2020 Album Draft- Round 3- Pick 1- Cincinnati Babyhead selects- Blind Faith- Blind Faith.
Cincinnati Babyheads blog can be found at –https://cincinnatibabyhead.wordpress.com/
I’m limited to 10 picks so this is a combo of a couple bands that I could easily take to the island. I was and still am a big fan of Cream/Traffic and the 3rd band involved, Family. I had already been listening to the first two bands I mentioned so when this collaboration happened’ I was all ears. I was not disappointed. Cream’s hard jam blues rock with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton bringing their jams. Stevie Winwood brought his Traffic vibe. Then you throw in an unknown (To CB) Rick Grech from Family and you have Blind Faith.
The music is a collaboration of all four and they make some fantastic music. Winwood’s vocals have always been one of my favorites and he shines on this record. He writes 3 of the 6 songs and they are some of his best. He also adds his keyboards which are pretty tasty too. Clapton has some great moments and pens ‘Presence Of the Lord’ which is another great track. He rips a pretty good solo about halfway through. I love his playing. Winwood handles the vocals on the tune.
The other two tunes are a great cover of a Buddy Holly song and a Ginger Baker composition ‘Do What you Like’. It is a bluesy/jazz number with a great riff right from the start. It gives the boys a chance to jam out (which they like to do) and especially Ginger who never turned down an opportunity to take a solo. Songs like this got me into the long jam thing. Winwood does some great keyboard work, Eric throws in some of his usual great licks. Grech just lays down the bass and has a nice solo. Then Baker goes off into what he does best. He pretty well pounds the you know what out of the skins.CB loves a good drum solo especially by one of the best and that comes right from GB himself. Under this we have some repeated ‘Do what you likes”. The band joins in to finish it. It all works for me. I love Jams especially in good hands.
Oh yeah before I go I have to mention ‘Sea Of Joy’. It is just a knock out song for me. I already mentioned it as one of Winwood’s best. He puts some passion into his vocals on this one. The band cooks. The thing that got me was the violin playing of Grech. First time i heard that in the music I was listening to. It absolutely soothes the savage beast in me. One of my all time favorite solos. I went on a search for where Rick came from musically and found out it was a band called Family (A whole load of more great music). Winwood comes in after Grech’s solo and he sounds inspired. Goose bumps for me. Another record I listened to off my brother’s record pile.
There you have it folks. A CB favorite album. I get to take a taste of 3 great bands that came together to make some pretty good music. Just wish I could have snuck Jack Bruce into the session.
(Winwood and Clapton did a live gig at Madison Square Gardens a few years ago. It’s really good if you get a chance)
(Funny how our little adventure works. On Max’s Who pick I mentioned the violin solo on that. Then on Mike’s Gram Parson’s pick I mentioned how Rick Grech brought me to his music. All ties into this Blind Faith choice)
slicethelife 
I love the vibe of this album. Fantastic choice and review. It’s amazing to me that they (and Cream) were able to make such great music with so much hostility within the group. My wife and I saw Winwood with Petty a few years back, and when he started into Can’t Find my way home there was of courses a roar of approval. Except the guy next to me said something like “I don’t get it, this is a Clapton song.” I almost went into Introgroove mode but managed to keep my mouth shut.
Yo, Hans, we need to either stretch this thing out to 20 picks or figure out a way for us all to be stranded on the same island!
Both great ideas, Stephen. It’s very very difficult to choose as there will be so many left unchosen.
Sometimes that “hostility” makes for some creativity (not the best work environment). I dont think Winwood or Clapton wanted Baker around.
Funny on the Petty/Winwood concert. I seen Van Morrison and John Lee hooker. The woman beside me thought Hooker was Morrison.
Yeah, Im for swimming back and picking up a few more. Maybe some other supplies also.
I have a few ideas I am kicking around in my head for the future…
Can’t Find My Way Back Home is one of my all-time favorite songs. The musicianship on this album is breathtaking. I love the reworking of Well All Right and Presence of the Lord has great Clapton guitar work.
There is only one thing I don’t like about Blind Faith. They didn’t give us more than one album.
Great pick and review CB.
The whole album works for me. Just listened to it last night (again!) and was digging ‘Do What You Like’ Clapton starts out with a different sound. I was telling someone it has a Santana thing at the start. Plus I love Winwoods keyboards on it. Great jam.
More wasnt meant to be.
The keyboards on this album are really prevalent and sets a mood…everything meshes really well.
I’ve listened to this album on some long road trips.
How do you get a leader on a collaboration like this. But it does feel like Winwood is steering it. Maybe because of the vocals?
Yea and Clapton after the drama of Cream probably didn’t mind him steering it…just a guess
CB, I posted on “Sea of Joy” just this past Friday. Everything comes together to perfection on the song. I never realized Winwood sang on Presence of the Lord and also thought PotL was on 461 Ocean Blvd (another excellent Clapton endeavor.) I need learn more about Traffic and Family. :::adding to list of things to learn about::: Excellent choice and it’s very likely you nabbed this one from me 😉
How cool is that. Chances we’d be on the same page with this one. Same music vibe or what. Obviously I dig this album for so many reasons. Always cool when I find others that feel the same way.
I would have been very impressed if I’d seen this as one of your picks. Sorry for the theft.
Yes, a nice connection. No apologies needed, I’m happy to see it and now I can choose something else instead 🙂
Good attitude. I went over and found your take. I’ll drop a comment later.
P.S. it was actually last Thursday not last Friday.
Some solid music! Seldom go far wrong when you have either Steve Winwood or Eric Clapton.
Check out the recording they did together a few years ago.
Can’t go wrong with this album, IMHO. Only “Can’t Find My Way Home” and “In the Presence of the Lord” already make it worthwhile, and the remaining tracks are great as well.
You are a wise man Christian.
Ha, not sure about that!😀 What I do know is I dig that album. Undoubtedly, much has to do with the musicians behind it!
You surprised me with this pick- not that it isn’t worthy just hadn’t thought of it- since it was a one album supergroup deal. Sometimes- as in sports you get a bunch of talent together and it doesn’t necessary mesh together- but in this they did. Too bad only one albums worth.
Good analogy. Yeah sometimes it looks way better on paper. I have another similar one that wants to jump into your game
I always think of basketball- you could get the 5 greatest players together- but there is only one ball- everyone wants to be the star.. same with a super group- can they put the egos aside?
I love this this collaboration. The two songs you picked to share with the review are great. I vow to play the entire album before this day gets away from me.
If you cant get to it let me know and I’ll do it for you.
I’ll be able to stream it through Amazon. But thanks for offering.
I have barely listened to this one, even though I enjoy Traffic and Clapton’s 1960s stuff. Cover always put me off buying a physical copy.
My brother had the album with the cover Hans posted. I picked up the one in question later. Winwood was right in his prime here. I think him and Traffic went on to do Barleycorn (which I could have easily picked). If you can get by the cover there is some great music waiting for you.
Have never listened to this entire album, but your write-up has inspired me to give it a spin, and it’s great. I too love long jams.
I think that’s one of the reason we’re doing the Hans thing. Open our ears to music we might have missed for various reasons. I have already expanded my record stack. ‘Do What You Like’ is a good jam
I haven’t thought about this album in eons. I do have the vinyl record in the original cover sleeve somewhere in one of the four boxes of albums that are in storage. Now I have to retrieve it and give a listen for old time’s sake. Steve Winwood added a new layer of musicianship that Cream lacked, and it shows on this album. Too bad, these talented men couldn’t get their crap together and keep making great music together.
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I played the bass part of Blind Faith music on the trombone and never imagined the great musicians who performed their songs.