting curiosity. Sort of worth your time, but I can’t help feeling a little short changed.